The Winter Reading Challenge: Read for a Better World (All Ages) is available for pre-registration now on the Vermont libraries Beanstack page at https://vermont.beanstack.org/. The challenge starts January 1, 2022 and ends January 31. This challenge is available for free to all Vermonters and could be a simple way for public libraries to engage readers this January!
Readers of all ages are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes a day and log their minutes using the Beanstack website or the mobile app. Participants can read books of their choosing, log minutes, participate in simple activities, and earn digital badges. Participants are encouraged to explore diversity, empathy, and action through literature by choosing books and stories from an array of diverse authors and topics.
There are many places readers can find lists of diverse books. One good place to start is We Need Diverse Books, which has compiled a list of sites that offer recommendations for diverse titles. There are also many fantastic diverse titles included in the Vermont youth book awards current and past nominee lists.
As a reminder, anyone who has created a Beanstack account in past will not need to create a new account and will just need to register for the challenge. If they do not have an account they will need to create one before they are able to register. There are instructions on the Beanstack landing page for logging-in and creating accounts.
You can find art, promotional/marketing materials for Winter Reading 2022 here: WRC2022 Editable Assets - Libraries.zip.
If you are new to Beanstack or looking for a refresher, check out the Beanstack info sheet for admin and user login instructions, and our Beanstack info page for support links, video tutorials, and recordings of previous trainings.
Feel free to reach out to Jonathan Clark if you have any questions.