KDL’s Let It Snow reading challenge turns winter into connection

Every winter, when the temperatures drop and the days grow shorter, Angie Schmidbauer signs up for the Let It Snow reading challenge at Kent District Library.

And she makes space for another mug that will come with completing the challenge. Her collection is impressive.

“My cupboard is overflowing with library mugs,” Schmidbauer says, as the program has become her cozy way of enjoying the cold season.

Kent District Library staff say Let It Snow was developed in response to the seasonal slowdown, offering a low-pressure way for people to stay mentally active and connected.

Schmidbauer’s reading preferences include mystery, inspirational fiction, and historical fiction. Recently, she has been drawn to World War II–era novels.

She finished the challenge when she was laid up with a cold, spending days at home with little energy for anything else. 

“That’s all I’ve done is read books,” says Schmidbauer, president of the Friends of the Library chapter at the Plainfield Township branch, where she also volunteers regularly. 

Building reading habits

The challenge aims to foster the long-term habit of reading, which strengthens the brain, reduces stress, builds empathy, and supports lifelong learning, making it one of the simplest and most powerful habits for overall well-being.

At the Plainfield Township branch, branch librarian Kathy Cheney sees the enjoyment the challenge brings to patrons as they use the winter months to explore the library’s expansive collection and learn about other authors.

“Some people need kind of a push to read outside their usual genre,” says Cheney. 

The challenge is open to readers ages 11 and up. Participants are asked to read or listen to six books from December through February. Suggested categories are provided, but readers can choose any material they want.

“We did set categories, but they’re just suggestions,” Cheney says. 

That flexibility is intentional, Cheney says, and reflects lessons learned over time. More rigid formats, while motivating some, proved discouraging for others.

“Some people need kind of a push,” she says. “But others just need permission to read what they already enjoy.”

Cheney says simplifying the structure reduced staff workload while expanding access for participants.

“There are some people who collect because the prize is generally a mug, and they love getting all the different ones,” Cheney says. “People get excited about getting their yearly mug.”

Promoting broad participation

Participation numbers suggest that excitement translates into action. By mid-December, more than 1,100 people had enrolled systemwide, with additional participants expected after the new year as readers submit completed paper logs.

Cheney says offering both paper and digital tracking options is another deliberate design choice.

“We get a ton of people who come in after the first of the year and just give us a completed sheet,” she says. “They never use Beanstack (the online tracking) at all.”

That approach ensures access to the challenge does not depend on technology or comfort with online tools.

At the Krause Memorial Branch in Rockford, branch librarian Jacob Huber says Let It Snow is a favorite tradition among patrons.

“The winter months can be long, cold, and dark, and it’s really nice to have something to look forward to,” Huber says. “The reading challenge is a good way of breaking up those winter months.”

Huber says the library made a conscious decision this year to remove unnecessary barriers.

“We made it easier than ever,” he says. “The only thing you need to do to participate is read or listen to any six books.”

Promoting readers’ choices

In previous years, readers checked off categories. This year, the challenge is fully open.

“Anything goes,” Huber says. “I’m really excited to see how patrons respond.”

Huber says the challenge dates back to at least the 1990s, though its exact origins are difficult to trace.

“It feels like it’s surrounded by a little bit of mystery,” he says. “Sometimes we try to determine it by finding the mug.”

The challenge also creates shared experiences. Huber says he often sees teens and parents reading together, even though the program is geared toward older readers.

“We have a lot of comfy chairs and reading nooks that people really like,” Huber says, adding that the branch’s expansion will add more space for patrons to enjoy books. “We’re adding a dedicated teen area where teens can chill and read,” he says. “We’re also going to have a reading room that’s more of a designated quiet space.”

Photos by Tommy Allen

Participants who go beyond the six-book requirement and read 10 books are entered into a drawing for gift cards to local independent bookstores, reinforcing connections between the library and the wider community.
Literacy Matters is a series focused on the importance of knowledge, community resources seeking to remove barriers to access, and the value of our library systems to society. Literacy Matters is supported by Kent District Library.