Sign Up For Summer Reading 2023 And Get Up To $50 In Late Fines Removed From Your Account

Summer Reading 2023 registration starts today, Monday, May 1! Visit any Birmingham Public Library (BPL) location to register for summer reading and start filling out your B-I-N-G-O card to win prizes. 

This year's theme is All Together Now, celebrating unity and kindness. In celebration of kindness, up to $50.00 in overdue fines can also be waived from your account when you sign up for Summer Reading.

Summer reading programs started in the 1890s to encourage young students in urban areas to read and use their libraries, developing their academic skills and preventing summer learning loss. It is a great way to build a reading habit, find some new materials you enjoy, and waive late fines from your account. 

Signing up for Summer Reading comes with a $50.00 amnesty this year! When you sign up, you can have up to $50.00 in overdue fines waived from your account. This onetime amnesty can be redeemed throughout the summer reading schedule, but it does not apply to lost item or replacement fees. If a lost item is returned to the library, then the amnesty can be applied to those late fines.

Participants can win prizes, too, by completing a B-I-N-G-O card. All participants who complete one will win a prize and a chance for a grand prize. B-I-N-G-O cards are available for children, teens, and adults. You can complete a card by reading a variety of books, attending a program, using other library services, or posting on social media.

All Summer Reading materials are virtual this year. The Summer Reading program calendar will be uploaded to the Summer Reading page on the BPL's website. You can also find digital copies of our B-I-N-G-O card online if you lose your card.

Join us for our Summer Reading Kick-off on Saturday, May 13, at Avondale Park, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., for a day of family-friendly fun! There will be crafts, face painting, a book walk, games for kids and adults, prizes, and free snow cones. Enjoy a day in the park and get the chance to register for Summer Reading 2023! 

You can find more details about Summer Reading 2023: All Together Now on the BPL's homepage. 

By Cheyenne Trujillo | Library Assistant Ⅲ, Public Relations Department