State Library of Iowa outlines 'Level Up' adult summer-reading resources, download deadline June 1

The State Library of Iowa on a recorded webinar walked library staff through the 2025 iRead resource guide for adult summer reading and programming, stressing a June 1 download deadline and a range of ready-to-run program ideas and promotional assets.

The webinar matters because the iRead guide includes art and graphic files, customizable templates, program bibliographies and step-by-step ideas that libraries statewide can reuse to run or promote adult summer programming with minimal design or technical work.

Presenters Mary Anne Mori, central district consultant at the State Library of Iowa, and a State Library colleague identified as Sam reviewed how to obtain and use the resource guide, how to adapt materials for different-sized libraries and communities, and concrete program ideas ranging from tabletop and video-game nights to wellness workshops and civic engagement events. “One size summer does not fit all,” Mori said, summarizing the presenters’ guidance for tailoring programs to local staff, space and budgets.

The State Library emailed the resource guide to library directors on Nov. 6, 2024, and the presenters repeated two key operational points: each library must download the guide only once, and files are large zip archives that should be fully extracted to a local drive before use. Mori told attendees the art and graphics folder includes PNG and JPEG files (transparent backgrounds available in PNGs) and some SVG files for users with advanced graphics tools. Presenters advised allowing 10–20 minutes to download the art files and to copy or move extracted files to shared drives or flash drives as needed.

The guide packages materials for adults, families and all-ages programs and organizes programming ideas by audience code (A = adult, F = family, AA = all ages). The presenters named eight high-level program categories compiled from the manual and supplemental brainstorming: gamified learning and workshops; gaming nights and tournaments; self-improvement and wellness; crafts and DIY/makers; literary exploration; technology and innovation; creative writing and storytelling; and community engagement/volunteer programs.

Examples highlighted in the presentation include: - Gamified book-discussion formats such as Jenga- or dice-driven prompts and an app-driven nature-walk badge challenge (Seek by iNaturalist). - Gaming events: retro-video-game nights, fantasy riddle tournaments, puzzle competitions (including fundraiser variations used by Polk City and Huxley), and human-foosball as an outdoor community draw. - Self-improvement programming: resume and career workshops (presenters cited past partnerships with IowaWORKS and the statewide Brainfuse JobNow resource), “Couch to 5K” training partnerships and nutrition or mental-health talks in collaboration with local providers or university initiatives such as Let’s Move in Libraries (Dr. Noah Lenstra, University of North Carolina at Greensboro). - Crafts and maker programs: tote-bag projects, upcycling withdrawn books, monthly craft clubs, repair cafés and makerspace activities. - Literary exploration: curated adult bibliographies (presenters noted an adult bibliography beginning on page 489 of the manual) and book-club strategies for reaching undercirculated nonfiction categories. - Creative-writing prompts tied to role-playing and “smash journal” crafts, plus community storytelling partnerships with historical and genealogical societies. - Community engagement: book crawls partnering with local businesses, Pickup Iowa litter-pick events (scheduled April 1–June 30), and volunteer recruitment for friends/foundation groups.

Presenters pointed attendees to practical assets: customizable Canva templates (game boards, bingo sheets, bookmarks), printable posters and social-media-ready images included in the guide, and a recorded archive of the webinar and related “kernel” recordings on the State Library site. Mori advised libraries to plan promotion six to eight weeks before events and said many libraries will find it helpful to combine countywide or regional partnerships to reach adults who have transportation options.

On tracking and incentives, presenters described a range of approaches: paper log bookmarks with prize-entry punches, subscription-based digital trackers such as Beanstack or ReadSquared (noting Beanstack is a paid subscription), and hybrid approaches where libraries offer both paper and digital options. Prize suggestions included a single grand prize (board games or a private “game night at the library”), smaller early-registration gifts from local sponsors, bookstore or hardware-store gift cards, and puzzle- or game-related accessories.

Presenters gave several practical navigation tips: use the bibliography index and the guide’s preview pages to locate art by artist (artists in the package include Ruqin, Oge Mora, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Patrick Gerard and Carrie Peach), search the manual for topic-specific sections (puzzles on pages 331–418; example adult RPG on page 303; community programs on page 251), and consult local partners such as ISU Extension or municipal communications channels for promotion.

Commenters and an unmuted participant identified only as Tiara, who said she is a new library director, urged new directors not to attempt every idea at once. “It doesn't all have to be done in your first year,” Tiara said; presenters echoed that a one-week event or a single summer program still meets summer-reading goals.

The State Library emphasized reuse: libraries that download the guide by June 1 retain the graphics and templates for later use, and presenters encouraged saving unused program ideas for future seasons. The webinar recording and related resource links will remain available through the State Library’s learning/archive pages for review.

For further details, presenters recommended contacting Janae Jackson Doran (State Library youth services consultant) for download assistance and checking the resource guide for file names, chapter locations and ready-to-use promotional art.