Summer Reading Program 2021

Summer Reading Program is back for 2021! We welcome everyone back into our libraries once again for another summer of fun, starting June 1 and running through July 17. Summer Reading is a program designed to engage all age groups in exploring new ideas, books, and activities. The program, as always, is free and there are no fees for any of the events or activities. As you read books and engage in the activities, you are eligible to win badges and prizes.

Last year, we introduced a new method for participating in Summer Reading through an online platform called Beanstack. Beanstack is back for 2021, packed full of new adventures, badges, and fun!

The biggest change for Summer Reading 2021 is the elimination of age groups and goals. This year, all ages are invited to join the same program and work toward common goals. We challenge the Auglaize County community as a whole to read and log one million minutes this summer! We challenge each individual reader to read and log their minutes and participate in the activities located exclusively in Beanstack.

Every hour read earns you a special badge and a virtual drawing ticket to enter into your choice of awesome prize drawings—from tickets to amusement parks & museums, gift cards, and toys & electronics. Once fifteen different badges have been earned by any participant, the reader qualifies for a reward—a $5 gift card or prize of their choosing—available for pickup in mid-August.

Readers in Beanstack will be able to earn badges in a variety of ways:

• Reading and logging your minutes into the tracker app or website (1 hour = 1 badge = 1 ticket)
• Writing a book review for a book you’ve read (1 review = 1 badge = 1 ticket)
• Completing activities such as online escape rooms, short missions, creative play, etc. (5 activities completed in a group = 1 badge = 5 tickets)
• Completing Scavenger Hunts arounds our libraries, our downtowns, and our county (various activities = various badges = lots of tickets)

And again, any reader who earns 15 badges earns a guaranteed reward from the reader’s choice of $5 gift card or prize from our list.

Prizes this year include Kings Island tickets, museum passes, LEGO sets, Bluetooth speakers, Echo Dot, gift cards to Disney, Amazon & much more! Winners will be drawn for prizes after July 17. Winners will be notified and will be required to pick up prizes at their local library.

Readers who registered last year for a Beanstack account simply need to log in with their established username and password to start the new 2021 program. New readers need to create a free Beanstack account for their selves or their family. One family can use the same login for all readers! You can access each family member’s page in the same account and even log minutes read one time for the whole family. Let’s say a dad reads to his toddler and preteen for half an hour before bed. He could later go into Beanstack and log 30 minutes for “All Readers” and have those 30 minutes count toward each child and his own reading goal, saving time and headache. To register yourself or your family, visit the Beanstack website or login through the app.

Beanstack Tracker App is available for iOS and Android.

This year’s Summer Reading theme is all about animals—Tails and Tales! We will encourage you to learn more about the animal kingdom and the stories that surround each of our scaly, furry, or feathered friends. Look for lots of our activities to be animal-themed this summer. We encourage you to expand your knowledge and check out books featuring twisty tales or fuzzy tails—but you can really read anything you like! Our doors are open and are shelves are stocked. You can check out items inside, request items for drive-thru or curbside pickup, fill out a PACKED survey and receive a personalized bag of books, or check out eBooks or eAudiobooks online through Libby (the Ohio Digital Library) or Hoopla! As always, readers are also welcome to read any material they have at home.

As a part of Summer Reading 2021, we will be introducing Outdoor Storytimes at all six library locations! More information on each branch’s storytime (including date, time, and outdoor location) will be available on our Event Calendar. Each library will also have in-library activities and take-home project bags on a regular basis throughout the summer.

If you have any questions, contact us at 419-738-5964 or email kspyker@auglaizelibraries.org.

 

Video - How to Register on Beanstack