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July 6, 2016 by Betsy Bird

My Library’s Summer Reading T-Shirt is Cuter Than Yours

July 6, 2016 by Betsy Bird   5 comments

Or is it?

Folks, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a library in possession of a summer reading program must produce a t-shirt of some kind.  And generally speaking, it is usually a walking eyesore.  Though I owe New York Public Library more than I can ever repay, I must confess that each and every summer I would receive my designated summer reading t-shirt.  It would be size XXXXXL (it’s much easier to give all staff employees a t-shirt if you just make it one-size-fits-all), usually white, and sporting a design that generally looked better on paper than on a living human body.

When I moved to Evanston, IL, I expected more of the same. What I got was this:

SummerReading2016

There were multiple sizes.  It was black (I still retain a New Yorker’s love for that slimming, you-can’t-see-dirt-on-me color).  The design was in red.  It was, to be frank, the most beautiful summer reading t-shirt I’d ever seen.

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Which got me to thinking.  I just sort of took it for granted that, like a kind of penance to the library gods above, all summer reading shirts were supposed to be unattractive.  But maybe I was wrong from the start.

So here’s my challenge to you: Send me a picture of your summer reading shirt if it is more attractive than this one.  Then I’ll compile the results and create a Summer Reading T-Shirt Fashion Show.  Not only will this be a way you can give props to the design team of your local library, but it could give some libraries ideas for their own attractive summer reading t-shirt designs in the future.

All t-shirt designs may be sent to fusenumber8 at gmail dot com.  You could also post it to Twitter with the hashtag #summerreadtee.  Looking forward to them!

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

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About Betsy Bird

Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy Ishizuka says

    July 6, 2016 at 9:59 am

    Hey Betsy – Is there a hashtag for this affair? We’ll spread the word. Thanks!

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      July 6, 2016 at 10:15 am

      Hmm. Good question. What should we call it? #summerreadtee

  2. Kerry says

    July 6, 2016 at 11:33 am

    Well aren’t you lucky! While everywhere I’ve lived has had a great summer reading program, never have I lived anywhere where they handed out t-shirts.

    • Elizabeth Bird says

      July 6, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      I am lucky indeed. And here I thought it was de rigeur!

  3. Elizabeth Bird says

    July 6, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    This just in from Brita:

    We are pretty fond of our Read for the Win t-shirts here in Lincolnwood – so much so that we made them into bottle cozies that we’ve been handing out at summer events around town! Here’s the front of the shirt as seen on a librarian: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGK8M4pmnNI/?taken-by=lincolnwoodlibrary and the back, on a water bottle: https://www.instagram.com/p/BF2l9VYmnG3/?taken-by=lincolnwoodlibrary

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