Kingston readers double last year’s total in the 2026 Kingston Frontenac Public Library Summer Reading Challenge, reaching 3.2 million minutes

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library just celebrated the close of its 2026 Summer Reading Challenge, with community members reading a grand total of 3.2 million minutes this summer, double last year’s total.

Each year, KFPL invites readers of all ages across Kingston and Frontenac County to log their reading minutes throughout the summer.

“It was like a community effort… our reading goal was 2 million minutes and we made it to 3.2 million,” Liz Coates, Manager of Programming and Outreach with KFPL stated in an interview with CFRC. “So we’re very proud of Kingston and Frontenac County communities doing all that reading.”

Coates says a combination of factors contributed to the massive jump in reading minutes this year, including an impressive spread of prizes donated by local businesses, new activities and programming introduced this year, and a renewed appetite for reading in the community.

Coates also notes the important role summer reading programs like this one play in preventing the “summer slide”, the loss of reading skills that can occur in the summer when children are out of school.

“The research shows that kids and teens who read four or more books over the summer score higher on achievement tests in the fall when they go back to school. So it’s very important.  And the learning loss is cumulative as well,” explains Coates. “…So the library is here to fill that gap and to motivate everyone to read.”

Listen to the full story here.