With thousands of items in our collection, BCPL offers something for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to help you discover great books, movies, and more!
Whether you want to build computer skills, master a language, or just learn something new for the fun of it, we offer resources and services to help you become the person you want to be.
Use the menu to the right to learn about all available resources for a particular format (like e-books!), or click on a specific resource icon (like Hoopla!) to begin exploring available titles. With just a few simple clicks, you can access thousands of free e-books, audiobooks, music albums, videos, and more.
Read a book (any book) with your newborn, infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child. The goal is to read 1,000 books before your little one starts kindergarten.
Sound hard? It really isn’t if you think about it. If you read only 1 book per night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That’s 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years! If you consider that most children start kindergarten at about 5 years of age, you have more time than you think!
Or if your child is already nearing kindergarten age, this is still totally doable in as little as 15 minutes a day:
The average picture book takes just 5 minutes to read
– and –
3 books a day (just 15 minutes) for 1 year = 1,095 books!!!
The Rewards Are Priceless
Reading with children builds vocabulary and language skills, and it introduces them to a wide range of books and stories to spark their imaginations. Studies have shown that the earlier we read, sing, and speak to children, the earlier they have a desire to learn and the skills to do so. Starting early—before kindergarten—is key to a child’s success through their school years and into adulthood.
Plus, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten goes beyond helping children develop early literacy skills and prepare for kindergarten. Reading together is fun and will create lifelong memories. The whole family can get involved, and celebrating milestones can become a fun family bonding activity!
The key is perseverance, and BCPL will provide incentive prizes and regular celebrations of the child’s reading accomplishments to help participants remain excited and motivated to meet their goal.
How to Participate
Keep track of the titles of the books that you read with your child. Participants are strongly encouraged to track their reading digitally for the full experience.
Collect your child’s official 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Log at any BCPL location. These printed logs make a wonderful keepsake to look back on your reading journey later!
Register for the program through your child’s Beanstack account. When you track your reading digitally with Beanstack, a new badge will light up for each milestone reached and when the badge is activated, library staff will be alerted. Plus, the Beanstack app makes it easy to track your child’s reading on the go!
First time using Beanstack? No worries! It’s easy to sign up, whether you want to register an individual or the whole family. But if you need help, visit any BCPL location and a staff member will be happy to help get you started.
When your child reaches a new milestone, visit any BCPL location to share the good news or send a photo to [email protected]!
Beginning with the 10 books milestone, your child can claim a prize to reward their achievement.
We’d love to take a picture at major milestones to share your child’s accomplishment on BCPL social media! Photos may also be featured in our special 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten display designed to help children track their journey and feel proud of their success.
Book Counting Rules
Picture books count. E-books count. Audiobooks, read alongs, beginning readers, and early chapter books count. If you consider it a book—it counts.
Yes, you can repeat books! Every time you—or your friend or relative or anyone!—read a book with your child, it counts. Even if your little one wants to hear a favorite book over and over and over.
Don’t forget to count the books you listen to during library storytimes!
So, basically… There are no rules! If a book is read with your child, it counts. Every time.
Milestones, Prizes & More
Badges are awarded in Beanstack beginning with the first book! After the first book, children earn a prize for each milestone they reach.
Milestone Rewards
10 books = Welcome prize & tips
25 books = Early literacy info, coloring sheet & bookmark
50 books = Treasure chest prize
100 books = Lacing activity kit
150 books = Treasure chest prize
200 books = Puzzle
250 books = Treasure chest prize
300 books = Shapes activity kit
350 books = Treasure chest prize
400 books = Color-mixing activity kit
450 books = Treasure chest prize
500 books = Choose a book to keep!
550 books = Treasure chest prize
600 books = Flash cards
650 books = Treasure chest prize
700 books = Counting activity kit
750 books = Treasure chest prize
800 books = Writing practice activity kit
850 books = Treasure chest prize
900 books = Coloring book & crayons
950 books = Treasure chest prize
1,000 books = 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten completer certificate + ready-for-kindergarten backpack & supplies set
At 100 books, join the interactive, celebratory display at your preferred location! Children will choose their personalized character, and we’ll track your journey as each 100 milestone is reached. With permission, we’ll also commemorate each 100-book milestone with a photo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a library card to participate? NO! This service is free and available to any child who has not yet entered school. However, a library card will be a great resource for obtaining new andexciting books to read with your child.
Should the account be registered under my name or my child’s? Beanstack accounts should be created in the child’s name, but adults will register the child. 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten will only be available in Beanstack if the child is 5 years old or younger.
Who can participate in this program? Any child not yet in kindergarten, beginning with newborns. It’s never too early to begin reading with your child!
Can I count books I read to my child before I registered? No. The program begins on the day you register, and you only count books you read after registration.
How long will the program take? The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced, so the time frame will depend on how often you read together!
How many of my children can participate? All of them (provided they have not yet started kindergarten). And if you have one or more children not yet in kindergarten, encourage the whole family to get involved!
Who can I go to for more questions? You can ask any member of our reference or children’s services team for help at the library! Or for online assistance, please call Angel Holbert at 543-7675 ext. 2550 or e-mail [email protected].
