The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) has started its Summer Reading Challenges, a free program targeted at people of all ages, hoping to increase their reading consistency.
Beginning on June 27 and running until August 22, the challenges have three tiers targeted at children, teens, and adults. The tiers increase the number of hours one is expected to complete. While children are expected to complete 15 minutes of reading per day, teens and adults are expected to complete 30 minutes per day.
The program introduces different prizes participants can win based on how many hours they log. The prizes range from a Nintendo Switch 2, AirPods, bikes, cameras, and more. The increased number of rewards are thanks to local sponsors like The Marriott, who are working with the KFPL for the first time.
Hours are tracked through Beanstack, a partner app of the library. Every day, participants complete their required hours to get tickets that go towards prizes.
In an interview with The Journal, KFPL representatives Ellie McArthur, ArtSci ’27, and Liz Coates, manager of programming and outreach, spoke about the challenge and the general benefits of reading.
“It’s already been our most successful year so far [of the challenge],” Coates said. “These mini challenges really encourage more reading and engagement with the perks the library has to offer.”
Their summer reading goal was 2,300 readers, or 2 million minutes, and they have already cumulatively logged 3,456 readers along with 1.5 million minutes.
McArthur pointed out how the challenge is especially beneficial for students due to what’s known as “the summer slide,” where the lack of education over the summer results in the loss of academic skills and knowledge.
Through the challenge’s incentives, their program combats learning loss by encouraging reading over the summer break, for both children and adults alike.
“Parent reading habits directly affect children’s reading habits,” Coates said when explaining why engagement in reading is essential.
They added that the program is not only to encourage reading, it is also “to let people know the library is here with all its resources at your disposal,” Coates said. Other programs offered at the KFPL include “Every Child Ready to Read” and “Reading Buddies,” which both utilize the library’s space to encourage engagement in reading and community spaces.
“Books open you up to a world that you might not have known was there,” McArthur said.
Coates emphasized how reading increases connections. “Reading seems like such an individual pursuit, but it can be a connector between people,” Coates said.
It cannot be overstated how beneficial reading can be for long-term development and education, and with the KFPL at everyone’s disposal, reaching those goals is incredibly accessible.
Tags
Book reading, KFPL, Library, Literature
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