By Mark Bialczak

LPL Communications Specialist

Winter and its short, cold days provide the perfect time to curl up with a great book … or at least a wonderful title downloaded to your favorite device.

A handful of libraries around the country are participating in the first Beanstack Winter Reading Challenge, and the Liverpool Public Library is the only representative in Central New York.

Mark Cuban, the well-known billionaire investor, “Shark Tank” panel member and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, has joined forces with the campaign with a pledges of $25,000 to national nonprofit organization First Book and $10,000 for individual libraries whose patrons do well in the month-long event.

That’s where you come in.

The LPL is holding the Winter Reading Challenge for three age levels of participants: Children’s, Teens and Adults.

You can sign up at lpl.beanstack.org.

The event runs through the end of January.

LPL librarians have set up a group goal for LPL patrons who participate to read a total of 310 books or 13088 minutes. Everybody who signs up for the program can choose either to log in the number of books or minutes they read. The LPL’s address is 310 Tulip St., Liverpool NY 13088, so those numbers seemed natural.

Prizes will be awarded at the library for readers who reach various completion levels. You can earn free books, a snowflake ornament, bookmarks and raffle tickets toward big prizes at the conclusion of the event.

And maybe Mark Cuban will pick the LPL to receive one of his grants to use for future programs here.