How to use Beanstack

Summer Reading is still in full swing here at the library and there are a lot of great books waiting for you and your family! One of the best things about Summer Reading is that you can log any of the books you read into the reading challenge. 

For Adults, for every 30 minutes of time you've spent on reading you get a "badge". For Littles, Middles, and Teens, for every 20 minutes of time spent reading you get a "badge". The badge looks different based on whether you get the punch card as an adult, a tracker sheet as a youth, and if you decide to use Beanstack this year.

The punch cards and tracker sheets are fairly easy to understand, but for those who may not be well-versed in Beanstack let me care to explain. Beanstack can be utilized as an app on your smart device or through a browser on your computer. You simply log in using a valid email address and create a password. Then you connect to your library (Portland District Library), once you have done that the Challenges will be associated to your account.

In order to navigate to the Summer Reading Challenge, you will simply locate the Challenges tab and select it. However, it looks different between the smart device app and the desktop version. 

If you are using a smart device, you will want to find the Discover tab at the bottom of your screen. Select it, which will take you to a page where you will see three options near the top of your screen to select from. If Challenges is highlighted, you will see all the available reading challenges (and even the ones you've participated in the past). You will then want to select the current Summer Reading Challenge, "Tails and Tales", and click the button to join. On a desktop computer, after you have signed in, the page will automatically be on the Challenges tab, you simply need to find the current challenge, select it, and join.

Each badge on Beanstack equates to a ticket, so you can use those to enter into the prize pack that you want to win. You simply select the Challenge, find the Drawings option, and select it. Then, find the prize you wish to enter your tickets into, select it, and then hit "Add Tickets". You can add all your tickets to a drawing or divide them up and allocate them as you see fit.

Please visit our Facebook page to keep up on Summer Reading and the announcements for the winners of our prize packs!