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Website of the Month

http://www.summerreading.cla-net.org/

If you haven’t visited the website about California’s Summer Reading Program, check it out as you finalize your plans for “Get a Clue @ Your Library.” It is a great place for ideas for programs, printouts, and everything SRP. Created and maintained by Stephanie Stokes for the California Library Association, this website is chock full of great ideas. It is packed with links to audio PSA’s, video clips of the CLA training on programming ideas, merchandise available related to the program, and much more. Stephanie updates the site regularly; I try to check it every week and find new things every time I look.

Interested in doing a summer reading game for adults? Try the video clip starring Cathy Marvier of the Shell Beach branch of the San Luis Obispo Library, describing how she conducts the SRP for the adults (mainly retired folks) at her library. Look under 2007 Adults.

Many librarians will find the booklists very helpful in compiling the bibliographies you plan to give out. Go to 2007 Kids, and click on 2007 Webliography, and you will see many sites that have mystery bibs that suit the “Get a Clue @ Your Library” theme. There are also lots of ideas for codes and ciphers, programming ideas, and using the mystery theme with science and history. Another plus are the great printouts of bookmarks and other handouts you can create.

The 2007 Teen area also has great programming and book ideas, including ideas for Readers Theatre. There are templates for printouts where you can easily add your library’s name and information, too. An idea I can’t wait to try is a Nancy Drew party. Loaded with ideas, these weblinks tie into the upcoming Nancy Drew movie, which is predicted to be a big hit with middle schoolers.

If you haven’t ordered all your materials yet, you can still download the order form from Highsmith and get reading logs, incentives, and other related merchandise. You can also order the DVD of the public service announcement to send to your local cable access channel.

Still looking for programming ideas? Be sure to check out the area called “CLA Workshop Materials.” It has video clips of the workshop held at the CLA Conference last November, all focusing on the mystery theme. There are also printouts relating to the presentations, with all the links, titles, and information in a written form. A great program is “Think Pink,” presented by Pam Carlson of the Long Beach Public Library, describing a “Pink Panther” movie showing and party.

Many of us have poured through the manual on “Get a Clue,” and the website doesn’t duplicate that material. Instead, Stephanie lists lots of related ideas, links, organizations we can partner with like local police, all having to do with the mystery theme. Another great area of the site is the announcement of the theme and slogans for 2008, “Catch the Reading Bug,” so you can get started now thinking about what will work for next year!