Key takeaways:
- Make books and reading the focus of your program with joyful summer reading templates.
- Thorough, thoughtful promotions will help your community know about summer reading and get them to read.
- Library staff need support through the summer, too. Refresh your training to make recommending books and promoting your library easier.
Summer reading is almost here! It’s the busiest time of year for libraries in North America, and we’re here to help. Read on for your annual resource-filled guide to making your library’s summer reading program a joyful experience.
Reading in the summer
Special programming provides the sparkling allure of summer reading; while filling out the reading tracker serves as the quiet foundation. With NoveList, you can ensure that “summer slide” only pertains to the slide in the playground.
Here are some tips to make reading a joyful part of your summer reading program:
- Refresh your NoveList skills to make searching for books easier and faster. Whether you’re a new user or just looking for a refresher on key features, this training page has everything you need to help your readers. Bookmark it for easy access all year long.
- This summer reading search strategy guide offers fun suggestions and strategies for summer reading programs and ways to find books to fight summer boredom. The guide includes tips for summer reading, information on NoveList’s Curated Lists and the professionally designed Find Your Book Joy summer templates in LibraryAware, and has tips on how to find books that fit the summer themes from CSLP, iREAD, and TD Summer Reading Club, too.
- When a kiddo can’t tell you the name of a book they loved or a favorite author’s name, ask them if they like stories about friendship or those inspired by real events. Or maybe they like creepy stories or graphic novels with colorful illustrations? Using guided questions like these, you can help a child find their next read using Story Elements in NoveList. Here’s a helpful guide on how to do it.
- Pop culture plays a big role in drawing patrons to books. Embrace it! Use the For Fans Of Curated Lists to help you create your book displays and make recommendations. Here’s some information about these popular lists. Get going by searching “For Fans Of” in NoveList.
- Get the adults involved too by leveraging the Books With Buzz carousel on top of NoveList’s homepage. These books are receiving media attention (such as on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, or NPR), given celebrity book club status (such as Reese Witherspoon or Mychal Threets picks), or are getting screen adaptations (such as Netflix or Apple TV).
- Take advantage of the annual NoveList Reading Challenge during the summer. You could use participating in the challenge as an option in your program/activity tracking.
Not sure if your library has NoveList Plus? Find out by visiting this webpage.
Summer reading promotion
Get your marketing materials ready and make sure your community knows all about your summer reading program. LibraryAware customers will find it easy to bring joy to their 2026 summer reading promotions with a whole suite of professionally designed templates with the theme of Find Your Book Joy. If you have LibraryAware, find this year’s templates by searching “find your book joy.” If you don’t and want to learn more, click here to request a demo and free trial.
A sampling of the “Find Your Book Joy” templates for Summer Reading 2026
Ways to promote your summer reading program
- Get inspired by our favorite library promotions of 2025. Find ideas for digital and print promotions.
- Promote your summer reading program on all your usual channels. We suggest promoting your program on your website, in email and newsletters, on social media, and with a wide range of print pieces.
- Partner with local community organizations, such as community centers and daycares, to spread the word. You can leave flyers or even schedule pop-up programs.
Ways to promote your books
- No more “libraries are more than books” — instead, shift that message to “libraries are books and more.” Books are the heart of the library and deserve all the promotion you can give them. We suggest you promote books all the time using all your channels.
- Include book recommendations in every email. Why not put a book recommendation in your monthly program newsletter? Try putting a related book into a one-off event email. Got a popular cookbook club? Recommend books like The Heart-Shaped Tin by Bee Wilson.
- Sneak a book recommendation onto every promotional print piece you can.
- Work with authors to promote your books. Author visits are high-interest programs that can put a hugely relevant spotlight onto your bookshelves. Read our recent tips on working with authors.
Want to learn more about LibraryAware? Request a demo and free trial today.
Everyone can get in on wearing their joy on their sleeve with Book Joy. Pro tip: If your library is using the Find Your Book Joy templates in LibraryAware, you can get matching staff merch from the Book Joy store!
Resources for you
- Watch the recording of the Get Ready for Summer Reading with LibraryAware session to learn how LibraryAware can help you quickly create engaging emails, social media posts, reading logs, flyers, and more for summer reading. Use our ready-to-go designs or upload your program's graphics and make marketing your Summer Reading Program a breeze.
- Take a course with Learn with NoveList Plus! Freshen up your readers’ advisory skills or learn better methods to promote your library and collection. The professional development courses from Learn with NoveList Plus are taught by library experts who deeply understand books and readers. Click here to view the list of course previews. Start with How to Circulate More Books with Smart Merchandising to see your books fly off the shelves.
- Help kids find books they want to read that are written at the appropriate level for the reader. Here are our tips for finding books for children that match their interests and reading levels.
- Stay up to date with NoveList resources by subscribing to NoveList News, our monthly newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Leigh Gaddy is the Marketing Specialist at NoveList. She is currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
