Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Summer Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Glendora Library reports robust start to summer reading program; volunteers and programming surge
Summary
Library staff reported early summer metrics including new card issuances, program attendance and volunteer counts as the Summer Discovery Challenge shifted to tracking days read rather than total hours; trustees heard details about volunteers aged 12–17 and program activities.
The Glendora Public Library reported early results from its Summer Discovery Challenge and summer programming at the June 9 trustees meeting, including high program attendance, new library card signups and increased volunteer participation.
Library Services Manager Cindy Romero told the board the 2025 Summer Discovery Challenge began June 2 and was redesigned to track the number of days participants read at least 30 minutes rather than the total hours read. “One of the goals of the discovery challenge is to help build habits of reading for pleasure,” Romero said.
Romero reported program figures for the library’s in-house effort: 283 adults have registered, “a little over a thousand” youth registered, nearly 2,100 other activities on challenge bingo cards have been completed, the staff have checked out more than 7,000 items in two weeks and the library issued 197 new library cards. She also reported 19 programs over the first two weeks with more than 2,200 participants.
On volunteers, Romero said the library had “just over 100” summer volunteers, ages 12–17, after the library raised the minimum volunteer age from 10 to 12. New volunteers complete an interview and training before serving, Romero said, and staff described a strong early turnout, including returning youth volunteers who had to learn the revamped program this year.
Rachel Marks, a library aide, summarized staff development activities tied to the challenge: staff practiced Beanstack (the tracking platform), reviewed adult and youth prizes, prepared for outreach sites, and toured local landmarks such as Rubel Castle to support history-related program content. A post-event staff survey showed increased confidence and knowledge after the development day: for example, agreement with the statement “I feel like I know my newest colleagues” rose from 45% before the day to 95% after.
Trustees praised the incoming trustees’ experience with grant writing and encouraged leveraging that expertise for future funding opportunities tied to library projects and outreach. Board members also asked staff to continue reporting statistics in monthly packets when available and settled on providing next routine statistics after the summer hiatus in September.
No formal board action was required; trustees accepted the updates and asked staff to continue routine reporting of statistics and follow up on volunteer-hour tracking and program outcomes.
