Dear Community,

I have been working in tandem with Carrie regarding coordinating our summer reading program prizes for the past 2 years. Thankfully, I’m not the only member of the Nottingham community that finds statistics to be interesting. When we started the first week of pulling raffle tickets for prizes, a couple of my coworkers started writing down how many tickets went to each prize, because they enjoy reading things like that. Now that the 2026 summer reading program has ended, let’s see what the stats are for prizes, and what they can tell us about the program.

Week 1: Opening Week

Total Number of Entries– 90

Prize– We Are Gardeners (junior nonfiction book, worth $20)– 1 ticket– Winner: Susie P.

Prize– A Nu Du Inc. Salon $40 Gift Card– 9 tickets– Winner: Birdie M.

Prize– 1 Round of 4 at Chucksters (worth $40)– 13 tickets– Winner: Camilla W.

Prize– Family Basket (included tote bag, Clue Board Game, Cranium Board Game, LED Laserblock Tiger, paperback James and the Giant Peach book, hardcover Super Skillets recipe book, hardcover Sanitorium book, first 100 animals baby board book, fox scarf knitting kit, 100 pieces kids art set, and 5 passes for Strikers bowling. Bag worth: $235)– 67 tickets– Winner: Kelsey B.

Week 2:

Total Number of Entries– 81

Prize: 5 Passes to Sky Zone (worth $90)– 54 tickets– Winner: Heline R.

Prize: 2 Passes to Living Shores (worth $16)– 19 tickets– Winner: Kyle V.

Prize: Dogman Book 1, hardcover (worth $15)– 2 tickets– Winner: Christine M.

Prize: Laugh and You’re Out Game (worth $25)– 6 tickets– Winner: Matilda W.

Week 3:

Total Number of Entries– 76

Prize: 2 Storyland Passes (worth $80)– 31 tickets– Winner: Ella K.

Prize: Black Wolf hardcover book (worth $30)– 2 tickets– Winner: Sarah J.

Prize: Connect 4 Board Game (worth $15)– 13 tickets– Winner: Ting Z.

Prize: 4 Passes to Hilltop Fun Center (worth $44)– 30 tickets– Winner: Robbie C.

Week 4:

Total Number of Entries– 67

Prize: $20 Irving Gas Card– 19 tickets– Winner: Kristofer P.

Prize: $50 Newicks Gift Card– 12 tickets– Winner: Simon B.

Prize: There’s a Yeti In My Spaghetti Game (worth $15)– 6 tickets– Winner: Calvin B.

Prize: 5 Passes to Striker’s East Bowling (worth $50)– 30 tickets– Winner: Riley M.

Week 5: Finale Week

Total Number of Entries– 93

Prize: 2 Passes to Squam Lake Science Center (worth $60)– 34 tickets– Winner: Avery D.

Prize: To See An Owl hardcover picture book (worth $20)– 4 tickets– Winner: Presley C.

Prize: Dating Dragons paperback book (worth $15)– 2 tickets– Winner: Seth H.

Prize: Family Basket (included tote bag, Trivial Pursuit Party Game, Spot It Game, We Are In A Book hardcover picturebook, 3 boxes of crayons, Finding My Way hardcover book, Batman Nightwalker hardcover book, Pete the Kitty and the unicorn’s missing colors paperback book, solar vehicle, Hello Kitty temporary tattoos, and 5 passes to Barn-Z movie theater. Bag worth: $200)– 53 tickets– Winner: Ben W.

Other Prizes and Winners:
Ranch Remastered

Number of Entries: 9

1st Place: John E. ($30 to Hannaford’s Grocery Store)

2nd Place: Miles F. ($20 to Hannaford’s Grocery Store)

Puzzle Challenge

Number of Participants: 12

Winners (4)

Prizes: 1 train puzzle, 1 car puzzle, 1 boat puzzle, 1 hot air balloon puzzle

Fruit Taste Test Challenge

Number of Participants: 19

Winner (1)

Prize: holiday puzzle

Votive Art Raffle

Number of Participants: 22

Winner: Kiera R.

Prize: 250 piece wooden fox puzzle

So what can we take away from these numbers? 

• Firstly, unless it’s in a gift basket, folks aren’t hoping for new books to keep. They’d rather borrow them. 
• Local coupons for Beach Plum ($5 off food) had fewer takers this year. It’s unclear if that is a reflection on attendance or a turn of the taste buds for the masses.
• Interest in board games is consistent, however, they seem to have the most value when put into a family basket.
• Passive activities with prizes, such as the Fruit Taste Test, Puzzle Challenge, Ranch Remastered and Votive Art had a middling turn-out for participants, but the interest is strong enough to continue with this concept.
• Unlike last summer, we didn’t put out toys as individual prizes. We put them in family baskets and that changed the potential statistics there so they can’t be evaluated (plus we didn’t start counting out tickets until this summer). Last summer, however, toys were hugely popular for ticket entries. As we don’t buy our prizes (with the exception of the puzzles, tote bags, and Irving Card, everything else this year was donations), toys should not be assumed as prospective prizes.
• Family baskets are a huge (the biggest) hit. As the individual who spearheaded the idea of these baskets, to go out to families that don’t want anyone feeling left out in their household, I’m happy to see it had merit. That’s not entirely true. Carrie did get the gift certificates for the baskets as well. Overall, we will likely do them again next summer, although perhaps a little toned down in magnitude. It all depends on what donations we receive.
• After that, the items with the most interest this summer appear to be passes to participate in an activity somewhere, followed by gift certificates for regularly needed bills (such as gas, groceries and a hair cut).
• And finally, just about 6% of prize participants won something from Blaisdell Memorial Library this summer, with prizes averaging out to about $43.57 per winner.

That all being said, so far I am only one individual reflecting on the meaning of these numbers. What do you think of them? What’s your take-away?

-Neolani-