Another personal favorite for Bainbridge comes earlier in the process: unboxing the prize books in the spring. She compared it to the joy of Christmas morning, when staff get their first look at the titles and prepare displays for the season.
Preparing for next year
Planning for summer reading begins months in advance. By March, staff will review data from the prior year to determine how many books they need to order for each age group. Bainbridge explained that headquarters provides lists of potential titles, but each branch chooses the options that best fit the community and their interests.
Douglas added that preparation also includes the Librarian’s Reading Challenge, where staff focus on reading youth titles so they’re ready to recommend them to patrons when summer arrives.
Upcoming events
While summer remains the busiest season, the Excelsior Springs branch will continue offering story times and special events into the fall and winter. Weekly story times take place Tuesday through Thursday at 10:30 a.m., with seasonal versions around Halloween and Christmas.
Upcoming programs include:
Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. – Kansas City Symphony’s Mobile Music BoxOct. 8 at 10:30 a.m. – The Great Pumpkin Playdoh ActivityOct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. – Operation Wildlife Presents: MigrationNov. 1 at 3 p.m. – Kids STEAM Brick Building
Winter programming will open for registration on Nov. 1. Highlights include Dungeons and Dragons for teens, Grinch and Santa story times, and sculpture-creating activities for kids.
Though the Blank Canvas theme has wrapped and is considered a success for 2025, Douglas explained that the library’s work doesn’t slow down. “Summer is certainly our busiest time,” she said, “but we offer fun story times and programs to keep our families and patrons engaged with the library all year long.”