We're hosting a lively workshop to jointly develop ideas for the 2026 teen summer reading theme, "Unearth a Story."

Your day kicks off with a lively game of Trivia, featuring sample questions and themes you can adapt for your own programs. Followed by the popular presentation given by Janet Ingraham Dwyer of the State Library discussing the CSLP theme, Unearth a Story, and the extensive resources offered. Next, you will have dedicated time to connect with colleagues, sharing and developing innovative ideas for programs, incentives, and reading tracking methods. Before lunch you will have the opportunity to create cardboard stand-ups.

After lunch we will have our program palooza where you will have an opportunity to hear 6 different programs you can implement in your own library.  We will wrap up the day with a high-energy session focused on 25 programs under $25!   Don't miss this action-packed day and opportunity to connect with your peers. More details will be coming soon.

Let’s Do Trivia!
Trivia programs are fun and easy, but can get stale after too many sessions of the same format. Amy Burkard of the PLYMC and Sarah Amazing of W-TCPL will showcase some variations of this perennially popular activity to take back to your libraries.

Presenters:

Sarah Amazing is the Teen Services Department Manager at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, where she has advocated for teens since 2007.





Amy Burkard is the Teen Specialist at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. With almost 10 years working at PLYMC, Amy spends her time committed to advocating for teens in her library, and empowering them through her programming; some current programs include running her library’s Teen Advisory Board, a teen-led chess club, a finical literacy course, and more. Amy also enjoys reading as much Young Adult books as possible, and is always looking for her next favorite book!


Dig In! Unearth Your Summer Why
Unearthing the WHYs of your summer reading program can help you identify which practices are vibrant and beneficial and which should go extinct. We’ll identify our whys, celebrate what we love about summer, and name something we’d like to revisit, change, or let go. This session will also feature a quick tour of CSLP’s “Unearth a Story” theme, art, and resources and other statewide summer planning supports.

Presenter:
Janet Ingraham Dwyer is the youth services library consultant at the State Library of Ohio. Her job is to support, advise, and empower children’s and teen services specialists in public and school libraries around the state. She manages Ohio’s participation in the nationwide Collaborative Summer Library Program; coordinates Choose to Read Ohio; co-facilitates Building Community-Based Summers learning sessions; promotes library participation in nutrition programs and community well-being initiatives; and collaborates with the Ohio Library Council on Ohio Ready to Read, a statewide resource network supporting early literacy activities in libraries.



Creating Cardboard Standees 
Discover a creative, budget-friendly way to refresh teen library spaces and programming with custom cardboard stand-up cutouts. In this hands-on experience, learn to design and construct cardboard standees using readily available and recycled materials. Attendees will explore flexible design ideas that can be easily updated for seasonal themes, summer reading, or special events—without starting from scratch each time. Participants will leave with practical templates, facilitation tips, and adaptable program ideas that save money, encourage creativity, and make the most of limited staff time and resources.

Presenters:
Kelly Chaplin has been working with youth for a decade and is currently the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator at Akron-Summit County Public Library. Kelly helps connect youth librarians with community representatives. She has experience with organizing large-scale programs such as the Library's mini-comicon Geekfest and system-wide services like the free book box subscription Lit Loot. Collaboration is key in all these efforts, and she deeply values what the Library staff can create when working together. She enjoys it when teens teach her new things and encourages youth to participate at their library and in the community.
 
Carolyn Bagley is the intermediate/teen librarian at Firestone Park branch of the Akron–Summit County Public Library. With 15 years of experience as an educator, she enjoys supporting fellow librarians and teens alike in exploring creative, low-cost tools, activities, and programs that are accessible and easy to replicate. Her work centers on hands-on, participant-led programming that encourages creativity, collaboration, and ownership. In this workshop, Carolyn shares how to create stand-up cardboard cutout decorations as a flexible, budget-friendly program that can be adapted for a wide range of spaces and programming needs.



Do More with Less! Twenty-Five programs under $25
 As library funding goes down but costs go up, we need to wring every last cent out of our programming budgets. Here are twenty-five dynamic programs you can do for $25 or less, and the tools you need to create even more.  

Presenter:
Sarah Amazing is the Teen Services Department Manager at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, where she has advocated for teens since 2007.