Small and rural libraries are the heartbeats of their communities. They are places where families gather, where learning happens across generations, and where a single staff member can know the name of every member who walks through the door.
These libraries also face unique challenges, including limited staff, tight budgets, and the need to engage communities across large distances or with limited internet access. Yet again and again, small libraries prove that creativity and connection matter more than size.
In a recent Beanstack roundtable, library staff from across the country shared how Beanstack has become an essential tool for building engagement. From rural Indiana to small-town Utah and early-literacy innovators in Iowa, small libraries are strengthening relationships and inspiring readers of all ages. Their stories show that with the right strategies, even the smallest library can spark big reading momentum.
Celebrating Community, One Reader at a Time
The roundtable conversation opened with a simple question, “What do you love about your library community?”
The answers rolled in, ranging from volunteers and supportive patrons to outdoor storytimes, wild and creative program ideas, kindness, and an unwavering love for reading. The reflections were heartfelt, sometimes emotional, and all underscored one theme: rural and small-town libraries thrive because their communities show up for them.
Beanstack supports that community-centered magic by providing libraries with an easy, flexible way to bring people together around reading, no matter the town's size.
Effingham Public Library (IL): Driving Foot Traffic & Circulation With Fun Rewards
Lisa Hudson from the Effingham Public Library in Central Illinois, serving a community of approximately 13,000, shared how Beanstack helps her library boost attendance and circulation by making reading challenges easy to join and fun to complete.
Effingham runs seasonal programs, including Winter Reading and its biggest driver, Summer Reading, along with bingo-style challenges. They also keep early literacy at the forefront with the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative. One of their most effective motivators is simple recognition: milestone “reward posts” on social media that celebrate kids as they hit goals. Those moments spark excitement, encourage new sign-ups, and give families a reason to return for more books.
The library also connects reading programs to broader engagement by offering extra prize entries for actions that support circulation and participation. Readers can earn additional entries by:
- Downloading an ebook or audiobook
- Checking out items like kits, board games, DVDs, or cookbooks
- Attending library programs
- Logging reading and library activities in Beanstack
And when it comes to prizes, Lisa said a clear favorite was Squishmallow drawings. The buzz surrounding the drawings helped maintain high momentum, creating a steady loop: participation leads to more exploration, which in turn leads to more checkouts and increased visits.
Erickson Public Library (IA): Early Literacy Outreach on the Move
Dr. Constance Beecher shared the “Little Engines” early literacy project, which began just before the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly evolved when in-person programs became difficult. Instead of pausing services, the team leaned into what she called mobilization: yes, they wanted families to come into the library, but they also recognized the value of meeting families where they already were.
Taking the Library Out Into the Community
During the pandemic, Erickson recognized that families needed programming that was flexible and accessible, especially for caregivers juggling work, transportation, and limited time. Their solution combined physical materials with digital guidance, building a bridge between home, preschool, and the library. They:
- Built early-literacy kits with books and activities
- Recruited local partners, including county conservation staff and early childhood-focused community members
- Created instructional videos for each activity, plus short messages encouraging parent engagement
- Posted the videos and activities in Beanstack as “activity badges” that parents could complete
The details here matter: the “secret ingredient” wasn’t slick production. Beecher emphasized that the power came from the videos being made by real people in the community. Families weren’t just getting instructions—they were building familiarity and trust with local partners, and seeing early learning modeled in a way that felt approachable.
Real Impact, Real Data
Little Engines also shows why Beanstack works especially well for small and rural libraries: it supports the human side of outreach and makes results easy to track and share. Using Beanstack (along with pre- and post-surveys), they were able to measure:
- 129 families enrolled in a town of about 12,000
- 16,774 reading minutes tracked during the program
- Increased vocabulary-building around books
- More families are trying “extension” activities in Beanstack, not just reading
Beecher noted that many families already had solid reading habits. The growth stemmed from the context of reading, which involved discussing stories, connecting books to real life, and utilizing simple materials to deepen learning. And because Beanstack captured participation over time, the library could actually show that reading increased across the project period. That kind of objective data is invaluable when you’re evaluating impact, improving the program, and making a case for funding.
