Reading has so many benefits, from increasing your knowledge and vocabulary, to improving your mental and physical health. If you do not have time to sit and read a physical book, according to Psychology Today, listening to a book can have the same benefits, with a bonus of improving time management and giving your eyes a rest. So what are you waiting for? Stop by your local library and browse the shelves or visit them online and open the door to a wealth of digital materials.

All of the libraries in Sullivan County offer books in various formats: physical, digital, and audiobook. If you are new to ebooks and audiobooks, a great place to start is by downloading the Libby app to your tablet or mobile device. With your library card and Libby, you can access thousands of ebooks and audiobooks instantly.   Libby allows you to easily borrow titles, access them offline, listen to them in your car, or send ebooks to your Kindle.

Need an incentive to read more? Some libraries are offering reading challenges this summer. At Mamakating Library, play BINGO to be entered into a drawing for a grand prize! Squares include challenges like, 'Check out a cookbook and try a recipe' and 'Read a book published in the decade you were born.'

The Western Sullivan Public Library is holding a Summer Reading Book Review Challenge where participants are entered into a drawing for gift certificates to local restaurants each time they complete a book review. Categories include the funniest book review, the book review that makes you want to read the book the most, and the patron who submits the most book reviews.

Call your local library for more information, or for help downloading and using Libby. Happy reading!