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Roseville Library reports surge in participation for 2025 Summer Reading Challenge
Summary
Library staff say the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge distributed 10,900 reading logs, produced 4,412 program completion entries and expanded outreach through summer meal sites and Project Access.
The Roseville Public Library reported a notable increase in participation in its 2025 Summer Reading Challenge, distributing 10,900 reading logs and recording 4,412 drawing entries that staff used to count program completions.
Library supervisor Cambria Evans told the Library Board on Sept. 22 that staff gave out more reading logs this year than in any previous year, up from about 7,400 in 2024. “We gave out a total of 10,900 summer reading logs this year, which is more than we have ever done,” Evans said.
Evans said staff used the detachable portion of the log as drawing entries; using 10 hours of reading as a completion unit, the 4,412 entries equated to 44,120 hours of reading during the nine-week program from June 2 to Aug. 9. She said the program recorded at least a 15% increase in every tracked category compared with 2024, including a reported 31% increase in logs and a 26% increase in hours read.
The program included 22 distinct events and an estimated 26,413 total participants across those events, Evans said. Highlights included a kickoff party Evans described as “record breaking,” with an estimated 2,000 attendees, and new or expanded programs such as multi-generational bingo, a live “Glowing Bat” animal presentation that drew about 400 attendees, and teen-focused 8-bit bead craft sessions. Staff also introduced “brag tags” as a youth incentive; Evans said the tags—60 styles tied to popular children’s books—encouraged repeat participation and higher completion rates.
Evans described outreach partnerships as a major factor in the year’s growth. The library piloted a summer lunch outreach program with the Roseville City School District’s summer meal sites and distributed 513 outreach bags (which included reading logs and books) and about 1,500 books. She said the library also distributed outreach bags at the grand opening of Project Access, an on-site health, education and employment service for residents of affordable and workforce housing, where staff connected with more than 70 residents.
Evans credited community donors and sponsors for the prize packages that incentivized participation, naming the Friends of the Roseville Public Library and Quality Technology Services (QTS) in her remarks. She also shared a parent’s note praising the program’s effect on a child who had struggled with reading, calling the program “a great incentive to keep up her reading skills.”
Board members congratulated staff on the metrics and the new incentives. The board heard no formal action tied to the presentation; Evans closed by encouraging continued participation in library programs year-round, noting that September is National Library Card Sign-up Month.
Ending: The library said it is already planning for summer 2026 and will use lessons from this year’s outreach and incentives when developing next year’s challenge.
