Literacy in a New Light: Learning in Libraries’ Summer Programming in the Pandemic

• In Event: Pursuing the Ideal: In Search of Equitable Early Learning Practices in Public Libraries

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives
Decades of research on educational performance in the United States highlights the gaps in achievement between children from low and high-SES families and communities. An increasingly significant part of this research similarly focuses on the summer break and the ways in which young children, particularly young minoritized children in low-income homes, regress in school-based literacy knowledge and practices, especially reading and pre-reading, while out of school. This phenomenon—in research, K-12 practices, and literacy studies—is known as the summer slide (also called summer learning loss or summer setback) (Entwisle et al., 1998; Shea, 2019). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic halted traditional K-12 learning (presenting a “break” in learning) and presented an array of challenges (Francom et al., 2021) for young students' engagement with reading instruction, writing practices, and work with texts. The COVID-slide is a term explaining students’ regression in school-based schools due to these challenges. Public libraries have evolved beyond traditional repositories of books to become vibrant learning hubs (Kim, 2021). One of the most well-known initiatives by libraries is their Summer Reading Programs. These programs encourage students to read during the summer months through interactive activities, rewards, and incentives. Research has consistently shown that participation in summer reading programs positively impacts students' reading abilities and fosters a love for reading. As such, this study considers two research questions:
How did the library transition its in-person programming to a virtual setting to support young learners during the COVID-19 pandemic?
How did the library support students’ literacy engagement over the summer?

Methodological Overview
This multi case-study considers three cases (each case is defined as one family-unit and their experiences during the time of data collection) and with a research design based on the appropriate methodological approach(es) specified in Creswell and Creswell (2017), Dyson and Genishi (2005), and Yin (2012, 2015). From May to August 2021, the author conducted semi-structured interviews with families – studying three families’ experiences during the summer break at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they engaged in their library’s summer programming.

Results and Significance
The author will present three findings emerging from this study that center the families’ experiences with the library during the 2020 summer break. Firstly, two of the three families engaged with digital, literacy-focused programming provided by the library. This programming included virtual storytime, summer science activities, virtual museum tours, and early literacy games. Next, children of two families participated in virtual book clubs hosted by the library. These virtual book clubs provided opportunities for children to develop literacy skills and engage in social groups with grade-level texts over the summer time. Finally, all three families utilized the library’s contactless book pick-up. This study reveals that libraries, among other community-based resources, provided significant support in literacy development for marginalized families. The data in this study also highlights the ways in which libraries transitioned existing, in-person literacy programs to virtual settings amidst global pandemic complications.

Author

• Daris McInnis, West Chester University of Pennsylvania