The summer pop-up library will visit locations throughout the Round Rock school district.[/caption]

Research shows reading is the most influential factor in summer learning, and summer reading is the most difficult for children with limited access to libraries and transportation, said Ami Uselman, Round Rock ISD director of library and media services.

“We realized that the kids who really need the books do not have access to the library,” she said. “We decided we needed to get the books to them.”

A summer pop-up library begins June 7 and will visit parks, public areas and apartment complexes throughout RRISD until Aug. 3.

The pop-up library will include a makerspace to bring hands-on creative activities to students while school is out of session.

This is the pop-up library’s first year in operation. Uselman said district librarians came up with the idea at a meeting earlier this year.

The department is using a district van to move the library from place to place.

The contents of the pop-up library are all donated books from the community, she said.

“I bet we have 10,000 books,” she said.

Students are not required to return the books, but Uselman said she hopes students will visit the pop-up multiple times throughout the summer and trade books they have read for new books.

The makerspace, which is part of the pop-up library, offers hands-on creative thinking projects for students, such as making solar cookers for hot dogs, or a challenge to make the best creation out of cardboard, Uselman said.

“[The projects will] be different every week,” she said.

District librarians and volunteers from the National Charity League, a mother-daughter community service organization, will operate the pop-up and makerspace projects.

Uselman said the pop-up will make some surprise stops in addition to the stops listed on its website.

Parents and students can register for reminder text messages by texting “@4fb6k” to 81010 or 424-835-7397.

Families can receive email reminders by emailing [email protected].