Reading Challenges FAQs

  • General Questions

    To see details on how to create a Beanstack account through the app or desktop, visit this page.

    Please ask a librarian at the adult or youth service desks for assistance or submit a feedback form.

    Please ask a librarian at the adult or youth service desks for assistance or submit a feedback form.

    Logging reading on a web browser (i.e. Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and logging reading on the Beanstack Tracker app is entirely different. Please see the instructions below. To see the exceptions about logging minutes and books together, please see this FAQ.

    For Web Browser

    1. Click the “Log Reading” or “Log Reading and Activities” button in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
    2. Select the accurate reader(s) and then the desired log type (Books, Minutes). 
    3. Select the date for the reading session.
      1. Important Note: We do not restrict back-date logging. You can backlog to any date you'd like.
    4. Enter any additional information, like title, author, and if they'd like to leave a book review.
      1. Important Note: These fields are not required.
    5. Click “Log.”
    6. The reading session will be added to their log and to any applicable challenge log. If warranted, the reader may earn badges, tickets, or rewards, which will pop up after logging.
    7. Important Note: Customers can log books multiple times, especially in a challenge like 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.

    For the Beanstack Tracker App (Mobile App)

    Logging With a Title (a Book)

    1. Tap the "+" icon at the bottom center of your app screen and select "Reading."
    2. Select a title by searching the title, author, or ISBN of the book. You can also choose from “recently logged titles” if you wish to log a title again. This is especially useful for youth readers.
    3. After typing in the title of the book, choose the title from the list and fill out the rest of the information if you’d like, including tracking progress.
    4. When done, click “save.”
    5. After that, you’ll see an option to either:
      1. "Quick Complete" A notice will pop-up letting you know that quick logging will not count minutes or pages read. If you still want to proceed, tap Quick Log As Complete. Important: Quick logging will NOT count minutes or pages read.
      2. "Log Reading" Will display more options, such as:    
        1. How many challenges the book will count for (depending on what challenges you’re enrolled in)
        2. Logging the reading for today (or, backdating it)
        3. A toggle button for “did you finish the book.”
        4. Under the “view more” option, you can log how many minutes and pages you read.
      3. "Start Timer" Will start a reading timer
    6. Once you’ve completed logging and/or reading, click “save” and a message will appear that confirms the book has been logged.

    Logging Without a Title (minutes)

    If you want to log reading without using a book title (minutes, pages, etc.) follow these instructions.

    1. Tap the "+" icon at the bottom center of your app screen and select "Reading."
    2. Click the large blue button that says “Log without a Title.”
    3. You’ll see the following options:
      1. Logging reading for today (or backdate)
      2. How many books did you complete?
      3. *Under the drop down menu that says “View More”: How many minutes did you read?
      4. *Under the drop down menu that says “View More”: How many pages did you read?
    4. Once you’ve completed logging and/or reading, click “save” and a message will appear that confirms the minutes or number of books have been logged.

    As a reading challenge participant, you always have the option to log both books and minutes together. However, there are some important exceptions when it comes to this. For details on logging reading, see this FAQ.

    Friends can then view each other's reading logs, challenge histories, and earn badges, as well as compete on their leaderboards. 

    1. Readers can click the “Friends” tab at the top of their screen, in between “Challenges” and “Reviews”, to add and view friends and leaderboards. 
      1. Note that account creators under the age of 13 will not be able to add friends or generate a share code.
    2. Before adding friends or sharing their friend code for the first time, readers will see a privacy notice pop up. This informs them that anyone at their library whom they add as a friend or with whom they share their friend code can see their reading activity, like the titles they log and the badges they earned. 
    3. If they don't accept the notice, they will not be able to proceed to add friends or share a friend code. If they accept the privacy notice, they can always remove friends at any time.
    4. Once the privacy notice is accepted, each reader can generate a unique 7-character friend code to share with other readers.
    5. By clicking "Add Friends" and then selecting "Share Your Friend Code," readers can copy their friend code, share it via email, Facebook, or Twitter, or refresh it to disable their current friend code and generate a new one.
    6. If a reader would like to enter a friend code that was shared with them, they can select "Enter a Friend Code" under "Add Friends." This will allow them to enter someone else's code to add them as a friend. 
      1. If they enter an inactive friend code, they will receive a "Friend code not found" error
    7. Once a friend is added, a friend card will appear with their name on it. Readers can open a friend card by clicking the card itself or clicking the three dots in the upper righ thand corner of the card and then selecting "View Friend."  
    8. This will open a pop-up window where they can see their friend's last four earned badges, how much reading they have logged, what challenges they have participated in, and what titles they have read.
    9. Readers can remove friends at any time by clicking the three dots in the upper right hand corner of a friend card and selecting "Remove Friend." They will be prompted to click "Remove" one more time to be sure they want to move forward with removing that friend. Once a reader removes a friend, they will also be removed from that friend's group of friends and leaderboards as well. 
      1. If they would like to re-add a friend, they will need to do so by entering or sharing their friend code again.

    1. Click the “Log Reading and Activities” button in the upper left hand corner of the screen.
      1. Note that Activities will only appear as an option if the reader is enrolled in a current challenge with activity badges.
    2. Select the accurate reader(s) and then “Complete An Activity.”
    3. If you are enrolled in a challenge or challenges with multiple activity badges, they will then be able to select the desired activity badge to view and complete its activities.
    4. Once inside the badge, you can either:
      1. Check off the activity, 
      2. Write a response into a text box
    5. If warranted, you may earn the activity badge and any attached tickets, or rewards after completing the activity, which will pop up after logging.
    Logging within a Specific Challenge
    1. Once viewing a challenge, click over to the “Badges” tab and then “Activity Badges”.
    2. Click on any unearned activity badge to complete the activity by either checking it off, writing a response into the text box, or entering the activity code.
    3. If warranted, the reader may earn the activity badge and any attached tickets, or rewards after completing the activity, which will pop up after logging.

    The Summer Reading program is the only program where you can earn tickets within the challenge. Tickets are used on grand prize drawings at the end of the program.

    No. The main "reader" on the account will have one sign in for all readers. For example, children on parent and caregiver accounts will have to use the main login to get to their account.