Winter Reading Challenge 2021
This year we will once again be hosting a Book Bingo Winter Reading Challenge!
Program Audience
While all age groups can participate in this year's Winter Reading Challenge, this program is tailored to adults and only adults are eligible for the goal prize and drawings.
Important Dates
This year's Winter Reading Challenge will kick off on January 1, 2021 and conclude on February 28, 2021. Training for staff begins today, December 1, 2020, and must be completed by December 31, 2020.
Why are we hosting a system wide Winter Reading Challenge?
There are several reasons why we are hosting a Winter Reading Challenge again this year. They include:
- Increasing engagement and providing customers a way to connect with the Library during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Capitalizing on January’s higher circulation statistics of eMaterials such as OverDrive
- Promoting a culture of reading in Oklahoma County
- Focusing on adults and nurturing their love of reading
- Competing in Beanstack’s 4th Annual Reading Challenge: Beanstack offers a yearly Winter Reading Challenge. If we are a high performing library, we will be eligible for grants, books for our collection, and author visits.
- Testing and piloting changes for adults prior to Summer Reading 2021
- Leveraging our existing Beanstack subscription
- Addressing customer needs & demands: The library system hosted a successful Winter ReadFest for several years and we brought the program back last year with great success
Important All Staff Training Information
Like last year, the Winter Reading Challenge will have a required training component. This year we are requiring an online training so that you, the staff, have the necessary tools and information to help customers. Ultimately, training will prepare us to reach our Winter Reading goals as listed above. Online Winter Reading training is required for all staff, is self-guided, and must be completed by December 31, 2020.
While department staff may not be assisting library customers with Winter Reading Challenge questions directly, it is important that all staff are knowledgeable about the Winter Reading Challenge. As a Metro Library employee, you act as an ambassador to the community. If a friend or neighbor asks you about the Winter Reading Challenge, we want you to have the information to answer that question with confidence. Your assistance helps us ensure a successful program for our community.
Winter Reading Challenge training in EduBrite has been released by L&D today, December 1, to all staff and includes the following components:
- The Winter Reading Challenge training video
- The Winter Reading Challenge training acknowledgement
Additionally, Intranet resources are available for all staff to find more in-depth information about this year's Winter Reading Challenge! The following resources can be found by visiting the Winter Reading tab on the Intranet home page.
- An Overview of the Program
- FAQs
- Prizes
- Downloads (Coming Soon!)
- Engagement Toolkit—Pandemic Edition
- A link to the customer site (Updated site will launch on Jan 1)
And more...
Please don't hesitate to reach out to EPS with any questions or concerns you might have. Please note that printed bingo cards will be routed to locations and pdfs added to the Intranet by early next week! Additional logisitcal information regarding goal prizes will be emailed out to the mangagement teams at library locations next week.
Thank you!
-EPS
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Comments
I don't think it's right to offer the "skip the line" option for this reading challenge. We're not allowed to advance any customer in normal day-to-day transactions in the filling of reserves and I don't see why an exception has been built in to this contest that circumvents established policies.
Hi Jim,
Thank you for sharing your concern with EPS.
Skip-the-wait passes are a unique, no-cost option that EPS developed last year for our Winter Reading Book Bingo Challenge. Our hope was to develop a no-cost prize that would appeal to our page-turner group (avid book readers). This year we are only offering 12 passes in total, so they will have a limited effect. Last year four passes were awarded and only one was redeemed.
CIS, Access Services, and Collection Development were involved in the development of the skip-the wait pass concept and Leadership Team discussed and approved the use of these passes as drawing prizes for Winter Reading last year. This year Larry approved the use of these passes as drawing prizes as our Interim Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Services.
All of our adult card holding customers have an equal opportunity to win a prize drawing, so we hope that as many participate as possible.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions that we can help answer!
Jessica
We had a customer question today about when they are able to sign up. She couldn't find it anywhere on the website, and we didn't remember a date from training (sorry if we missed it!). Do they have to wait until January 1 to register, or will there be a pre-registration period?
Hi Kassy,
Thank you for reaching out. Customers can register starting Jan 1! There is no pre-registration period.
Jess
Thanks!