Off the Shelf: Help Get the Library to a Million Minutes
By Angela Spatafore on May 20, 2026 from Off the Shelf
Are you looking for a challenge? We are challenging the community to read one million minutes over the course of 2026. Since the goal was set in January, a total of 192,000+ minutes have already been logged as I write this issue, but with summer (and especially summer reading) right around the corner, we are hoping to make more progress. We just need your help to make it happen!
To participate, all you need to do is create an account on our Beanstack site (bplwv.beanstack.org) or the Beanstack Tracker mobile app (just search for the Bridgeport Public Library). You can log the minutes you read in Beanstack, and those minutes will automatically add to the community reading goal. If you have any trouble using Beanstack, our staff are always available to help answer your questions. Just give us
a call at 304-842-8248, email us at library@bridgeportwv.gov, or stop in to the Help Desk!
a call at 304-842-8248, email us at library@bridgeportwv.gov, or stop in to the Help Desk!
While you’re on Beanstack, you can join a reading challenge. We have our 2026 reading challenge, Read It Your Way, going on for all ages. Each month we challenge you to read a book in a specific format or genre. For our youngest readers, we have Simon Says Read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. Get a headstart on developing your child’s literacy skills by reading with them. Even newborns can benefit from hearing you read books to them! Every 100 books you log on Beanstack unlocks a fun collectible, and the final prize is a plush sloth!
Keep your eyes peeled because we will be making announcements about summer reading 2026, Unearth a Story, soon! Pre-registration for the program will start on Monday, June 8, and you will want to participate because we have an exciting lineup of prizes for all ages. We have something for everyone from infants to adults during summer reading! The program officially runs from June 13 through July 25. Any minutes you log during this time help us reach that million-minute goal.
If you are competitive, we update our bulletin board with the names of our top 3 readers in Beanstack. If you want to see your name on the board, make sure you log those minutes. The competition is fierce! A million minutes seems like a lofty goal, but if we read together, we can hit the goal by the end of the year. Happy reading!
