Paramus Library Winner in Mark Cuban Beanstack Reading Challenge

This winter, billionaire investor and Shark Tank personality Mark Cuban challenged more than 100 libraries all over the U.S. and South Korea, to meet a collective goal of reading at least one million minutes and 50,000 books during the month of January as part of the inaugural Beanstack Winter Reading Challenge. With $35,000 prize money on the line, readers rose to the occasion, ultimately logging 84,002 books, plus a remarkable seven million minutes of reading time.

The Paramus Public Library eagerly joined the Challenge, and is pleased to report its own impressive figures: In the month of January alone, the 240 children who participated at both the Main and Reid Branch Library logged a total of 1,876 books, or approximately eight (8) books per reader! Beanstack and Mark Cuban took notice and awarded Paramus a $1500 prize as one of the seven top-performing Winter Reading Challenge Winners. The Library will use its winnings toward future community programming.

The bulk of the prize money ($25,000) was donated to First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books, learning materials and other essentials to children in need. The remaining $10,000 was distributed to top performing libraries. Other Challenge winners include: Bud Werner Library, CO; Keene Memorial Library, NE; Lincoln City Libraries, NE; MacDonald Public Library, MI; Menasha Joint School District, WI; and Suffolk Public Library, VA. “I’m inspired by the work libraries do for their communities,” says Cuban. “The prize for everyone is to pay it forward to an awesome organization focused on literacy and access to books.”

The Winter Reading Challenge was coordinated through Beanstack, a software program that makes it easy for librarians and readers alike to set up and maintain online accounts to track their reading. It can also suggest more titles readers might enjoy based on their interests and reading “doorways.” Cuban became an investor in parent-company Zoobean after the founders impressed him with their vision on Shark Tank in 2013. Beanstack currently serves over 600 libraries globally. “Libraries are the lifeblood of so many communities, and we love having the opportunity to further their work in this way,” says Zoobean co-founder and Chief Client Success Officer, Jordan Lloyd Bookey.