Bernardsville Library and School District Worked Together To Make Summer Reading a Success!

Bernardsville Public Library and The Somerset Hills School District worked together this summer to make sure that local high school and middle school students had easy access to summer reading in varying forms and formats.

For many years, the school district has lent the library copies of books on summer reading lists. This year, for the first time, the library allocated specific funds to purchase selected titles in electronic, or downloadable, format. Twenty-two e-books and e-audiobooks were purchased, and proved very popular with students. Over the summer period, every e-title was checked out at least once, and some were borrowed multiple times.

This year, 266 children signed up for the library's Summer Reading program. They read 2,932 hours (175,920 minutes!) and earned 1,027 prizes. Reading school assignments definitely counts towards those prizes.

Throughout the summer, the Youth Services Department ran story times, craft programs and book groups for young children to teens in twelfth grade—programs which highlighted this summer's theme encompassing both reading and fitness. The summer was filled with special performances, story times, music, crafts and games for all ages. Middle and high schoolers helped library staff and earned community service by assisting at programs and preparing activities and crafts for younger children.