We hit 1,000 signups for the Summer Reading Club this week!
This is something that usually happens during the first two weeks of our Summer Reading Club. Typically, we have around 2000 kids sign up over the course of the summer, although last year it was around 2400, so we'll see how it goes this summer.
It's definitely been quite a transition moving over to using Evanced's Summer Reader online, but my staff and I (and, I think, patrons, too) are really liking it. We have a station set up with four laptops next to our service desk, so we can let patrons set up their own accounts. After they're done, they come to the desk to pick up their book bags.
I had a little trouble getting into my groove last week since we've changed our program this year, but now I'm feeling comfortable with my spiel and more confident that patrons are getting the information they need about our programs. I also keep thinking about how much easier it's all going to be NEXT year when patrons will be familiar with the online program.
I can see the minutes and books rolling in as patrons log from home - over 10,000 minutes and 700 books read so far! We'll start awarding prizes on June 1.
The other part of our program that's going well so far is our new Daycare/Summer Camp Summer Reading Club. I have four facilities signed up with over 200 kids so far and I am pretty sure we'll get more as we get into June and the groups start figuring out their summer plans. It's so much easier to put a kit together for them than it is to try to individually sign up all those kids! We'll see how the finisher rate goes as we go through the summer months!
Our "summer kickoff" program is actually tomorrow and then our programs start next week. We'll be back with our weekly storytimes, lots of special programs, and a few large performers throughout the months of June and July. It's really worked well for us to avoid programming during the first couple of weeks of the SRC. As you can see, we've got our hands full with getting kids registered!
Have you started Summer Reading Club yet? How's it going?