McChesney, E. M., & Wunar, B. W. (2017). Summer Matters: Making All Learning Count. Chicago, IL : ALA Editions.
Summer reading for children is a long standing and cherished tradition
in public libraries across America, but today’s kids need to master new
skills and competencies. Today’s summer programming needs to move beyond
reading to engage children with hands-on activities, thus keeping their
brains active even when school’s out. Here, a team of librarians and
educators from the Chicago Public Library (CPL) and Chicago’s Museum of
Science and Industry present a guide based on their award-winning,
STEAM-inspired approach. They outline practical steps for libraries and
cultural institutions to partner in creating a sustainable summer
learning program that’s both fun and educational. This book
- explains what STEAM is and why it’s important for libraries;
- provides evidence-based research on summer slide, the achievement gap, and 21st century learning skills;
- walks readers through building a cultural partnership, collaborating efficiently, and sustaining the relationship into the future;
- offers tips for managing institutional change;
- provides guidance for developing a new vision for summer at the library, with pointers on adding learning tracks to existing programs and addressing design challenges;
- details how CPL evaluates and assesses their program; and
- includes templates for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), mission statement, logic model, and sample Summer Learning Challenge evaluations.
(book description)
