Hundreds of people across the borough have started the New Year with a new challenge set by Darlington Libraries.
Following on from the success of its annual summer reading challenge for children, staff threw down the gauntlet to older readers to take up the Adult Reading Challenge in a bid to encourage them to read more, or read ‘differently’.
It’s proved a great hit with library users as more than 300 signed up to take on the challenge within the first three weeks of its launch.
Suzy Hill, Library Events Manager, explained:
“Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions for self-improvement and enjoyment and this year Darlington Libraries wanted to make it easier to take on a challenge they can enjoy – and stick to.
“The idea is simple – if you want to read more books or try reading a different type of book, pop into one of our libraries and pick up a free Reading Challenge Card, Then borrow and read a book in each of the listed categories to complete your card.
“It’s easy to get stuck in a reading slump and this challenge offers a great opportunity to shake it off and try something new. However, as with any other resolution, it can sometimes be hard to stay the course so the challenge cards are filled with prompts to help people explore new genres and authors.
“No matter what kind of books you ordinarily love, the options on our cards will inspire you to try something new and exciting – and we’re offering those who complete their cards the chance to win a prize.”
Completed cards should be handed back in to staff and will be entered into a draw for the chance of winning a £50 or £25 book voucher at the end of the year. There are four different cards, with 12 challenges on each, offering avid readers the chance of up to four entries in the prize draw.
The Adult Reading Challenge is open to all adults and is free, just call in to Crown Street or Cockerton Library to pick up your card and get started.
To find out more about events at Darlington Libraries pop into the library, call 01325 349610 or log onto www2.darlington.gov.uk, you can also follow us on Facebook @DarlingtonLibraries or on Twitter @DarlLibs