Ex Libris Stomping Ground
Meaning: from the library of Stomping Ground. Read this blog from Renée Reeves about the why and how of maintaining a camp library. Many of the images in this post show what the shelves look like mid-session, which -I maintain- is still impressive considering how many books our kids read. This post was authored in the spring of 2022.
-MK
It is the first weekend of our first-ever two-week session and I am in the upstairs barn, a little bit giddy, a whole lot proud, watching fifteen or so campers ignore each other in amicable silence.
There are books everywhere -- in the cracks of the couch, on the floor next to a bean bag, shoved under the shelves, splayed open on a windowsill and mildewing. Most importantly, there are books in campers' hands.
My first two summers at Camp Stomping Ground, our home was a rented Girl Scouts’ property.
The only books at Camp Amahami besides those staff brought with us were cast offs and lost-and-founds left behind by scouts past. (I heard one camper described the collection as "nothing but a bunch of mysteries where they call women things like 'the pretty, spunky brunette'.”)
When I read my campers to sleep, it was from books I’d brought from home. Even though the average copyright date of the Amahami library was older than our directors, the titles generally unappealing, the spines worn to breaking; even though the "library" was an unobtrusive shelf in the corner of the dining hall, for two summers I watched kids pick up books. When I left a Discworld book I'd just finished on the shelf, it stood out. One of our artists in residence picked it up the next day and finished it within days.
When I first learned Stomping Ground was moving into our very own forever-home, I took it upon myself to bring books to our new location.
Books are not a staple of summer camp. Camp libraries aren't part of the traditional camp narrative. Why prioritize having books at camp? Most kids who come to camp aren't there to read and those who like to read will bring their own books, or so the thinking goes. And anyway, isn't sticking your nose in a book anti-social or even boring, a socio-emotional crutch in an environment like camp?
I may be biased here, but I have a rock-solid faith that a diverse range of books, readily available, brings a special sort of magic to camp.
Why books at camp?
1. Books are the ultimate low-energy, free-choice activity.
Camp be overwhelming to a lot of campers, especially those who are introverted, new to camp, neurodivergent, or coming off of a year of online school. Even for kids who love outrageous activities and night games, two weeks of high-energy programming is a lot. Having books accessible at camp says: yes, you can take a break. It's okay if you get a bit overwhelmed, or if you're tired, or if you're mad at a friend and want to think about dragons for the afternoon. It’s okay if you want to go hard in gaga all day long! It’s also okay if you need to recharge.
2. A well-curated library shows your community you value their diversity.
We can show our staff and campers that we value them by uplifting stories about people like them. When stocking the library I intentionally seek out books featuring queer kids, books about Black kids having magical adventures, historical fantasy set in worlds that aren't thinly-veiled versions of Britain, books by authors who aren't American, recent publications, debut authors. (I rely on awards like the Coretta Scott King award and the Lambda Literary Award as well as blogs like The Quiet Pond to guide me here.) I also think it's important to have diversity when it comes to types of books. Star Wars and Descendents tie-in novels, books of knock-knock jokes, children's nonfiction, comics, graphic novels, novels in verse, science fiction, historical fiction, fluffy teen romances, middle-grade ghost stories -- our campers (and staff!) want to read all of them. We're not writing a syllabus here, we're using another avenue to show our camp community that we value all of them, in all their weirdness.
3. The library is an ongoing community project.
So many community projects at camp have a clear goal: you paint the wall, you build something, you're done. The library is always in progress — there's always something to do. The library isn’t something we made, it's something we're doing! If I tried to count the amount of campers alone that helped with the library over the course of our first summer, I'd run out of fingers before I ran out of names.
Camper involvement can be as simple as adding a book to the requests list and as involved as regularly re-shelving books. Campers, staff, and families can bring books from home to donate, they can share recommendations among themselves, they can grab tape from the makerspace to repair tattered bindings. And then, as the weeks and summers go on, they get to see those books they recommended, or repaired, or donated, bringing other people joy.
