Press Release
SAN JOSÉ PUBLIC LIBRARY
Media Contacts
Elizabeth Castaneda, (408) 458-0662
elizabeth.castaneda@sjlibrary.org
Nancy Macias, (408) 712-2150
nancy.macias@sjlibrary.org
For Immediate Release
Friday, July 11, 2025
Over 10,000 Sign Up for San José Public Library’s Summer Learning Program
San José residents sign up to read as the Library expands programs, prizes, and book giveaways to combat the summer slide with young students
San José, Calif., July 11, 2025 – The San José Public Library’s (SJPL) annual Summer Learning program is once again seeing record-breaking participation, as families and students dive into a summer filled with reading, learning, and fun.
Kicking off on June 1 and running through July 31, the 2025 Summer Learning program builds on last year’s momentum with even more opportunities to keep students engaged and help prevent the "summer slide" - a learning loss that affects students during long academic breaks.
To date, over 10,000 participants of all ages have registered, a 13% increase in registration compared to the same period last year. Within the first three weeks of June, readers collectively logged more than 40,000 books and nearly 700,000 minutes read. The library’s 2025 goal is to achieve over 4 million minutes read by the end of the summer.
The program continues to grow in popularity by providing participants free books, so that children and adults can build their home library. More than 2,400 books have been given away - ensuring that every child has access to reading materials during the summer break.
SJPL’s comprehensive programming includes over 200 educational and interactive events hosted across all 25 SJPL locations, with offerings in multiple languages, both in-person and online. Events range from children’s dance parties, author events, science shows and cultural performances to animal encounters featuring reptiles, tropical birds, and petting zoos—all designed to foster a lifelong love of reading and curiosity.
Participants also have the chance to win exciting prizes—including soccer equipment, outdoor space projectors, a vintage record player, and tickets to San Jose Earthquakes and Bay FC games. Prizes are age-specific, and all registrants receive a sign-up gift, with more rewards for completing the program.
In addition to Summer Learning, participants can join other seasonal favorites like the Graphic Novel Making Contest, where creativity and storytelling are celebrated and awarded.
SJPL has a proud legacy of more than 80 years of summer programming. With its ongoing commitment to literacy, digital equity, and inclusive education, SJPL continues to be a leader in providing impactful and accessible public services to the San José community.
For registration and full program details, visit sjpl.org/Summer
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About the San José Public Library
San José Public Library (SJPL) is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and in the nation's 12th largest city. SJPL serves a culturally diverse population of nearly one million and has nearly 750,000 library members. In addition to providing award-winning library services, SJPL proudly leads the City's Education and Digital Literacy Strategy, opens a new window and the City's SJ Access, opens a new window digital empowerment initiative. For more information, please visit sjpl.org, opens a new window.