Billionaire investor and Shark Tank personality Mark Cuban has announced his sponsorship of the inaugural Beanstack Winter Reading Challenge in support of local libraries. Cuban has challenged close to 100 libraries all over the country and South Korea, to meet a collective goal of reading at least one million minutes and 50,000 books during the month of January. If achieved, Cuban pledges to donate $25,000 to First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to children in need. He will also give $10,000 for top-performing libraries to use for their community programs or donate to nonprofit organizations in their area.
Participating libraries will use Beanstack, an innovative software that facilitates reading programs for schools and libraries, and makes it easy to track the amount of time and books read. “After doing a storytime for my local library, Dallas Public Library, I became increasingly inspired by the work libraries do for their communities,” says Cuban. “Growing up, my mom used to give me a quarter for every book I read. Through reading programs libraries run with Beanstack, they are providing these kinds of incentives for readers throughout the community. I love the idea that we will encourage readers through a shared, ambitious goal, and that the prize for everyone will be to pay it forward to an awesome organization focused on literacy and access to books.”
Using Cutting Edge Software to Track Reading
The Beanstack software platform, from parent company Zoobean, takes a modern approach to managing reading programs, bringing everything online and making it easy for librarians and readers alike to set up and maintain accounts to track their reading. It can also suggest more titles readers might enjoy based on their interests and reading “doorways.” Cuban became an investor in Zoobean after the founders impressed him with their vision on Shark Tank in 2013. Beanstack currently serves over 600 libraries globally.
“Libraries are the lifeblood of so many communities, and we love having the opportunity to further their work in this way,” says Zoobean co-founder and Chief Client Success Officer, Jordan Lloyd Bookey. Librarians will set up their Winter Reading Challenge programs on Beanstack’s platform, each with its own unique design. Participants will log their time and books read throughout the month of January on their libraries’ individual Beanstack sites.
Prize Money Goes to Support Social Nonprofit First Book
In setting up the Winter Reading Challenge, participating libraries were asked what to do with the prize money. First Book was the nonprofit they selected. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book is creating equal access to quality education — making everything from brand-new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment and snacks, affordable to its member network of more than 325,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need.
“Through partners like Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City and the Awty International School, we see that reading incentives that are charitable in nature help to drive participation and engagement,” says Bookey. “The mission of First Book is well-aligned with the work libraries do, so it’s no surprise that our clients voted to give the prize money to that organization!”
Since its founding in 1992, First Book has distributed more than 170 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families.
“I believe that the most powerful force in the world is empathy,” says First Book’s president, co-founder and CEO Kyle Zimmer. “It is truly an honor to be selected by libraries and to have the reward for participants’ reading be to collectively give to First Book — bringing the joy of reading through books and resources to so many more children. What a wonderful way to build empathy and community. First Book is an ardent supporter of libraries and we are thrilled to be part of this program. We will absolutely put that $25,000 to work, serving kids in need.”
Cuban will announce the results of the inaugural Winter Reading Challenge this February.
PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES INCLUDE THOSE LISTED BELOW
Alabama
- Homewood Public Library
California
- City of Commerce Public Library
- Huntington Beach Public Library
- Monrovia Public Library
- Woodland Public Library
Colorado
- Bud Werner Memorial Library
Delaware
- Dover Public Library
- New Castle Public Library
Florida
- Orange County Library System
- Sarasota County Library System
- Winter Park Public Library
- Yokosuka MWR Library
Georgia
- Marshes of Glynn Libraries
Hawaii
- Hawaii State Public Library System
Illinois
- Aurora Public Library
- Forest Park Public Library
- Jerseyville Public Library
- Matteson Area Public Library District
- Oswego Public Library District
- Plainfield Public Library District
- Schaumburg Township District Library
- Wauconda Area Library
Indiana
- Allen County Public Library
- Hamilton East Public Library
- New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
Iowa
- Des Moines Public Library
- Musser Public Library
- Waukee Public Library
Kentucky
- Daviess County Public Library
Maryland
- Calvert Library
- Charles County Public Library
- Howard County Library System
- Prince George’s County Memorial Library System
- Wicomico Public Libraries
Michigan
- MacDonald Public Library
Mississippi
- First Regional Library
Missouri
- Christian County Library
Nebraska
- Keene Memorial Library
- Lincoln City Libraries
- Ralston’s Baright Public Library
New Jersey
- Alexandria Township School District
- Clark Public Library
- East Rutherford Memorial Library
- Englewood Public Library
- Fort Lee Public Library
- Montclair Public Library
- Norwood Public Library
- Nutley Public Library
- Paramus Public Library
- Roxbury Public Library
- Teaneck Public Library
New York
- Berne Public Library
- Crandall Public Library
- Guilderland Public Library
- Huntington Public Library
- Lakeview Public Library
- Liverpool Public Library
- Valley Falls Free Library
Nevada
- Carson City Library
North Carolina
- Durham County Library
- John L. Throckmorton Library
Ohio
- Muskingum County Library System
- Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library
Oregon
- McMinnville Public Library
South Dakota
- Yankton Community Library
Tennessee
- NAF Atsugi Station Library
- The Brentwood Library
Texas
- Balch Springs Library & Learning Center
- Crowley Public Library
- Dallas Public Library
- K-16 Air Base Library
- Mesquite Public Library
- NAS Fort Worth JRB Library
- Prosper Community Library
- Schertz Public Library
Virginia
- Alexandria Library
- Arlington Public Library
- Dahlgren General Library
- Suffolk Public Library
Washington
- Mount Vernon City Library
Wisconsin
- Kenosha Public Library
- La Crosse Public Library
- Menasha Joint School District
International
- Camp Walker Library (SOUTH KOREA)
- CFA Chinhae Library (SOUTH KOREA)