4. Support the staff!
While we have a separate shelf full of books in our staff-only area, I try to shelve adult books I think are interesting and appropriate for younger readers where campers can access them, both for older campers and campers who “read up” and so staff can browse more easily. We have books like A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns and The Power of Play in our nonfiction corner — accessible, non-threatening ways to deep-dive into things that make Stomping Ground special.
When I am in cabins, one of my favorite bedtime traditions is reading to my campers. These were always my personal favorites, books I’d brought from home. With the new library we have enough books of fairy tales and classics like The Hobbit that every cabin counselor can take one out for the night.
Even on good days, being a camp counselor is hard work. Our shelves are sprinkled with “comfort reads” — nostalgic reads and uplifting, low-pressure fiction — for staff to pick up if they need a break. This summer, I’m hoping to get more activity books onto the shelves, supporting counselors as they build incredible options for our campers or sit through the third thunderdome of the week.
Summer camp is hard work, there’s no denying it! And while it does take work to put together and maintain a library collection, I promise, a summer in the company of books is a richer and more magical one. I can’t wait to spark even more of that page-turning magic this summer.
But wait! Where do you get all of the books?
Good question! It is, as you can imagine, difficult to get a few hundred top-notch, recent books in good quality without paying out the nose.
That being said, it is possible to get books — lots of books — for free. A word of warning: books you get for free are more likely to be paperbacks, older, flimsier, and less representative of your camp community. Be prepared to spend a bit of cash to fill out your collection. Also be prepared to discard seventeen tattered copies of The Babysitter’s Club and just keep the three or four that look like they’ll actually last through a week of camp.
How to get books:
Campers and staff. The obvious starting place — ask your community to bring books for the library!
Bookstores. Bookstores receive advance readers’ copies (ARCs) of books pre-publication so they can make informed choices about whether or not to stock them. Many bookstores are up to their ears in last year’s ARCs. A friendly request to talk to a manager can get you boxes of ARCs, absolutely free. Some books stores, like Second and Charles, may even have boxes of free books out front.
Book bloggers. This one’s a bit trickier, but book bloggers also end up with piles of ARCs. If you can find an in (and pay for shipping), many are happy to part with old ARCs.
Little Free Libraries. If you’ve received a donation of, say, twenty adult romance novels that you don’t want to keep, Little Free Libraries can be a great way to swap out books you don’t want for books you do.
Library book sales. Many libraries have small, ongoing “friends of the library” sales where you can purchase books for anything from a quarter to a few dollars. Large annual or semi-annual book sales are where the real savings are — bags or boxes of books will regularly go for five dollars or less. Find sales near you here.
Book Bundler. This site bundles books into categories by age, genre, or type of book. If you’re looking for an easy way to kick-start a collection, they average less than one dollar a book.
Thriftbooks. This is where I go if I’m looking for something specific that’s less likely to get donated, like anti-racist nonfiction or specific fairy tale collections.
What do I do with the books we don’t want?
It’s true, you can’t keep everything! There simply isn’t enough shelf space, and it’s important for me that campers are able to find books that interest them as soon as they start browsing. This does mean that, unfortunately, you’ll have to get rid of some books. If the books are damaged or duplicates, consider starting a “take me home!” box. Many thrift stores and libraries accept donations of books, as long as they’re in decent condition. If books are damaged beyond all usability, consider handing them over to your artsy staff to make papercraft creations with, or just recycle them.
How to make books last, a speed round of tips:
If library bindings are available, buy them. Hardcovers do better when left out in the rain than paperbacks. Tape up torn spines and covers before small tears become large. Label everything, so camp’s books don’t get confused with campers.
Ultimately, a camp library is a labor of love that is more than worth it. It’s an activity not often associated with summer camp, but one that will be valuable for so many of your campers. It’s a chance to include your campers and staff in maintaining a special part of your camp.
Renée is a Stomping Ground staff member of many summers. They are a childcare professional and science educator in upstate New York. They love books, Star Wars, and inventing hypothetical menus for living in space.
