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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.

Any and all feedback is welcome! Please share your thoughts by filling out the survey by June 7th.

This summer, staff at the Tooele City Library created a sculpture of Digby, the triceratops mascot invented for the 2026 CSLP Summer Reading program. Made with cardboard, insulation foam, papier-mache, and air-dry clay, Digby is almost two feet tall from nose to crest, and two feet long from nose to tail. He will be displayed at the front of the library throughout the Summer Reading program and will be featured in photos and videos posted on their social media accounts.

Digby has been busy since his completion! He has spent time learning about library services and standards and is excited to share them. He is very excited to celebrate America 250™ and has a few patriotic costumes planned for later this summer. Digby has made fast friends with the Buffalo statue posted at the front of the Tooele City Library and hopes to make many more this summer as they Unearth a Story™!


-Submitted by Alyssa Enslen, Programming Specialist at the Tooele City Library, Tooele, UT
 

How the IDEA Squad Is Redefining Digital for Library Programming
 

 
Libraries have long thrived on a culture of shared learning, where ideas are exchanged freely to strengthen services for all.
Hoopla’s IDEA Squad builds on this peer-to-peer foundation, creating a collaborative community of librarians dedicated to rethinking how digital collections support programming and outreach. IDEA stands for Inspire, Design, Execute, and Amplify, and the group’s purpose is simple: help libraries turn digital resources into active, visible extensions of the patron experience, which often begins in the physical space and expands into ongoing engagement beyond it.

Currently made up of nine members, the IDEA Squad includes six librarians from across the United States, one librarian from Canada, and two members of the Hoopla team who are also librarians. This blend of perspectives ensures that every idea is grounded in real-world experience and shaped by those doing the work every day.
Together, the group develops and shares practical content from webinars and blogs to program templates that libraries can immediately apply. Recent examples include a Sherlock Holmes-themed escape room that connects teens to streaming content, custom digital carousels that highlight community voices, and a summer reading webinar filled with ready-to-use ideas for 2026.
These approaches are especially impactful during summer reading. As families travel and routines shift, incorporating digital into programming and outreach ensures the library remains accessible anywhere. Whether embedding Hoopla titles into reading lists or extending in branch programs with related digital content, libraries can create experiences that continue well beyond a single visit.

This perspective came to life in a recent episode of The Straight Download, which featured a conversation with IDEA Squad members Storm Hawthorne and Mandy Decker. Their conversation highlights a critical shift: When digital is intentionally incorporated into programming and outreach, it extends the in-person experience, creating ongoing value for patrons wherever they are.

The IDEA Squad exists to turn these ideas into action. To explore how libraries are putting this into practice, check out their work and tune in to the latest episode of The Straight Download. 

By Trenton Smiley, Director of Customer Messaging, Hoopla

 

Libraries often act as connectors between community resources and library patrons; Summer Reading is a great time to increase those connections! With this in mind, the CSLP Outreach Committee offers an Outreach Toolkit, which can be found here on the CSLP website.

The Outreach toolkit includes:

If you have an outreach idea you would like added to the toolkit – we would LOVE to hear from you -- please submit it here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdA0JHwHk7IENTJX3l4iDWX0FKBIZ2dPqa3_1rObscbRDCMOA/viewform.

 

Thank you to our CSLP Outreach Committee for creating this valuable resource!

  

Chapter 1, page 11

 

Host a T-Rex Tea Party with snacks and beverages of your choice. Pair it with a dinosaur-themed Storytime or make it a bigger, standalone event!  While this program is found in the manual's Early Literacy section of Chapter 1, it's adaptable to include different age groups or as a family event.

This program is easily adapted to different budgets and staff time since snacks, decor, and any additional activities are totally up to you! For an extra fun addition, have a volunteer in a dino costume join for a special meet and greet for the young participants.

The T-Rex Tea Party is very customizable, so be creative and make it your own! Need ideas or want to connect with others about their T-Rex Tea Party? Join the CSLP's Official Summer Library Programming Group and continue the conversation!

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