2026 Sneak Peek and more! View this email in your browser<https://mailchi.mp/cslpreads/cslp-newsletter-september2025-6748805?e=c18caf2bb6> [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/ed31fdf7-bdb5...] [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/_compresseds/65e4a35e-80...] Dear Members, CSLP is excited to announce your 2026 Summer Reading Program theme: Unearth a Story™. For 2026, Unearth a Story™ underscores the joy of discovery that reading brings and that every person and every community have stories waiting to be found and shared – through books, programs, and local knowledge. Why Unearth a Story™? Member libraries across the country chose this theme back in 2022 and the slogan in 2023. This theme invites layered interpretation, offering a robust, flexible foundation for summer programming: * High appeal to a broad audience, especially children, families, and educators. * STEAM and humanities connections—from science-based fossil digs to creative storytelling and historical exploration. * Cross-promotional opportunities with local museums, parks, and historical societies. * Built-in excitement for visual merchandising, reading incentives, community events, and partnerships. Program Highlights Our programming manual for 2026 includes over 350 pages and is packed with ideas from your fellow member libraries condensed into the following chapters: * Dino Play: Pretend, play and have fun with games, crafts and more. * Fresh Dirt: Dig into the earth and with programming on rocks, soil, and gardening. * Digging For Information: Explore genealogy, local history, museums, and research. * Paleontology: Learn and explore about all things dino! * Archaeology: Discover how we unearth our history! * Celebrating America 250™: Explore ways to celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary. * Partnership Programs: Dive into special programs and activities from CSLP partners. Don’t forget that our manual also includes value-added marketing pieces that arrive in the spring: the PSA videos, which can be mixed and matched across different media outlets in your library and beyond, as well as the social media toolkit that makes sharing those stories easy. Spotlight on Tom Bonson We are honored to feature the artwork of Tom Bonson<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=c2b0b8ecb8&e=c18caf2bb6>, an illustrator that brings a wonderfully colorful and fun style to his characters and artwork. Enjoy a sneak peak of his artwork for Unearth a Story™ here<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=ff5d9e3e8b&e=c18caf2bb6>. We encourage libraries to embrace this theme and explore the manual, creating a program that best fits their community. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to fostering a love of reading and exploration in our communities. We can’t wait to see how your library chooses to Unearth a Story™ next summer! If your state is not already a member, any accredited public library outlet can join CSLP and use Unearth a Story ™. With 40 states and territories participating, chances are, you’re already covered! Visit Join Us<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=99c5b51ff2&e=c18caf2bb6> or contact custserv@cslpreads.org<mailto:custserv@cslpreads.org> for more information about joining in on this theme. Warm regards, Dawn Krause Executive Director CSLP [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/44fc82dc-e69e-f76...] CSLP Volunteer Application Now Open![https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/b43944df-3ef7-fda...] Committees are essential for building an engaging and successful summer program at CSLP. Check out our Committees<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=1897c4ec43&e=c18caf2bb6> page to discover the different committees, each with unique focuses, roles, and responsibilities. Find the one that suits you best and get involved! If you’re already part of a committee and want to stay on, simply contact your Committee Chair to confirm your participation. The 2026 CSLP volunteer application<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=c9a3a62437&e=c18caf2bb6> is open now until October 15. For questions about committees, contact Dawn Krause<mailto:dawn.krause@cslpreads.org>. [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/ad2eb54a-dcf1-eef...] [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/88b27672-22b5-b18...] [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/295ebfdd-acfe-922...] [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/b53d7f36-4dd6-c5e...] Our 2025 Summer Reading Champion, Katherine Applegate, has selected the winner of our Color Our World Creative Writing Contest! Sadie M. from Colorado is the grand prize winner of the 2025 Color Our World Writing Contest! Her story, entitled ‘Sunny Days,” was done in verse. Our panel of librarians from around the country together with Katherine Applegate’s publishing team at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group helped select four finalists, which Katherine then reviewed to determine the winner. They were all so impressed with this story and its style! Read Sadie’s story here. <https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=f7eeb1a87e&e=c18caf2bb6> Sadie will be receiving $500 worth of books from Macmillan<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=dfd14cc176&e=c18caf2bb6>, plus signed copies of Willodeen, Crenshaw, Odder, and Wishtree. Sadie and the three runners up are invited to participate in a virtual writing workshop with Katherine Applegate in October We want to extend a special shout-out to the Children’s Librarian, Caitlin Van Buskirk, at the Ridgway Public Library in Colorado. They hosted a creative writing event that inspired the winning story! This year’s contest invited readers to unleash their imaginations and bring stories to life through words. We were blown away by the creativity, passion, and heart that shone through in every entry. A huge congratulations to our winner—and thank you to everyone who participated and helped us celebrate the power of storytelling this summer! Many thanks to our partner, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, for sponsoring our Summer Reading Champion and this contest. #ColorOurWorld #SummerReading #CSLP #KatherineApplegate [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/3ec6983c-09e9-748...] [https://mcusercontent.com/043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405/images/ae95c419-eae8-254...] Announcing Our Fall Cohort for Building Community-Based Summers We are thrilled to share that 15 libraries have been accepted into our newest training program cohort, out of an incredible 68 applications. 13 libraries chose to participate. This six-session training series begins in late September and goes through December. It brings together creative, community-focused libraries from across the country to think deeply about summer reading. Congratulations to the Fall 2025 Cohort: * Burlington Public Library, Burlington, WA * Campbell County Public Library, Gillette, WY * Comstock Township Library, Comstock, MI * Fallsburg Library, Fallsburg, NY * Madison Public Library, Madison, SD * Malvern - Hot Spring County Library, Malvern, AR * Massanutten Regional Library, Harrisonburg, VA * New Castle Public Library, New Castle, PA * Ossining Public Library, Ossining, NY * Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington, VT * Suffolk Public Library, Suffolk, VA * Upper Skagit Library, Concrete, WA * Winslow Public Library, Winslow, AZ We can’t wait to see the energy, collaboration, and innovation these libraries will bring to the program! Thanks to the work of our volunteer BCBS Committee with highly skilled facilitators, CSLP can bring this program to our member libraries at no cost to participants. If your library is interested in applying (or reapplying) to the program in the future, look for another cohort application starting in the new year. Find out more about BCBS <https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=9b617a5b1b&e=c18caf2bb6> or email bcbs@cslpreads.org<mailto:bcbs@cslpreads.org>. Partner List<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=f3faa55307&e=c18caf2bb6> Was this forwarded to you? Click here to sign up for your own copy of the newsletter!<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=d8c7bffd45&e=c18caf2bb6> [Facebook]<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=090fdd80ed&e=c18caf2bb6> [Pinterest]<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=8b87aaa2db&e=c18caf2bb6> [Website]<https://cslpreads.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=043a7515ceb3ad45bdd2dd405&id=94c9353f8f&e=c18caf2bb6> Copyright © 2025 Collaborative Summer Library Program, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.