Temple’s Mansfield Public Library patrons have until the end of March to participate in the library’s winter Bingo contest, which awards readers with a chance to win a gift basket from local maple syrup producer Ben’s Sugar Shack.
Bingo cards were distributed at the start of December, librarian Beth Crooker said, and participants can mark off squares by the books they read. Different kinds of books count for different squares, for instance, a book with a one-word title, or something from the science fiction genre, or more subjective metrics, such as “re-read a favorite.” The whole point is to get people to check out books from the library, Crooker said. “All they have to do is get one “Bingo” and their name goes into the drawing,” she said, and ambitious patrons can take on additional cards. No completed cards have been turned in yet, she said, but there have been requests for books of featured genres that Crooker has been posting online.
Cards are available outside the library, and Crooker has been emailing them to people who can’t get out, she said.
Library materials are being quarantined for a week between checkouts, Crooker said, and materials with plastic jackets get wiped down before returning to the shelves.
The library is expanding curbside hours starting the week of Jan. 25, Crooker said, at which point curbside pickup will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., in addition to the current hours of Tuesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.