Every year, Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) offers customers its Summer Reading challenge, opens a new window. The challenge is open to all those with CRRL cards,, opens a new window including those who get Talking Books, opens a new window, and runs May 15 through August 15, although books read during that period can be recorded through August 31.
Summer Reading encourages participants to read a wide variety of books in genres they may not otherwise check out, explore the library’s website and services, and learn more about the local area through reading and activity challenges. Completing challenges earns participants points, which they can put towards drawings for book bundles, including a large-print bundle for adults and braille bundles for children and teens.
An Accessible Design
CRRL offers its challenge through an interface called Beanstack, which is a website designed to manage library reading challenges. You can log into Beanstack online through the library’s Beanstack website, opens a new window or by downloading the Beanstack Tracker App, opens a new window (by Zoobean) to your smartphone or tablet. Some participants may have questions about what it is—and how accessible it is. The good news is that Beanstack is very accessible, and a lot of Talking Books libraries use it!
Beanstack’s accessibility features include:
- A design that integrates with a wide range of screen readers and dictation tools.
- Simplified page layouts and structure, which makes the site easy to navigate.
- Adjustable color settings to boost contrast/visibility. This is done by going to Setup and clicking Customize Colors.
Get Involved in Summer Reading
If you haven’t signed up for CRRL’s Summer Reading challenge yet, or would like to learn more about the program, please visit www.librarypoint.org/summer, opens a new window. You can also contact Access Services, opens a new window with any questions.
This year, we have set a community goal of reading 215,000 books by December 31, 2025. When you join Summer Reading,, opens a new window all the books you record for the challenge automatically count for our shared goal!
