INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly 60,000 children and families (59,836) participated in The Indianapolis Public Library’s 2013 Summer Reading Program, “Read Together, Right Now,” the highest number of summer readers since 2004. The 94th annual program, held at all Indy Library locations as well as the Beech Grove Public Library, attracted over 24,000 children ages 6 – 11 and over 16,000 toddlers and preschoolers.
The program gave participants a chance to earn great prizes for their reading activity, as well as to support literacy efforts to help students in India, South Africa and Mexico served by the Christel House International Learning Centers, and through the Indiana Members Foundation to support local children in need of books. A total of 1,210 books were donated for these causes.
Another component, piloted during the 2012 Summer Reading Program, gave young readers under the age of 18 with Library card debts of $5 or more the opportunity to pay off their fees through reading. Over 1,100 children reduced their debts by nearly $25,000 through Earn and Learn, an Indy Library initiative that will continue throughout 2013.