Bringing Summer Reading to the People
St. Louis Public Library, Mo.
Innovation Synopsis
With locations closed due to COVID-19 to start the summer, St. Louis Public Library did not want to rely solely on transitioning our Summer Challenge to a virtual format. The library mailed custom Summer Challenge postcards to all juvenile cardholders and put together Summer Challenge Starter Kits that were distributed through community partners.
Challenge/Opportunity
In the City of St. Louis, over 50,000 households lack access to high-speed internet. This includes over 50% of Black households. While "going virtual" was the obvious solution to providing services with libraries closed, we knew this would leave out a huge portion of our customer base, especially our most vulnerable populations.
Key Elements of Innovation
The library created postcards that promoted Summer Challenge while the postcard itself served as a "tracker" that young people could use to log books and activities completed. This provided an "analog" version that directly mirrored our online Summer Challenge. The library also established new partnerships with St. Louis Public Schools and the Urban League to distribute Summer Challenge Starter Kits at meal sites. These kits included the postcards, a new book, at-home learning activities and literacy resources.
Achieved Outcomes
The library distributed 1,400 Summer Challenge Starter Kits throughout the summer. In total, 163 young people "redeemed" their Summer Challenge postcards in libraries after they reopened. Over 30% of overall Summer Challenge completions were by young people who used the postcard and otherwise might not have been able to participate.
