Get ready to dig into a summer full of reading, discovery, and adventure!
The Crown Point Community Library invites families of all ages to join us for our 2026 Summer Reading Kick-Off Celebration on Thursday, June 11, from 4-7 p.m. at Bulldog Park. This free community event launches our Summer Reading Program, “Unearth A Story,” and is packed with activities designed to spark imagination and encourage a lifelong love of reading.
We’re grateful to the Crown Point Rotary Club for sponsoring this year’s Kick-Off Celebration and helping us create a memorable experience for families throughout our community. Their generous support helps make this event possible and demonstrates their continued commitment to literacy, education, and community engagement.
In partnership with the City of Crown Point, attendees can enjoy a variety of hands-on activities, including:
Adopt-A-Dinosaur
Fossil Dig
Bounce Houses
Face Painting
Summer Reading Registration
Library Card Sign-Up
And more exciting activities!
Whether you’re a longtime library user or visiting us for the first time, the Kick-Off Celebration is the perfect opportunity to learn about Summer Reading, sign up for the program, and start your journey toward discovering new stories all season long.
Summer Reading is open to all ages, and participation is completely free. Readers can earn prizes, attend engaging programs, and discover new adventures through books all summer long.
Mark your calendars and join us as we kick off a summer of reading, learning, and exploration! We look forward to seeing you there as we unearth a story together this summer!
Every summer, thousands of children and teens from birth through age 18 sign up for the Crown Point Community Library’s Summer Reading Program. They’ll attend exciting programs, earn prizes, discover new books, and cheer on their schools in our community-wide reading competition to see which school logs the most reading hours.
From the outside, it may look like a season filled with fun and games—and it is. But Summer Reading is about much more than entertainment. Behind every storytime, every book checked out, every reading log completed, and every hour recorded is a larger purpose: helping students stay engaged in learning during the summer months.
Educators often refer to the “summer slide”, the loss of academic skills and knowledge that can occur when students are away from structured learning for an extended period. Reading is one of the most effective ways to combat that slide. Just a few minutes of reading each day can help children retain critical literacy skills, strengthen comprehension, expand vocabulary, and maintain the learning momentum they’ve built throughout the school year.
That is why the library invests so heavily in Summer Reading.
Our goal is not simply to fill summer days with fun, free, family-friendly activities. Our goal is to help students return to school in August ready to succeed. When children continue reading throughout the summer, they arrive back in the classroom with stronger skills, greater confidence, and a head start on the new school year. Not school yet, the same activities help to build the skills children need to be kindergarten-ready.
Just as importantly, Summer Reading helps nurture something that lasts far beyond a single summer: a love of reading. Children who discover books they enjoy are more likely to become lifelong readers, curious learners, and engaged citizens. Those are benefits that extend well beyond school and into every stage of life.
So yes, Summer Reading is packed with fun programs, friendly competition, and memorable experiences. But at its heart, it is one of the most important educational initiatives the library offers each year.
This summer, every page turned matters. Every minute spent reading counts. And every child who participates is building skills and habits that can last a lifetime.
P. S. The library also provides an Adult Summer Reading Program, too!
The Friends of the Crown Point Library’s mission is to enhance and promote the use and enjoyment of the library. They raise funds to support library programs and services, as well as to help fund items not generally covered in the library’s regular operating budget.
Become a member:
Membership is open to all individuals and families who want involvement in the library. Members are encouraged to attend monthly meetings and to actively participate in book sales, other events, and projects. The membership year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. All dues are paid annually.
The membership dues are as follows:
Life – $150;
Family – $15;
Individual – $10
Membership forms are available at both library locations, or you can download the membership form and return it to:
Friends of the Crown Point Library
122 N. Main Street
Crown Point, IN 46307
What we do:
As a Friend, you will play a critical role in your library’s and community’s success.
ADVOCATE – Friends are a voice for the Library on relevant, local, state, and national issues.
ENGAGE – Friends spread the word within the community, stimulating greater awareness of the Library and its resources.
SUPPORT – Friends volunteer at fundraising events and library events as needed.
FUNDRAISE – Friends fundraising activities, such as Bunco for Books, literary luncheons, bus trips,and book sales generate revenue to fund items not generally covered in the Library’s budget, and to sponsor programs such as the summer and winter reading events, author talks, concerts, library book discussion groups, Book Baby Bags, and a variety of literacy outreach services.
Meetings:
Curious to see what the Friends of the Library are doing? Attend a meeting! Meetings are held quarterly on the second Tuesday of the month, alternating times at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in the meeting rooms at the Crown Point location.
2025 Meeting Dates:
February 11 at 10 a.m., May 13 at 6 p.m., September 9 at 6 p.m., December 9 at 10 a.m.
Residents of Center Township and Winfield Township are eligible for a free Crown Point Community Library card.
You can apply in person at either library location or online through our website.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Adults (18 and older):
Bring a valid photo ID and proof of your current address.
Photo ID options: State-issued ID with current address, Passport, Military ID, Official School ID, or Matricula Consular
Proof of address: Rental agreement, utility bill, or checkbook showing your local address
Minors (17 and younger):
A parent or guardian must sign the application.
TEACHER CARDS
Teachers working in schools within the Crown Point Community Library service area apply for a Teacher Library Card. Please provide proof of current employment, such as a recent pay stub or an official school ID.
RECIPROCAL BORROWERS
The Crown Point Community Library card is honored at all Indiana libraries that participate in reciprocal borrowing, including many in Northwest Indiana.
You must be in good standing with our library before other libraries will issue you a reciprocal card.
Residents of the Lake County Public Library District can obtain a CPCL card with proper identification.
Patrons from other library districts may receive a CPCL card after completing an application and confirming their home library account is in good standing.
Note: Reciprocal borrowers have the same borrowing privileges as CPCL patrons, except for access to eBooks and downloadable audiobooks.
