Summer Reading Through the Years

With a dedicated space in the Carnegie building, the Children’s department created displays and programs for children of all ages to enjoy, like “Story Hour”, which was first held in 1909. In 1937 children’s librarians Blanche C. Roberts and Lillian Skeele developed a reading contest to keep children engaged during the summer months when they were not attending school. The first “summer reading contest” took place at Columbus Public Library’s Main Library, May 15- July 15, 1937. The 165 participants ranged from third grade to eighth grade. The program had a baseball theme, with participants’ names entered on a large scoreboard so they could see where they stood on the leader board. Prizes for the top readers were books donated by library staff.

After a successful first year, the library decided to make summer reading an annual event. The second contest was extended to children from third grade to twelfth grade and was open to kids at Main Library, Hilltop and Linden branches (20 locations were established between 1928 and 1954). In 1942, the number of books to “graduate” was reduced from 15 books to 12 and the library extended the program to all branches and county station libraries.

1961’s Summer Reading Club theme was the Civil War, to mark the 100th year of the beginning of the war. Pictured here are the Eastside Branch winners.

The winners of the first Summer Reading Club in 1937. Left to right: Dino Pappas, age 8 (third and fourth grade group) read 69 books. Jeanne F. Chavous, age 10 (fifth and sixth grade group), read 101 books. Bobby Weisberg, age 11 (junior high group), read 80 books.

Making its first appearance in 1975, Metro Mouse encouraged kids to read.

A special visitor greets participants in 1985 to celebrate the library’s “Reading is Cool” theme. By the end of the 1980s, participation in Summer Reading Club grew to 18,000 per year.

Summer Reading Club, 1996.