September 2024 | Volume XLII, Issue 3 »

Read, Renew, Repeat in 2024: iREAD® Roundup

September 3, 2024
Becca Boland, Illinois Library Association

Alpha Park Public Library, Illinois

More than 1,300 libraries in 41 states, plus all Department of Defense base libraries worldwide, and libraries in Australia and New Zealand (it’s not even summer there!) participated in iREAD® in 2024, themed “Read, Renew, Repeat.” Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. iREAD 2024: Read, Renew, Repeat made for a wonderfully diversified summer reading program that encouraged reading as a restorative method of self-improvement and self-preservation.

Begun in 1981 as an Illinois-only partnership among youth services librarians in the state, iREAD has grown to include formal or partial statewide adoptions well beyond our borders, including Alaska, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. This year we also welcomed a consortium from Alberta, Canada to our partnership family.

The Hayner Public Library District, Illinois

In 2024, libraries decorated their spaces including creating murals, bulletin boards, full forests complete with wildlife, and displays; had innovative programs like tours of wind farms, recycled paper making, a lot of community planting and gardening activities, and so much more. Some libraries incorporated Smokey the Bear’s 80th birthday while others worked with local nature and wildlife organizations. The most magical part of the program is seeing all of the ways that libraries interpret the theme and implement the program in a way that is a reflection of their community.

We thank Gretchen Schulz of the Aurora Public Library District, 2024 iREAD chair, and her committee for their hard work to develop and implement this year’s theme.

To see all the photos included in the iREAD Roundup 2024, view the pdf copy. 

iREAD Summer Reading Programs

Since 1981, iREAD provides high quality, low-cost resources and products that enable local library staff to motivate children, young adults, and adults to read.

Visit the iREAD website »