Summer Stride
San Francisco Public Library, Calif.
Innovation Synopsis
The library went from tales to trails with a twist on the traditional summer reading program, partnering with the National Park Service to expand the notion of learning to include active exploration outside of library walls and working with Chronicle Books on audience building and creative marketing.
Challenge/Opportunity
- Underserved neighborhoods in San Francisco are in need of access to nearby national parks. With 28 locations, SFPL is uniquely positioned to connect with these populations.
- Summer slide is the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the academic gains they made during the previous school year.
- Creating a marketing campaign that is immersive, recognizable, fun and that fosters a positive impression of SFPL and program partners.
Key Elements of Innovation
The campaign promoted language urging residents to: “Create Your Adventure. Explore Your Library. Read Your Book. Find Your Park.” Free shuttles go from libraries to parks, park rangers deliver history lessons and "StoryWalks" bring books to life on trails. Chronicle Books engaged book illustrators to create custom-designed collateral – multilingual posters, transit ads, program guides and online marketing – creating a consistent, unified brand. These extraordinary partnerships gained unparalleled visibility and awareness to summer learning.
Achieved Outcomes
Midway through "Summer Stride 2017," more than 19,000 people have participated, exceeding "Summer Stride 2016", when 18,644 total people participated and 138,583 total hours were read. "Summer Stride 2016" saw a significant increase in participation from previous years -- 27 percent more participants, 69 percent more reading, and 80 percent more teen volunteers. NPS increased shuttles to transport more than 100 people on park tours. Of those visitors, one in three had never visited a national state park.