Mesa residents read more than 15 million minutes in 2025 through Mesa Reads

Mesa residents logged more than 15 million minutes of reading in 2025 through Mesa Public Library’s year-long Mesa Reads initiative, a citywide effort designed to promote daily reading and build a culture of literacy across the community.

Mesa Reads challenged participants of all ages to read for at least 15 minutes daily. Community members tracked their reading using the Beanstack app and completed monthly challenges to earn virtual tickets for raffle prize drawings. The program was designed to be more than a traditional reading program, encouraging consistent reading habits while highlighting the lifelong benefits of literacy, according to a release.

The Mesa Reads program saw:

• 5,468 total participants in the program across four age groups (626 pre-readers, 2,701 children, 606 teens and 1,535 adults)
• 15,093,072 total minutes logged during the year
• 43 classrooms in Mesa Public Schools participated, logging 730,908 minutes and 14,907 books

“We’re thrilled by the response to this program, and we encourage everyone to keep reading in 2026 and beyond,” Polly Bonnett, director of Mesa Public Library, said in the release. “We believe in the power of reading to transform lives, spark imagination and build connections. This initiative brought together residents, schools and other community partners to highlight what we can achieve when we unite around a common goal.”

Mesa Public Library cards are free for anyone who lives in Maricopa County for at least 30 consecutive days a year, works, owns property or attends school within the county. New members can visit any branch with a photo ID and register for a card. For information, go to www.mesalibrary.org.