Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Suffolk Public Library has launched a new reading challenge to help keep people engaged and reading while they’re staying close to home.

“Spring Into Reading, Suffolk” launched on Monday and will run through May 31, according to the Monday press release. Participants can read and complete different activities from home in order to be entered into prize drawings.

The goal is for everyone to earn at least five points each week and to read 10,000 books as a community. As of Friday morning, there are 107 registered participants and 558 books read and logged, Suffolk Public Library Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator Angie Sumner wrote in an email.

Points can be earned by reading books, newspapers, magazines, comic books and more reading materials, and also by completing different online activities. New activities will be added every week to keep participants active and connected, the press release states.

Prizes will vary from week to week, with the first week’s winner getting a book bundle sent to them at home. Week one’s list of activities included attending a virtual Suffolk Public Library class and getting active with “Suffolk Parks & Rec Live,” among other activities.

Suffolk Public Library hopes to offer experiences that will keep families engaged and help the community stay connected by working together to reach the library’s community goal, even as they keep their physical distance from others.

“We know this is a very stressful time for so many,” Sarah Townsend, Suffolk Public Library’s assistant director, states in the press release. “We want to keep providing opportunities for our community to stay active and to give people something to look forward to. We miss seeing everyone in our libraries right now, so also just want everyone to know that the library cares about you and that we are doing our best to show you that we’re still here for you.”

Suffolk Public Library is using the Beanstack platform to track progress, the same platform used in its Winter Reading Challenge. Participants can visit suffolkpubliclibrary.com/springintoreading to register and learn more about the spring reading challenge.

Furthermore, the community can connect with additional online experiences and resources through the Suffolk Public Library’s website and social media. Virtual classes and storytimes will be offered during the week on Suffolk Public Library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, and there are also opportunities to enjoy online language learning, personal development, research assistance, eBooks and more with a library card.

Those who do not currently have a library card can request one by calling 514-7323, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by completing an online request form at suffolk.formstack.com/forms/ask_us.

Visit suffolkpubliclibrary.com or facebook.com/SuffolkPublicLibrary for more information.