Read your way into 2021 with great books and fun prizes
The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries six-week Winter Reading Challenge for children, teens and adults is currently underway. Sign up at any time to participate! It’s a great way to celebrate the impactful power of books and reading. Since the Winter Reading Challenge launched on January 1, 2021, more than 560 participants have registered and read over 3,000 books, and more than one dozen local organizations and businesses have generously donated prizes to be awarded to readers through weekly drawings.
The challenge will run for just under two more weeks (through Saturday, February 13th), and is being held completely online through Beanstack, a website and app that makes keeping track of your reading quick, simple and fun. Readers who used Beanstack for the 2020 Summer Reading Program can simply log in to their existing Beanstack account and sign up for the Challenge, and new users can get started by creating a free account in just a few minutes. Visit goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org, or download the free app for Apple and Android devices to log your books on the go.
Every Tuesday during the Winter Reading Challenge, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are holding drawings for exciting prizes. Winners can receive prizes such as themed gift baskets, gift cards to local restaurants, stickers, games, art kits, books, movies and more, thanks to the generous support of our local partners, including: Blenders in the Grass, Chili’s, The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, The Friends of the Library of the Santa Ynez Valley, The Home Depot, Isla Vista Food Co-Operative, Islands Burgers, Madi’s Treasure Box, Mesa Burger, Miner’s Ace Hardware, The Pet House, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Woodstock’s Pizza.
Readers are eligible for prize drawings each week that they log at least one book in their Beanstack account. Books of all kind are welcome, including print books, eBooks, graphic novels, and audiobooks, and they can also be borrowed from the eLibrary or through Sidewalk Service. The program theme – Books Like Us – extends an invitation to readers to celebrate diversity and the power of seeing their stories reflected in books by exploring titles from authors with diverse backgrounds.
“It is very exciting to see community members of all ages reading so many books through the Winter Reading Challenge,” says Goleta Valley Library Children’s Librarian Elizabeth Saucedo. “This has been such a fun way to start off the new year together, especially with the amazing prize incentives from our wonderful local sponsors!”
Visit goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org to sign up for the Winter Reading Challenge. The program runs through February 13th. For more information on programs and events at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, view the online calendar at www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.
Happy reading, Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley!