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Student reading contest: Read for fun at Penfield

Many Lakers grew up with summer reading contests at local public libraries, but Penfield Library’s yearlong Reading Contest was brand new when it started this fall (2025). SUNY Oswego students are invited to enter the contest by reading any book they choose and filling out a short Google Form.

“Each book you read earns you a free bookmark and an entry into the grand prize at the end of the academic year,” said Research, Instruction and Outreach Librarian Allison Madar. The bookmarks can be picked up at the library’s Check-Out and Reserves Desk or the Research Help Desk, and come in a variety of designs to appeal to readers of many literary genres. Grand-prize winners will be selected in a drawing near the end of the spring semester.

“The more you read, the better chance you'll have to win!” said Madar. (Her recommended read: "Victorian Psycho" by Virginia Feito.)

But why is an academic library, most commonly associated with late-night studying before a test or the frantic hunt for scholarly sources for a paper, focusing on a contest about students reading for fun? The short answer is: Because library employees know that students are more than just the classes they’re taking.

“Penfield Library has added leisure reading materials to our collections over the years as a way to boost student wellbeing, to foster lifelong reading and to create a more inviting environment that encourages student engagement with the library beyond course work,” said Collection Management Librarian Kathryn Johns-Masten. At a time when student retention and the well-being, equity and belongingness of every member of the university community are a major focus of the university’s strategic plan, these efforts are more important than ever, librarians noted.

Madar pointed out how easy it is for everyone to fall into doomscrolling or spending hours on social media, both of which can leave someone feeling drained and anxious. “My hope is that [the] reading contest will inspire students to read for fun and for fulfilling relaxation,” she said.

Faculty member Jennifer Kagan (curriculum and instruction) is a literacy expert. She agreed that leisure reading has a positive impact on readers. It can also help students acquire valuable skills, knowledge and relaxation.

“Reading for fun is so important for students' education/wellbeing,” Kagan said. “Wide reading is the single most important factor in vocabulary knowledge. Student engagement in reading can be a moodboost, it can help with students' problems by providing bibliotherapy, it can help with being able to take others' perspectives.”

“Books can be mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors,” Kagan said: helping students feel seen, broadening their perspectives, and letting them escape into a story. (Kagan’s recommended read: "Easy Beauty: A Memoir" by Chloé Cooper Jones.)

To make sure the library selects the right mix of fun reads, staff have been putting out whiteboards asking what books Penfield should acquire. This is an intentional effort to engage library visitors with the collection, said Acquisitions and Collections Associate Terri Muckey.

“Student input encourages more frequent reading, increased engagement and hopefully makes our students feel valued and represented,” Muckey said. “It ensures the collection reflects their interests and reading needs.” (Her recommended read: "Big Dumb Eyes: Stories From a Simpler Mind" by Nate Bargatze.)

In addition to adding plenty of graphic novels, young adult novels and a rotating selection of popular materials to the print collection recently, Penfield’s librarians also added access to a selection of popular ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and more through the popular Libby app. Libby allows SUNY Oswego students, faculty and staff to easily read and listen to popular materials on their phones or other devices.

Electronic Resources and Systems Librarian Morgan Bond said that downloading Libby and setting it up is pretty intuitive. To hook Libby up to the materials Penfield has access to, users can follow the library’s How to access OverDrive (Libby) guide. (Bond’s recommended read: "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman.)

“If you've used Libby to access ebooks or audiobooks through your public library, you can use the Add Library option to link your existing account to the Northern New York Library Network (NNYLN),” Bond said. NNYLN is Penfield’s regional library council, which librarians collaborated with to make this subscription possible.

Johns-Masten said librarians added the Libby subscription to Penfield’s selection because they want to reach the entire SUNY Oswego community, including online students who may rarely or never visit campus. “Providing multiple formats of leisure reading materials ensures access to more people,” she said, citing the user-friendly Libby interface that lets students, faculty and staff read or listen wherever they are. She emphasized Libby’s inclusion of audiobooks, which she said the library has received requests for.

Regardless of what format a student consumes a book in -– physical copy, ebook or audiobook –- every book read is another chance to win Penfield Library’s Student Reading Contest.

“There is still the spring semester to put in as many entries as possible,” said Madar. “Have fun, and feel free to ask for book recommendations from the library's staff.”

More recommendations from Penfield Library faculty and staff:

-- Submitted by Penfield Library