SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. – Memorial Day may be the unofficial start of summer, but for book lovers things really get started on June 1. That’s the beginning of Summer Reading, which lasts through the end of July. Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) libraries have hundreds of events and activities planned for all ages. All children who take part will receive prizes. Adults who read and log in 5 books or more and complete a challenge can obtain a canvas bag as a reward.
“Reading opens the door for a lifetime of learning and growing,” said County Librarian Jennifer Weeks. “Summer Reading is the perfect time to plant a seed with our littlest ones and to nourish and grow the souls of the rest of us. Come out to the library this summer for a great read and a fun event!”
This year’s theme is Plant a Seed, Read, featuring characters of illustrator Pete Oswald (The Bad Seed, The Good Egg). One of the primary goals of summer reading is to avoid the “summer slide” among school age children who are not attending classes, when they tend to lose skills. Adults can join in the fun as well, with more time to read and longer days with nice weather to enjoy a book outdoors.
To get started, patrons just need to go to sccld.org/summer and sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge in Beanstack. There are events planned for kids, teens and adults. Our librarians have compiled suggested summer book lists for kids and teens. Adults can check out the latest recommendations in fiction and nonfiction.
Remember, at the library all reading is good reading. Audiobooks, eBooks, comics, and picturebooks all count! Parents and caregivers should also sign up their little ones ages 0-5 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library if they have not done so already. Each month a book will be sent to their home, in English or Spanish. This is a great way to inspire an early love of learning. The County of Santa Clara recently reached the milestone of 100,000 books mailed with SCCLD as the program’s lead local agency. Another great idea is to visit one of our now six early learning Storybook SCCLD play spaces.
About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Founded in 1914, its collection includes more than 2 million books, videos, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
SCCLD includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library, serving the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In 2025, SCCLD had nearly 400,000 library accounts, 1.1 million unique website visits, and a circulation of over 12.3 million items. Program attendance was over 247,000 with more than 2.7 million visitors overall.
Find the Santa Clara County Library District online: www.sccld.org
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