Library’s Summer Program Encourages Literacy and Learning with Free Booklets, Books to Keep

Hamilton County kids and teens are invited to read, learn, and earn prizes with the Discover Summer program at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. The 2021 summer learning program runs through July 31. Youth can visit a library location to pick up their free Discover Summer To-Go pack:

  • Activity booklets – Four different booklets for PreK students to teens, designed by the Library and packed with activities by our partner organizations: Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati Observatory, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative, Great Parks of Hamilton County, Holocaust and Humanity Center, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the YMCA
  • Books to keep – Award-winning books for multiple ages
  • Take & Make kits – Library activities to do at home, complete with materials and directions
  • Early literacy calendars – For PreK families

Youth age 18 and under who complete at least five activities in their summer booklets are eligible to win end-of-summer prizes! To enter, visit CincinnatiLibrary.org/summer to access our tracking app, Beanstack, or visit a CHPL library for a paper entry form. A Library card is not needed to participate.

“We’re thrilled to help kids sharpen their learning and reading skills this summer while helping families rediscover the great arts, cultural, and natural attractions in Hamilton County,” said Paula Brehm-Heeger, Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Director of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library.

Free meal boxes for youth are also available Mondays at select library locations throughout the summer. New this year, Hamilton County families are invited to visit CincySummer.org to find exciting summer activity ideas from the Library and our partners to help fill their summer bucket lists.

“We understand how important it is to keep kids engaged and learning over the summer.  We are proud to be a sponsor of the Library’s Discover Summer program and contribute to this goal,” said Bill Strangfeld, president of the Friends of the Public Library.

“The Library Foundation is proud to be a longtime supporter of this annual program. The Library proves time and again how relevant it is and Discover Summer is a big part of that. Educating our children and keeping them engaged and learning away from school is a critical service, even more so over the past two years,” said Staci Dennison, the Thomas W. Jones Executive Director of the Library Foundation.

For more about CHPL’s Discover Summer program, visit CincinnatiLibrary.org/summer.