Dear friends:
At the end of 2024, the Houston Public Library Foundation began our “By the Numbers” quarterly email to update you on YOUR impact on the Houston Public Library.
Now that the summer numbers are in, we are delighted to share that all major goals for the “Color the World” Summer Reading Program were exceeded!
We must note our continued gratitude to the John P. McGovern Foundation for making the annual summer and winter reading challenges possible.
We hope that these updates highlight the real difference YOU make in the Houston community. I remain,
Nick Sawicki
Executive Director, Houston Public Library Foundation
37,723
Summer Reading Program (SRP) program attendees SKYROCKETED over 2024! Approximately 14,623 more children attended Summer Reading Program events than the previous year.
11,111
Children formally took part in the Summer Reading Challenge, checking out thousands of books and closing the learning gap that occurs over the summer months. This was a 38% increase over summer 2024.
4,001
Children completed the Summer Reading Program, with an increase of 39% total completions over 2024!
864
The Summer Reading for Grown-Ups saw a significant jump in completions over the summer of 2024. This year, 604 more adults completed the Summer Reading challenge, which is an increase of 232%!