Burn-out, SLP and What Are We Doing?

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I have always been a proponent of radical change in approaches to summer library and summer reading programs. Questioning what we do and how we do it in our summer work is fundamental in terms of truly serving our population of kids, teens and families. And sometimes those questions can lead to the radical change of letting go.

So my interest was piqued when I read this recent ALSC blog post from Olivia McElwain. Olivia writes: 
"Have you noticed in recent years the amount of work being put into Summer Reading does not equate to the number of kids participating in it? Every year since 2019, we have seen fewer and fewer kids wanting to engage with the program at our library. We’ve changed prizes, the physical form of the program, and even tried doing our own themes. The allure of Summer Reading for kids has worn down. Every year we plan and try something new to get their attention, but it burns us out in the process. So what do we do?"

Please stop here to read her evolution/revolution in creating a different SLP for her community. [Summer Reading Burn-Out? Try Letting Go! McElwain, Olivia. ALSC blog. July 7, 2025]