photo by: Lawrence Public Library

The Lawrence Public Library's Summer Reading kickoff of 2023 is pictured at the library lawn, 707 Vermont St.

The Lawrence Public Library will be celebrating summer reading — with challenges, free events and prizes — beginning next week through mid-August.

This summer’s theme, “Adventure Begins at Your Library / La aventura comienza en tu biblioteca,” calls all ages to celebrate the City of Lawrence and literacy by “camping out to read” at the library. The Summer Reading Challenge will kick off with a party on May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. on the library lawn at 707 Vermont St. The party will offer free Eileen’s cookies and Free State beer for purchase, live music from local band Soundwave and KU Athletics inflatable fun.

This year the library is setting a goal to have 4,500 people complete their Summer Reading Challenge, according to a news release.

Participants can sign up at the library’s website at lplks.org/summer-reading and pick from two challenge options: tracking by hours read or number of books. Everyone who finishes gets prizes, plus entry into grand prize raffles.

Summer Reading highlights include a citywide scavenger hunt from June 1 to July 31, the library’s annual How-To Festival featuring community presenters with expertise on a variety of topics on June 8, the Library’s first-ever Multicultural Fair celebrating diversity and the World Languages collection on July 13 and a party with a movie and music on July 26 to celebrate the library building’s 10th anniversary and all the summer reading finishers.

Summer Reading is sponsored by the Library Friends & Foundation, McGrew Real Estate and the Douglas County Community Foundation.