Worthington Libraries is preparing two notable programming changes for 2026: a reimagined Summer Reading Program intended to better engage readers of all ages and support in-library browsing, and a new effort to introduce and promote Heritage Month celebrations with a more structured, community-minded approach.
Library Director Lauren Robinson shared the plans during the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at Northwest Library, as trustees reviewed the library's 2026 budget priorities and organizational action plan.
Heritage Months: A thoughtful, deliberate approach
As part of the 2026 priorities, Robinson told the board the library is moving ahead with Heritage Month programming—something she said staff have wanted to do, but have approached carefully.
"This is something that we wanted to do for a while and we're slow going into it to make sure we're doing it right and thoughtfully," Robinson said. "But I'm really excited about the team that's going to do that and all the informational things that we can do, the books we can pull together, get people talking, get people reading."
The initiative will include curated book displays, informational programming, and opportunities for community conversation around various cultural heritage celebrations throughout the year. While the meeting discussion did not name specific months or dates, the board conversation emphasized building the program in a way that is consistent and sustainable.
New school board liaison offers framework from COSI
Library board president Abigail Poklar offered to share a Heritage Month planning framework based on her experience at COSI, describing a three-part structure they use to ensure celebrations are balanced and intentional.
"We have done heritage months at COSI for a long time and recently put into place a framework of what we do in the building and leveraging our channels, what we do in the community, like the community events and activities we participate in. And then the third pillar is how we engage our staff," Poklar said.
Poklar explained that COSI developed the framework after finding that a less structured approach could lead to uneven efforts from month to month. "One of the things we found when we did it more ad hoc is you do more of some and less of the other," she said, adding that the framework helped them "strategically think about each of the months" and include cultural observances as well.
Robinson welcomed the collaboration, stating "That would be amazing. It would be really interesting to see what you guys do and how we can maybe take what you've learned and apply it to our program."
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Summer Reading: shifting prizes and focusing on browsing
Trustees also asked for more detail on a Summer Reading Program goal described in the 2026 action plan. Robinson said staff spent dedicated time brainstorming and reviewing different ways to track reading and design prizes.
"We spent two days thinking about like how can we imagine summer reading," she said, describing a process of revisiting a program model that "hadn't done anything differently in years" and asking what could bring more people in and "keep more people engaged."
A key planned change is a move away from distributing books as an early Summer Reading prize—something Robinson called a "wonderful idea," but not one that has worked well in practice due to both cost and leftover inventory.
"We're changing how we do prizes instead of giving out books at the very beginning of summer reading," she explained. "We've moved away from that because we can't pick a book that everyone is going to like, we don't have the budget. And we ended up with so many books at the end that we did eventually give out."
Instead, Robinson said, the library wants prizes that are "more meaningful," that "more people are going to want," and that encourage people to check out books—particularly browsing materials inside library buildings and at pop-up library locations. "I want them to come in or visit one of our pop up libraries and check out our browsing material," she said.
Robinson added that staff are also looking at ways to increase adult participation and incorporate more activity-based elements. Another goal is to connect Summer Reading more directly to the library's broader effort to improve "browse circulation"—moving beyond a single reading metric and considering different ways patrons might engage.
Winter Reading Challenge launches first
Before the summer program begins, the library is launching a Winter Reading Challenge designed to boost browse circulation. Patrons who check out five items they found on the shelf can enter to win prize baskets. Staff assembled the prize baskets on Jan. 20, and the challenge will roll out to the public soon.
Additional 2026 priorities
Beyond programming, the 2026 action plan addresses physical space needs. Robinson highlighted a priority to increase study capacity within the branches, noting that the library is "looking in study pods about how we can get more space for patrons to use to be able to work, study, do other things I need to do in the library."
The library will continue refining these programs based on patron feedback and participation throughout the year, with the Summer Reading Program changes expected to launch in late spring.