The following article was written by Manitowoc Public Library Youth Services Librarian, Betty Schwede.
Hot cocoa and marshmallows. A fireplace and snuggling. Blankets and reading. It’s time to add some cozy to your life and make the most of our Wisconsin winter. The Danes refer to this as “hygge” (ho͝oɡə)—coziness that contributes to the feeling of well-being. And Manitowoc Public Library is here to add a little fun with the 2024 Winter Reading Program: Warm Up to a Good Book.
The 2024 Winter Reading Program will begin Monday, January 15, and run through Sunday, February 25. Patrons of all ages are encouraged to read or be read to for ten hours during that span to complete the challenge and receive a prize at completion. That’s only 15 minutes a day! There are different prizes for kids, teens, and adults.
MPL will again be using the Beanstack app to track reading for patrons. If you have used Beanstack in the past, simply go into your account and enroll in the 2024 Winter Reading Program. If you haven’t used it before you can register through our website, www.manitowoclibrary.beanstack.org, or visit any of our service desks and MPL staff will be happy to help you. We will also have paper trackers for those participants who prefer a more visual way of tracking their reading.
The 2024 Winter Reading Program 2024 Challenge tracks your reading in 30-minute blocks. For every 30 minutes you read, simply mark it off in Beanstack or color an image on your paper tracker. It’s as simple as that. You can read any time, any type of material, and any place you are comfortable. What should you read? Anything! Magazines, newspaper articles, online books, large print books, fiction books, non-fiction books, audiobooks. Yes, listening to audiobooks counts as reading!
“But I don’t have a phone or a tablet nor do I want to listen on one of those devices and I don’t have a cd player” you say? We can help! Coming Soon to the children’s library collection are Playaways, pre-loaded audio books. All you need are headphones or an auxiliary cable to connect to a speaker, since they are not Bluetooth enabled. No need for a disc player or device. Most titles are children’s fiction, but there is a title for every listener. Of course, if you enjoy Libby or books on CD, you can count that method as listening time, as well.
Parents with children that don’t read yet will be reading to them. Children not yet in Kindergarten get to double dip by signing up for “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” and reading for both challenges at the same time. Just be sure to log reading time and number of titles read for each separate challenge. Anyone can read to little ones and rereading books counts each time the book is read. Children love repetition and it reinforces learning concepts.
So, get your hygge-on with Manitowoc Public Library and the 2024 Winter Reading Program. Find some great reading or listening and sign up today for the 2024 Winter Reading Program.