Evaluating Your Summer Reading Program
This year, the California Library Association will begin asking each library jurisdiction that takes part in the California Summer Reading Program to collect participation numbers and submit them to us at the end of the summer. We will collect the data using a zoomerang survey, and we would be grateful if one person from each library jurisdiction could respond on behalf of all participating library service points. The data will be reported to the state library and used to help improve the California Summer Reading Program in the future.
We anticipate that there might be challenges in trying to collect these data at the state level, particularly in the first year. Correspondingly, we will use this year as a test to establish the best ways to collect the data in future years, and the survey will ask you to give us feedback on the data collection and reporting processes. Please bear with us during this first year!
To help you prepare for this survey, we have included below a list of the information that we will be asking you to send to us at the end of the summer.
Please contact us with any questions.
We will ask for the following information from each library jurisdiction that takes part in the 2008 California Summer Reading Program. We would like you to use your own definition of completion when reporting your statistics, and we will ask you to tell us what your definition of completion is.
Section I: Sites
- The number of library service points (excluding mobile libraries) that offered summer reading for children.
- The number of library service points (excluding mobile libraries) that offered summer reading for teens.
- The number of off-site summer reading programs you supported (the definition of an off-site summer reading program is one where library staff take summer reading to groups of children or teens in the community, e.g., at a summer camp or at the YWCA).
- The names of the off-site groups you worked with.
Section II: Participation by Group
- The total number of children who signed up for summer reading at the library.
- The total number of children who signed up for summer reading at an off-site location.
- The total number of teens who signed up for summer reading at the library.
- The total number of teens who signed up for summer reading at an off-site location.
- The total number of children who completed summer reading at the library.
- The total number of children who completed summer reading at an off-site location.
- The total number of teens who completed summer reading at the library.
- The total number of teens who completed summer reading at an off-site location.
Section III: Programs & Attendance
- The total number of summer reading programs/events/activities held at your libraries for children of pre-school age and below.
- The total number of attendees at these programs.
- The total number of summer reading programs/events/activities held at your libraries for school-age children.
- The total number of attendees at these programs.
- The total number summer reading programs/events/activities held at your libraries for teens.
- The total number of attendees at these programs.
- The total number of summer reading programs/events/activities held at your libraries for adults.
- The total number of attendees at these programs.
- The total number of summer reading programs/events/activities held at your libraries for mixed-age groups (e.g. programs for families, programs for children and teens, programs for children and pre-schoolers).
- The total number of attendees at these programs.
Section IV: Feedback
- Your two best summer reading program ideas.
- Comments and feedback that will help us improve data collection and reporting for the California Summer Reading Program in the future.
The California Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association, supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) is the sponsoring organization for the 2008 Summer Library Program. Artwork is for use by CSLP members only. Copyright 2007-2008 by Highsmith Inc. All rights reserved. No images may be reproduced without written permission.