Press Release: Baltimore Orioles, Science Center Partner With Maryland Public Libraries to Promote Summer Reading

Every Hero Has a Story

For Immediate Release                                               Contact: William Reinhard, 410-767-0486

Baltimore, MD (June 15, 2015)

The Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Library Development and Services is launching its 2015 Summer Reading Program at public libraries throughout the State. This year’s theme, Every Hero Has a Story, focuses on the stories of all types of heroes--from ancient mythology to comic books to real people performing heroic deeds in contemporary society.

The Baltimore Orioles have donated 5,000 tickets to be given as awards to the young people who most fully participate in the library summer reading program. The Orioles tickets are for games at Camden Yards on Tuesday, August 18 or Thursday, August 20. During a special ceremony on August 20, the 2015 Summer Reading Representatives from each county library will be acknowledged on the field. 

The Maryland Science Center, a valuable partner in public libraries’ focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, donated one family pack of tickets to each public library location and mobile library in the state. Library staff will give the tickets to a family that includes a young person actively involved in the summer reading program.

The Summer Reading Program is an essential part of building children’s vocabulary and preventing summer learning loss, and participation is simple and fun! Students choose what they’d like to read and which educational programs or classes they’d like to attend.  They track their progress using learning logs available free at Maryland public libraries.

Each county library system tailors the program to their customers, so young people interested in participating should inquire at their local library. Many locations provide an online registration system. Last summer nearly 197,000 infants, children, and teens participated in the Maryland Public Library Summer Reading Program. The program is a collaborative project between the local public libraries and the Maryland State Department of Education’s Division of Library Development and Services, with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Maryland is a participating member of the national Collaborative Summer Library Program.

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