GREAT FALLS — Young readers in Great Falls logged more than 401,000 minutes during the Great Falls Public Library’s 2025 summer reading program, a 27% increase from the previous year.
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The increase comes as the library expands its efforts to get children reading at an earlier age, including before they enter kindergarten.
“The best thing about a public library is that we see young kids come in with their families to read,” Library Director Amy Dissmeyer said. “You will always teach young children to read with a physical book and with a caregiver.”
Beyond its traditional summer reading program, the Great Falls Public Library now offers five free early-literacy programs each week for children from birth through age 5.
The library has also expanded its outreach into Great Falls childcare centers through storytime. Library staff bring books and songs into the centers while providing literacy guidance for children, educators and parents.
For Dissmeyer, the goal is not simply getting children to read more, but helping them develop an interest in books early in life.
“It’s really important to put a book in a kid’s hand so that they learn the idea of reading and learn to fall in love with books from a very early age,” Dissmeyer said.
For parents or caregivers who have a child who isn’t interested in reading, Dissmeyer said the starting point can be simple. Let children choose what interests them, allow younger children to explore a book through its pictures, and make sure they see the adults around them reading as well.
The growing participation in Great Falls comes as improving childhood literacy remains a priority across Montana.
