Public library staff around New Mexico are gearing up for their Summer Reading Programs – this year with a theme of Color Our World. In February, the New Mexico State Library hosted a series of Summer Reading workshops around the state for library staff to come together to learn from their colleagues, share ideas, and explore craft activities for their patrons. Kelly McCabe, Youth Services Coordinator for the New Mexico State Library, organized the workshops to share resources available from the state library to public libraries around the state and showcase current successful programming at our public libraries.
Workshops were held at Clovis-Carver Public Library, Alamogordo Public Library, and Rio Rancho Public Library, with an additional online session for those unable to travel. The in-person workshops featured presentations by three front-line library staff, a tour of the host library, hands-on craft activities, and an idea share for Summer Reading 2025.
At the Clovis workshop Clovis-Carver Youth Services Librarian Ashley Maestas shared the details of their popular Anime Club for tweens and teens; Fort Sumner Public Library Assistant Director Lori Moyer detailed how patrons earn and redeem library bucks in their summer reading prize store; and Portales Public Library Assistant Director Sarah Victor showcased successful summer programming for adults and multigenerational audiences.
The Alamogordo workshop featured Alamogordo Public Library Youth Services Librarian Ami Jones showcasing teen crafts, her READO tracking boards, and plans for the upcoming Candyland program; Ruidoso Public Library Director Denise Staab detailing her library’s efforts during the Summer 2024 fires and floods to alter summer programming plans and provide needed access to connected computers and emergency services; and Hatch Public Library Director Lisa Neal outlining the programs provided through her partnership with 4-H, as well as her Mad Hatter Tea Party event.
At the Rio Rancho workshop Kiyomi Wilks, Rio Rancho Youth Services Librarian, shared strategies for engaging teens in programming and utilizing Teen Advisory Groups to their full potential; Phil Neilson, Youth Librarian at Octavia Fellin Library, shared successful outreach programming through Navajo Technical University cooking classes and escape rooms held at the Gallup mall; and Cassandra Zamora, Librarian at Santa Ana Pueblo Community Library, showcased her plans for incorporating traditional pueblo arts into intergenerational summer programming. The online workshop also featured Phil Neilson, and Melissa Mackey, Los Alamos County Library Youth Services Librarian, talking about the importance of looking beyond attendance numbers in measuring library program success.
“The Summer Reading Workshop is my favorite library professional event to attend each year. The participants’ enthusiasm is contagious! It is fun to share ideas and to find out how other libraries use resources to enhance the programs for our kids. We don’t have a youth librarian so I use the opportunity to absorb new ideas and energy and try to pass it on to my program leader and volunteers. I find the workshop both a “pat on the back” and a “go get ’em”. Keep offering the workshops, please.”
– Sharon Nicholson, Director, Questa Public Library
Statewide, public library staff are committed to continual improvement of their service to their communities through these type of professional development opportunities. The New Mexico State Library thanks all our presenters, hosting libraries, and attendees for their active participation and efforts in the success of the workshops. Summer Reading Programs are at the heart of summer programming in communities large and small all across New Mexico – and the New Mexico State Library is committed to supporting youth services staff throughout the state in their efforts. Library staff can access available presentation slides from the workshops through Niche Academy, or by contacting Kelly McCabe at kelly.mccabe@dca.nm.gov. For more information on resources available to public library Youth Services staff, visit our NMSL Youth Services page.