North Manchester Public Library (IN): From Paper Logs to a Million Minutes
Serving a town of just under 5,300, the North Manchester Public Library (NMPL) has fostered an impressive culture of reading, with over 82,000 library visits last year and nearly 800 Beanstack participants annually.
Supporting a Community Through Transition
NMPL moved from paper logs to app-only participation by:
- Training all staff thoroughly
- Setting up Beanstack help stations at checkout
- Hosting sign-up days with prize wheels and superhero photo ops
- Offering one-on-one guidance to new users
The result? Community excitement, tech confidence, and massive participation growth.
Community Reading Goals That Inspire
When NMPL introduced a reading goal of 250,000 minutes, the town smashed it so quickly they had to raise the goal—eventually surpassing 1 million minutes!
Mystery Sticker Posters: A Community Art Project
For every 5 hours read, patrons earn stickers to add to a giant poster. The image only reveals itself as the community reads together.
Even adults get competitive—racing to complete sections and trying to guess the design.
Garland Public Library (UT): Year-Round Fun With Creative Challenges
Garland Public Library may serve a town of just over 2,000 people, but Linda King made it clear that a small service area doesn’t mean small ideas. Their approach is built around keeping patrons engaged beyond the summer spike by offering a steady rhythm of challenges that feel local, doable, and genuinely fun.
A few examples of their standout programming include:
- Year-long reading adventures, like “Travel Through the States"
- READZA program where patrons can read 30 minutes a day → get a free pizza from a local business
- Cozy Cooking Bingo, using activity badges and a final potluck event
- Weekly badge prizes during Summer Reading
- Staff-driven challenge creation, keeping programming fresh and fun
Like many small libraries, Garland used to rely on paper tracking. Still, Linda shared that patrons transitioned surprisingly smoothly to tracking minutes in Beanstack—and once they did, they appreciated the convenience. For Garland, Beanstack isn’t just a summer tool; it’s the engine that makes year-round engagement realistic for a tiny team with big community goals.
Messenger Public Library (IL): Saving Time & Strengthening Staff Skills
Michelle Kersak shared how Messenger Public Library uses Beanstack to save staff time and make day-to-day service smoother, which ultimately frees the team up to spend more time connecting with patrons at the desk.
Using Beanstack to Train New Staff
One of the most creative approaches her department has taken is turning staff training into a dedicated, staff-only Beanstack challenge. New youth services staff create an account on day one and work through onboarding content structured as badges and activities. This provides them with practical experience using Beanstack in the same way patrons do, while also guiding them through core tasks such as:
- Registering readers
- Logging for families
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Preventing or correcting duplicate accounts
Since training is built into the platform, it stays consistent and easy to revisit during check-ins.
Tailored Daycare Challenges
Michelle also described a separate staff-only daycare challenge they created to support local childcare partners. The library sets up the classes privately and handles the tracking through Beanstack, while daycares use a simple on-site poster. This setup enables staff to manage logging and prize levels more efficiently, reducing reliance on memory and confusion about requirements. It also enables the library to tailor goals and rewards specifically for daycare centers. It’s a strong example of how minor adjustments in Beanstack settings can make programs easier to run and easier for the community to join.
5 Key Strategies Small & Rural Libraries Can Use
Across all presenters, common themes emerged. Here are the most effective takeaways for any small or rural library:
1. Use Beanstack year-round
Not just for summer—early literacy, cooking, bingo, geography, staff challenges, and more keep patrons engaged all year.
2. Make rewards simple, fun, and local
Squishmallows, community murals, bingo prizes, pizza partnerships—they all build excitement without needing a big budget.
3. Support your staff
Staff cheat sheets, onboarding challenges, and built-in tutorials make everyone feel capable and confident.
4. Meet patrons where they are
Offer help stations, one-on-one sign-up support, paper logs when needed, and video guides.
5. Celebrate your progress—publicly and often
Social media updates, mystery posters, milestone shoutouts, and community goals keep energy high and participation growing.
Small Libraries, Big Impact
The librarians we’ve highlighted show that community connection isn’t about the size of the building or the number of staff, it’s about creativity, relationship-building, and meeting people where they are.
Beanstack gives libraries the tools to make reading visible, rewarding, and communal. And when small libraries harness those tools, their impact can be enormous. Interested in seeing what we can do to help support your library’s mission? Contact our team today to get started.