Definitions

A short guide to commonly used terms for the Summer Reading program

Activities - (Also called Learning Activities, Literacy Activities, Reading Activities, and Early Literacy Activities) Everyday things that help develop a person’s knowledge about literacy, including reading and writing. Examples include: singing nursery rhymes, visiting a museum, reading instructions to build a paper airplane or build a structure from blocks, drawing a picture review, and following a recipe while cooking together. These activities provide our customers opportunities to learn pre-reading skills, learn reading skills, avoid the summer slide and be successful in school, interpret what they've read through a creative process, and/or make reading more interactive and fun. Activities tracked in Beanstack or on an activity log are worth 5 points each toward Summer Reading goals. 

Activity log - Summer Reading participants can log reading-related activities to earn points for the program. Activity logs listing these opportunities are available on the Downloads page (coming soon!) for these four age categories: early childhood, children, teens, and adults. Think of these as supplemental to the reading logs. Each activity on the log is worth 5 points; a total of 100 points can be earned through completing activities. 

Adult - Participant category for customers 19 or older.

Badge - Visual representation on the reader's account. 

• Challenge Badges
  • Earn a challenge badge when you register for and complete this year's Summer Reading Program. 
• Point Badges
  • Earn point badges as you log points for time read and completing various activities through a learning track (an age-based list of literacy based activities that you can earn points for) in Beanstack. 
• Logging Badges
  • Earn logging badges when you reach specific reading milestones (e.g. Read 1 Minute, Read 5 Hours, etc.).
• Activity Badges
  • Earn activity badges for completing a learning track (an age-based list of literacy based activities that you can earn points for) in Beanstack. 
• Review Badges
  • Earn review badges for submitting book reviews (or "picture reviews" of books) in Beanstack. 

Beanstack - The company that provides the product that allows us to conduct our Summer Reading program online (and can be used throughout the year for other reading programs). Beanstack makes it simple and fun for our community to earn points, virtual badges, and real-world prizes by keeping track of their reading, posting book reviews, and completing literacy activities.

Beanstack App - In addition to using the mobile version and desktop site, Beanstack has an app to help Summer Readers. Users can easily time reading sessions through the app and log books by scanning their ISBN numbers. Participants who download the app are significantly more likely to log reading. It is available for iOS and Android.

Blue Carts - Every library should have a skinny double-sided blue cart at their location that is to be used for displaying Summer Reading prize books. Outside of Summer Reading, it can be used at the library for other purposes. If your cart is damaged and needs to be replaced, please let OES know (preferably well in advance of Summer Reading)!

Book List - Predetermined lists of book titles based on the reader's participation category (e.g. early childhood, children, teen, or adult). These are not required but are available as suggested reading in Beanstack for those who are interested. Parents can unsubscribe from these booklists in Beanstack.

Children - Participant category for children ages 6-12.

Collaborative Summer Library Program - Also called CSLP or "the Collaborative". A consortium of states (including Oklahoma) that work together to provide high quality materials on a joint Summer Reading theme. On rare occasions we may do our own theme, but usually we join with CSLP through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries in the statewide/nationwide theme.

Drawings - Readers who earn a 600 Point Badge, and have a library card in good standing, qualify for a single entry in a drawing at the beginning of August. If an account creator has a library card in good standing, any readers that reach 600 points listed under that account would also qualify for potentially winning a drawing prize. NOTE: Library staff and commission members (and members of their household) are NOT eligible for the summer reading drawings. Volunteers who participate as a reader are eligible for drawing prizes.

Early Childhood - Participant category for children ages birth-5.

Earn - To acquire in return of reading effort.

Fine Waiver - ​We are discontinuing fine waivers as a prize since we are now fine-free. Prior to 2023, these were available to help Summer Reading participants "read away" up to $6 of their library fines.

Group - A participant category to keep track of a large amount of readers, i.e. at a day care, summer camp, or book club. Groups can track reading all together as a unit or separately by readers.

Incentives (also called Rewards) - Beanstack's term for prizes that will be distributed during the Summer Reading program. See also Prizes. 

Learning Track - Activities available in Beanstack, designed to promote library resources and materials. Learning tracks create a tie-in with our Summer Reading program.

Log - The record a reader creates to track his/her reading sessions throughout the Summer Reading program. Logs can be physical or virtual, and log entries may be entered by volunteers or library staff for customers, if needed. Log entries may reflect titles or just record the amount of time read. A log can also include a learning activity and the amount of time engaged in that activity. See also, Activity Log or Reading Log.

Points - Points are awarded as Summer Readers participate in the program by reading and doing activities. One point equals one minute of reading. Each reading-related activity is worth five points; participants can earn up to 100 reading-related activity points. 

Prizes - Items earned for reaching reading goals. See also, Incentives. NOTE: Library staff and commission members (and members of their household) can earn goal prizes but not drawing prizes. Volunteers who participate in Summer Reading are eligible to earn goal prizes and drawing prizes. 

ReadOKC - Among other initiatives, this group facilitates a reading program for elementary school students in Oklahoma City Public Schools. The library is a part of ReadOKC and reading for that program counts for our Summer Reading. Just add the time read from ReadOKC reading logs into Beanstack and award prizes as usual. See also, Tandems.

Reader - The term for participants in our Summer Reading program.

Reading Log - A paper log that can be used to track reading. These can be printed on demand from the Downloads page (coming soon!). Students in OKCPS may have a reading log from ReadOKC for the summer—that can be used for our program, too! Just add the time read into Beanstack and award prizes as usual. Participants can also use our Activity Logs to earn more points.

Registration - When a guest signs up for the program.

Read It Forward - Books will be donated to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma if we reach our Community Goal of 12 million points. The delivery of this donation will take place in August/September. 

Review - All readers can create reviews of books they read in Beanstack. These can be written reviews or picture reviews. Reviews will be approved by OES in Beanstack on a daily schedule, so a reader might not see their review posted for the public right away.

Share - A feaure in Beanstack that can give family, teachers, and friends access to a reader's recommendations, reading log, and badges. This can be helpful for keeping them up-to-date or giving them the opportunity to collaborate.

Summer Slide - Summer slide is what happens between school years when kids and teens do not read, engage in learning activities, or otherwise work to retain what they learned in school. On average, children lose approximately two months of their reading achievement if they do not read during the summer. They typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they did on the same test at the beginning of the summer. And these few months of reading loss accumulate over the years. By the time kids reach middle school, those who haven’t read during the summers may have lost as much as two years worth of achievement. Summer Reading is a way to prevent learning loss.

Tandems - Oklahoma City Public Schools is an institutional client with Beanstack. This means all OKCPS students and staff automatically have Beanstack accounts. We reached an agreement with OKCPS and representatives from Beanstack to link our accounts in a feature that Beanstack calls Tandems. It is as easy as Beanstack student/parent users having the option to opt in to linking their school and library accounts upon their next login. Once enabled, logged reading will count for both programs. So when OKCPS students are logging reading for school this summer, they have the option of logging for our Summer Reading program as well. Beanstack has provided an overview of the steps involved here and staff resources and customer-facing handouts are available for those who have questions. These guides are on the SR Downloads page.

Teen - Participant category for students ages 13-18.

Teen Volunteer - A vital part of Summer Reading! Hundreds of teen volunteers across the system help readers sign up and log their reading during June and July. They are learning valuable job skills and experience in customer service while they award prizes and answer questions from customers. Teen volunteers also help clean, straighten shelves, and help with general library tasks during this super busy time of year. They assist with programs like Neighborhood Arts as well. If you have any questions regarding Summer Reading teen volunteers, please reach out to Heidi Port in DVS.