- Morgan R.
- Friday, January 05
A new year means new resolutions. Maybe you want to get more organized or get in shape. Maybe you want to begin journaling or start investing. Whatever resolution you decide to embark upon, make reading at the top of your list.
Richland Library’s #BroaderBookshelf challenge began in 2017 with a mission to expand reading horizons and connect readers in our community using social media. It is a fun and easy way to freshen up your bookshelves and discover your next favorite read by inviting you to explore genres, characters, or perspectives that may be outside of your usual reading habits. Each year, there are 14 prompts to help stretch you out of your comfort zone. The new year is a great time to set a reading goal, and with some amazing completion prizes, why not go for it?
Whether you are a self-help book aficionado, prefer mysteries or WWII history, broadening your bookshelf can help you see the world around you with a fresh set of eyes.
WHY TAKE THE CHALLENGE?
The #BroaderBookshelf challenge is designed to expose readers to titles they might not otherwise pick up. Not only do you gain perspectives from other cultures, backgrounds, and opinions, you can also earn great prizes! If you complete the challenge by December 31, 2024, you will get a #Broaderbookshelf tote bag, a small prize, AND you’ll be entered into a drawing for a grand prize. You can complete the prompts in any order, and you can count the same book for more than one prompt.
Need help keeping on track, or feel daunted by all the decisions to make? Join the #BroaderBookshelf Virtual Book Group. It meets the first Wednesday of each month via Zoom at 7p.m. Each month’s title selection covers a different prompt. Register online.
Are you ready?
HOW IT WORKS
To help you find books you might not otherwise pick up, check out the 14 prompts below to fulfil by the end of the year. Keep track of what you read with a tracking sheet available at any Richland Library location. You can decide to cover multiple prompts with one book, or you can read one book per prompt, it is up to you.
DISCOVER
- Read a book suggested by a Richland Library staff member.
- Read a fiction or nonfiction title that confronts the topic of aging or death.
- Read a book by or about someone that identifies as ability diverse.
- Read a book set in Georgia or Alabama.
- Read a book about war.
- Read a graphic novel by a marginalized author or illustrator (BIPOC or LGBTQIA+).
- Read a Blind Date with a Book selection (March, July and December).
- Read a book with If or When in the title.
- Read a book that takes place on a college or university campus.
- Read a novel set in the 1980s.
- Read a book based on the theme of addiction.
- Read a book by or about someone from an Indigenous culture (Native American, Aboriginal, First Nations, etc.).
- Read a book that has been on your TBR forever.
- Read a book by a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize winning author.
SHARE
As you read, fill out your tracking sheet and snap a photo of the cover to share on social media using #BroaderBookshelf. Audiobooks, eAudioBooks, eBooks, and Graphic Novels all count!
WIN
Once you’ve completed all 14 reading prompts, either turn in your paper tracker to any Richland Library location or e-mail a picture of your completed tracking record to readfreely@richlandlibrary.com. You’ll receive a Richland Library #BroaderBookshelf tote bag and a small prize, and your name will be entered into a Grand Prize drawing for an e-Reader. Submissions are due by December 31, 2024.
Feeling a little stuck in the selection process? We are here to help!
Each location offers monthly displays of one of the prompts. Feel free to peruse those curated selections. Richland Library staff also love talking about books and can recommend you the perfect title to help you complete your goal.
Read the #BroaderBookshelf blog
Get your personalized recommendation
Check out our prompt-specific #BroaderBookshelf book lists
Happy reading!