March 22, 2011

Colorado State Library Announces Summer Reading Grants

The Colorado State Library announced today that 71 public library sites across the state will receive statewide summer reading program mini-grants. Each participating library site will receive $200 to put toward purchasing books related to the 2011 themes: “One World, Many Stories” (children) and “You Are Here” (teens).

The Summer Reading Program consists of weekly public library activities for children and teens during June and July and covers new books on the annual theme, crafts and ways to have fun at the library. Many children and teens set a goal such as reading a book a week or for 20 minutes each day. Young children participate by being read to by parents or siblings. Adults also join in and set their own goals for reading. In 2010, a total of 213,905 Colorado residents participated in summer reading programs in public libraries. Of these readers, 155,563 were children, 42,690 teens and 15,652 adults.

Public libraries in the U.S have been promoting summer library programs since 1898. Reading regularly during the summer helps students prevent “summer set-back” where students can lose reading gains of the previous school year.

The State Library has been distributing the grants since 2004. Library sites receive $200 to support their summer library programming and provide a local match of 25 percent of the grant.

Libraries receiving the grant money:

Akron Public Library

Alamosa/Southern Peaks Public Library

Aurora Public Library

Cañon City Public Library

Conejos County Library District – Antonito

Conejos County Library District – La Jara

Delta County Public Library District – Cedaredge

Delta County Public Library District – Crawford

Delta County Public Library District – Delta

Delta County Public Library District – Hotchkiss

Delta County Public Library District – Paonia

Dolores County School/Public Library – Dove Creek

Dolores County School/Public Library – Rico

Dolores Library District/Montezuma County

East Cheyenne County Library District

East Morgan County Library District / Brush

Elbert County Library District – Elbert School

Elbert County Library District -- Elizabeth

Elbert County Library District -- Kiowa

Elbert County Library District – Simla

Fleming Community Library

Fort Morgan Public Library

Fowler Public Library

Garfield County Public Library District – Glenwood Springs

Garfield County Public Library District – Gordon Cooper /Carbondale

Garfield County Public Library District – New Castle

Garfield County Public Library District – Parachute

Garfield County Public Library District -- Rifle

Garfield County Public Library District – Silt

Grand County Library District – Fraser Valley

Grand County Library District – Granby

Grand County Library District – Hot Sulphur Springs

Grand County Library District – Juniper Library/Grand Lake

Grand County Library District – Kremmling

Gunnison County Library District – Crested Butte

Gunnison County Library District – Gunnison

Haxtun Public Library

Ignacio Library District

Jackson County Public Library -- Walden

John C. Fremont Library District

Kiowa County Public Library District

Lafayette Public Library

Lake County Public Library

Las Animas/Bent County Library District

Louisville Public Library

Mancos Public Library District

Montrose Regional Library District – Naturita

Nederland Community Library District

Northern Chaffee County Library District / Buena Vista

Nucla Public Library

Ordway/Combined Community Library

Ouray Library District

Park County Library District – Bailey

Park County Library District – Fairplay

Penrose Community Library District

Rampart Library District – Florissant

Rampart Library District -- Woodland Park

Rangely Regional Library District

Red Feather Mountain Library District

Rio Grande Library District – Monte Vista

Saguache County Public Library – Center

San Miguel Library District #2/Norwood

Security Public Library

Summit County Public Library – Main/Frisco

Trinidad/Carnegie Public Library

Upper San Juan Library District – Pagosa Springs

Vail Public Library

Wellington Public Library

West Routt Library District -- Hayden

Wray Public Library

Yuma Public Library

A map of the mini-grant libraries may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/2011MiniGrants

For more information on summer reading programs, visit www.ColoradoStateLibrary.org/summerreading or contact Patricia Froehlich, youth services senior consultant at the Colorado State Library at froehlich_p@cde.state.co.us or 303-866-6908.

For more information, contact Mark Stevens, 303-866-3898, or Megan McDermott, 303-866-2334, in the CDE Office of Communications. To sign up for the CDE e-mail news service, please visit http://www.cde.state.co.us/Communications/index.html.