Fired up and ready to go for 2026 Summer Reading! Seeing so many great kick-off events and sending you all positive vibes for a summer of fun and literacy.
~ Cathy
Ready to Read Michigan Presents...
Practical Puppetry for Powerful Programs with Katie George!
Save the Date(s): There will be two (2) full-day workshops. One on
Monday, September 14th and the other on Tuesday, September 15th. Locations will be announced when registration opens in June.
Katie George has been working in public libraries for over 20 years. She is currently the Professional Development Instructor at Howard County Library System in suburban Maryland, but she began her library career in the children’s department. Katie has incorporated
puppetry into library programs and events for children, teens, and adults. Before moving to library land, Katie performed with puppets at Walt Disney World and constructed puppets at VEE Corporation in Minneapolis. For two years she was the Resident Puppet
Builder at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Katie earned her MA from the University of Connecticut's Puppet Arts Program and her MLS from the University of Maryland's College of Library and Information Studies. Katie has presented puppetry workshops
for the Puppeteers of America, the Maryland Library Association, the American Library Association, and in other venues.
Space for these workshops will be limited, so save the dates now and look for a message from me when registration opens!
Unearth A StoryTM Updates
Promotional Shorts
Reminder, there is no official PSA this year. We're already looking at having some animations of Laurie Conley's work created for next year so video shorts will be easier, as well as looking at a longer form video that
includes those animations. Meantime, the following Canva short MP4 (video) templates were added to the manual last week for marketing on social media. These are in horizontal format:
How to Channel Your Inner Archaeologist this Summer: a webinar for librarians!
📺 If you missed the live webinar, you can watch it on the AIA’s YouTube channel:
ArchaeologyTV. To join in the fun of the mid-webinar quiz—YouTube has a pretty well hidden “take quiz” button—if you can find it below the video, you can play along!
🍯 Here at the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), we are so excited about the
Unearth a StoryTM theme and the opportunity this gives the public to learn more about the human story through archaeology. With many libraries already subscribing to AIA’s popular magazine ARCHAEOLOGY, we’re thrilled to be growing our relationship with
libraries this year through Summer Reading.
📋 Chapter 5 of your Collaborative Summer Library Program manual has some great archaeology resources, and we’re also actively compiling and sharing more resources on AIA’s CSLP Summer Reading Resources page. Check it out, send us feedback, and check back
throughout the summer for more informational resources, passive activity ideas, hands on activities, and more!
🗺️ We especially encourage you to look into and direct your library patrons to local archaeology resources—archaeology is all around us! See the “Explore Local Archaeology” heading on our resource page for tips.
📨 Please be touch with feedback, questions, and ideas. We’d love to hear from you!
🙌 Cheers to a fun summer of reading, exploring, crafting, and engaging with your library patrons!
Best wishes,
Meredith Langlitz, Director of Programs, Archaeological Institute of America
CSLP Vendor & Artwork Survey
The CSLP Vendor and Artwork committees are currently accepting feedback for the 2028 theme/slogan. The theme is
Mythical Creatures,
and the slogan is
Libraries Are Legendary. As we start work on creating artwork/selecting products for 2028, we are asking member libraries for feedback.
This survey is open through June 7th, and we'd love for anyone in your library who has anything to do with summer to give their opinion! That includes youth and adult library staff, marketing folks, purchasing decision-makers, etc. etc. Any and all feedback
is welcome! Fill out the
survey
here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18Wws7HVHlW__aZmZZvZFScSNlM9Y-I5n2F9sEkJcXF8/edit
#DigThis Photo Challenge
Resources
ALA Webinar: Turn Your Library Into a Dyslexic Positive Literacy Hub and Help Kids Learn to Read
The UW-Madison Information School’s annual free webinar series is returning this summer! One-hour webinars (Mastering Job Interviews, Canva for Public Libraries, and more!) Thursdays (July 9, 16, 23, and 30) will take place from
1 to 2 pm EDT and will be recorded. Sign up for one or all four: Registration
is now open.
Amplify: K-5 Summer Learning Kit
A
free K–5 summer learning kit provides printable activities that help students maintain reading momentum while having fun. Request yours now to get four science-based resources you can use for at-home learning. It's all rooted in the Science of Reading.
ALSC 2026 Summer Reading Lists
The
2026 Summer Reading Lists feature book titles and digital media options to keep children engaged in reading and exploring throughout the summer. Four lists are available for birth-preschool and grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. The lists are free to download and
share!
Take a Glimpse of the START Project
Statewide Autism Resources & Training (START) Mission: To work with schools, community partners, and families to support students with autism to become active, engaged
members of their schools and local communities, and successfully move into adulthood as independent individuals with many choices and opportunities. The Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Project is housed in the Grand Valley State University
(GVSU) Autism Education Center (AEC) and has been funded by the
Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education since 2001. START supports educators to increase local capacity by providing evidence-based training, resources, and coaching support focused on systems-level change. As a statewide collaborative
project, START partners with schools, families, and communities to create inclusive environments and experiences to empower autistic and neurodivergent students.
In the News...
Thank you,