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West Fargo Library reports strong summer reading turnout, expands Library on Wheels outreach
Summary
The West Fargo Library Board heard Sept. 11 that the library’s summer reading program drew 678 participants and roughly 526,000 minutes read, and that its redesigned Library on Wheels increased outreach with steady stops and an average of 36 books checked out per visit.
The West Fargo Library reported on Sept. 11 that its summer programs drew broad participation and that a redesigned Library on Wheels helped the system reach more neighborhoods.
Lauren, Youth Services Manager, said this year’s summer theme, “Color Our World,” supported arts- and STEM-focused programming and helped sustain attendance across June through August. “We had 678 total readers in our challenge with almost 526,000 minutes read,” Lauren said. She told the board that participation was active — about 76% of registrants logged reading or completed activities rather than only signing up.
The largest participant group was children ages 6 to 11, the library’s target group for preventing summer learning loss. Adult participation was also high, with 179 adults taking part in the reading challenge; Lauren said many parents and caregivers participated alongside children. The library recorded nearly 3,600 program visits across the season, and weekly recurring events remained popular: craft events averaged about 45 attendees, STEM sessions 31, and story times about 37. Weekly toddler sessions at the library reached 35 to 50 attendees per session.
Lauren described several off-site efforts. The Library on Wheels operated three weekly evening stops touching northern, central and southern West Fargo — Goldenwood, Maplewood and Dakota — and added monthly stops at three elementary schools to support West Fargo Public Schools’ summer programs. “We averaged 36 books checked out per stop,” she said, and about 22 visitors per stop.
The Library on Wheels also appeared at community events including the West Fargo Street Fair, Prairie Public’s Be My Neighbor event, Pride in the Park and several back-to-school nights. Lauren said the library transitioned its previous Little Red Reading Bus program into the current Library on Wheels model in 2021 and that the new vehicle reduced setup time and staff strain while keeping core services such as circulating books and offering activities.
The board praised the outreach work. Board members asked about uniqueness in the Fargo–Moorhead area and Lauren said the service is similar to some local bookmobiles but emphasizes on-site activities and family engagement rather than only circulating books.
Looking ahead, the library plans to continue weekly and special events through the fall, including a Lego party tied to Westfest, new story time programming for kindergarten–third-grade readers and Teenober events. The library’s summer report presented to the board highlighted both attendance metrics and qualitative reactions from patrons as evidence of the program’s strong return on outreach investment.
