Williamson County Library System had an amazing 2023 summer reading program. The program encouraged community members of all ages to come together to celebrate reading and learning with over 2,000 participants and 1,330,840 minutes of reading.
Throughout the summer, County libraries hosted events during June and July that included author visits, community helper talks, crafts, musical performances, and special story time sessions. Dates and times were provided online in an events brochure and on our website calendar. In addition to fun events, the annual summer reading program enabled everyone to read and track their progress. Participants earned prizes and awards for reaching their reading goals, making this program fun and rewarding.
We hope you enjoyed joining your local library for a summer of reading, learning, and community. The summer reading program ended on August 5. Prizes earned must be collected by August 19.
As school starts on August 4 we are aware of studies since 1996 showing how students can lose ground in their math and reading skills during summer break. One study of third to fifth graders showed an average loss of approximately 20 percent of reading skills and 27 percent of math skills over the summer break. This loss is called the summer slide. It is recommended that youth need to read at least six books over the summer to maintain and improve their literacy skills. Proximity to and usage of a public library with summer reading activities also has a beneficial effect on retention. The Williamson County Public Library and Foundation appreciate the opportunity to assist our County's preschoolers in learning to read and building their early literacy skill sets, plus to help older youth retain their skills so they can achieve their full potential come the new school year. We wish you all the best of luck in the new school year and know that everyone will do their best to do well. Remember to visit your local Library to get the prizes that you have earned by August 19 and throughout the year for homework or research resources by visiting your Branch or our digital resources on our website.
The Williamson County Public Library Foundation funded the 2023 summer reading program. Supplemental reading goal prizes from local businesses across Williamson County helped to encourage community families to keep reading all summer long. Each branch of the county library system has been assisted by their Friends of the Library groups for this summer reading initiative. Our appreciation of these organizations and businesses for their coming "All Together Now" for our library users is immeasurable.
WCPLtn: Discover Learn Succeed
The Williamson County Public Library System’s Main Library is located in downtown Franklin at 1314 Columbia Avenue. Branches are located in Fairview, Bethesda, College Grove, Nolensville, and Leiper’s Fork. For more information about library programs or services, call (615) 595-1243 or visit http://wcpltn.org. Sign up to receive library events and announcements at https://bit.ly/WCPLSe-news. The library can also be found on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, WordPress, and Twitter via @wcpltn.