If reading more is one of your New Year’s resolutions, the Bonnyville Municipal Library is offering a program that may help.
The Winter Reading Program, which is called ‘Get your mitts on a good book!’, kicked off Jan. 1 and runs until Feb. 28.
“It’s open to everybody,” explained librarian Ina Smith. “It’s basically different from our Summer Reading Program... (which) is for the kids to keep up their reading skills in the summer... (The Winter Reading Program) is just to encourage people to read during the lovely winter months, and there’s the possibility for a prize at the end of it.”
There are three categories to the program, one for kids under 12, another for youth aged 13 to 18, and finally, a group for the adults. Participants nine and under receive a ballot for reading three hours, 10 to 13-year-olds get one after five, and everyone else has to hit the books for at least seven hours to receive a ballot at the end of the program.
Library programmer Kate Burman said as long as someone is reading it can count toward their sheet.
She added, “It’s definitely a good motivator for everyone, especially right after New Years, it’s good for people who have resolutions to read more.”
Along with local prizes, everyone who completes the designated amount of reading time receives a ballot that’s entered into a draw for one of six tablets.
“We’re competing with 45 other libraries because it’s the Northern Lights Library System (NLSS) sponsoring it... There’s no guarantee that someone here will win a tablet, but we’ve been fortunate in the past. I think we’ve had someone win a tablet almost every year (we’ve participated),” detailed Smith, adding the Bonnyville library has been taking part for the last five years.
Anyone interested in participating just has to pick-up a reading log at the library, and finish the amount of reading time for their age group.
Sheets must be handed in before the end of February, as the ballots for the draw will be sent out at that time.
“I fill out the ballots at the... beginning of March and send them off to the NLLS,” Burman explained.
Along with helping people accomplish their goals of reading more in the new year, Smith noted it also encourages a love of the past time.
“It’s just the importance of literacy as a life-long skill, and I think some people don’t really understand you can lose your reading skills. It’s very important to read throughout your life so you keep that, keep literate, and this is a fun way to promote that,” Smith expressed.
Stop by the library or call them at 780-826-3071 for more information on the program.
