Staff at Bathurst Regional Library want kids and teenagers to join its Summer Reading Club and read more books than they did last year.

Summer Reading Club is a yearly reading program for children from preschool through to secondary school that runs from December 1 to January 31.

Originally an initiative of the State Library of Queensland it has now been adopted by libraries throughout Australia to stop the summer slide in literacy levels.

Manager, Library Service, for Bathurst Regional Library, Patou Clerc said the Summer Reading Club is a great activity for the school holidays that has long-lasting benefits.

"Research has shown there is a tendency for children to lose some of the literacy gains made during the school year if they totally disengage with educational activities and academic routines over the summer period," Ms Clerc said.

"This program aims to maintain their reading levels and hopefully even improve them. Better still, it involves activities that encourages them to try a wide range of books so they broaden their knowledge and reading confidence."

To join in each participant simply needs to register for the club at the library, then record every book they read in their log book.

For every 20 books they read, participants receive a ticket in the prize draw for their age group.

They can also earn extra tickets by completing a 40 days in 40 ways challenge that encourages them to try new ways of engaging with reading. Pick up your log book at the library.