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Evergreen Park Library asks District 124 to help boost community summer-reading goals
Summary
Library director Frank Murray told the Evergreen Park ESD 124 board the library wants at least 1,000 community participants and 750,000 collective reading minutes this summer and asked teachers and administrators to recruit adult readers and students to meet a 600-minute individual goal.
Frank Murray, director of the Evergreen Park Library, asked the District 124 board on May 20 to help promote a community summer-reading challenge aimed at increasing adult and family participation.
"We want to challenge the Village of Evergreen Park, its residents and community members to read," Murray told the board, describing a program that last year drew 826 participants and a community total of 424,000 minutes. Murray said the library’s goals for 2026 are to top 1,000 participants and reach 750,000 total minutes.
Murray outlined how the program works: individuals register with the library, and participants who read 600 minutes over the summer (about 10 hours) meet the challenge; reading to a child or listening to audiobooks counts toward the total. He asked teachers and administrators to model reading for students and to recruit parents, relatives and neighbors to sign up.
The library is offering prizes to encourage adult participation, including Field Museum "Dozing with the Dinos" family tickets, a Spoken Vine gift basket with a $50 card, an outdoor kit, a mahjong set and a 55-inch Vizio smart TV. If the district reaches the stated community goals, Murray said, the library will host a block party — currently planned for Aug. 8 — with food and family activities.
Murray provided practical signup options (QR code, library website, or in-person registration) and emphasized that the program is open to residents and non-residents. He said the library will provide flyers and digital materials for schools to share.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; Murray concluded by thanking the board and staff for their help.
