The Iowa City Public Library’s adult-services team told trustees it has stopped awarding trade paperback book prizes for the summer-reading program because rising unit costs made the prize model financially unsustainable. Instead, the Friends of the Library are funding program experiences and donated Bookend gift coupons for readers.

Why it matters: The prize change could affect reader completion rates and perceptions of the summer-reading program while shifting the program’s focus toward participation and experiences.

An adult-services staff member told the board that trade paperback prizes became prohibitively expensive as completion increased: mass-market copies previously cost about $4 each but trade paperback copies run “$8 plus,” making the earlier model “unsustainable financially.” The staff member said the Friends’ gift now funds program experiences and that the Friends also donated Bookend coupons so participants can select a free book, a change that staff hoped would still encourage participation.

Trustees discussed whether Bookend volunteer and store hours limit redemptions; staff said volunteer shortages sometimes constrain store hours but that changing the Bookend opening time had helped. Staff also reported that program attendance has remained “the same or higher” this summer despite the prize change, and that staff may tweak the program next year (for example, offering participant-set goals).

Ending: Staff said they will monitor participation and completion, adjust next year’s rules to encourage broader success, and report back with statistics in the August packet.