Library Reading Program & Incentives Encourage Winter Reading

St. Cloud, MN - January 2011: The 2011 winter reading program at Great River Regional Library (GRRL) includes some special incentives: two OverDrive-compatible mp3 players and two Barnes & Noble NOOK e-readers! (OverDrive provides the interface for GRRL’s digital library of eBooks and eAudiobooks.)

Teens and adults who take part in the library’s “Snow is Falling, Books are Calling” program can qualify for the regional prizes and also for local prizes including mugs and canvas book bags provided at each of the 32 GRRL branch libraries.

The program ends Saturday, Feb. 26. It’s open to anyone in the sixth grade or older. All booklovers need do is register for the program at a GRRL branch (or online at www.griver.org) and pick up a drawing slip. There is no special reading requirement: participants may read or listen to fiction or non-fiction books or audiobooks of their choice. A slip can be turned in for every five books read (audiobooks count, too). Readers may turn in more than one drawing slip if they read additional books. Each of the 32 branch libraries in the GRRL system will have prize drawings for participants.

“We believe reading is a valuable and healthy use of time, and we want to encourage that,” said Karen Pundsack, the library’s patron services coordinator. “A lot of people read more in the winter anyway, but this adds another level of fun and reward.”

Many of the region’s libraries will schedule special events to complement the program theme and encourage winter reading. Visit the GRRL events page at www.griver.org for more information about what’s going on in your local library.