What is the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP)?
The National Collaborative Summer Library Program is a grassroots consortium of 48 state agencies and associations working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public, private and school libraries.CSLP hires a writer to develop a planning manual. Personnel from libraries in member states are encouraged to contribute ideas and materials to the manual editor. Member states combine resources and work with a commercial vendor (currently Upstart), to produce the manual, work with an artist to develop art and suggest incentives to support the program theme designed exclusively for CSLP members. Public, private and school libraries in participating states can purchase posters, reading logs, bookmarks, certificates, and a variety of reading incentives at significant savings.CSLP began in 1987 when children’s librarians from 10 Minnesota regional library systems joined forces to develop a summer library program for
