The Above Average Reading Challenge: Read 20 in 20

Did you know that Americans read an average of 12 books per year?* Want to overachieve or just set a goal for yourself to be above average in 2020? 

Good news! The Durham Tech Library is here to support your reading goals with the Above Average Reading Challenge: 20 Books in 2020.  

How to I participate?

To participate, you just start reading! You don’t have to sign up and you can start and finish at any point in 2020. Twenty books is roughly one book every two weeks if you want to space this out until December. 

What types of books count?

You choose! No categories here, just numbers. Hardcover, paperback, e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, comic books, library books, books you own, books you’ve borrowed, 20 books in the same series— all books count! You just need to read them in 2020. 

 We’re not here to judge or assign reading levels—books are books. If you want to commit to reading more with a small person in your life or learning a new language through children's books, that counts, too. Books you read for class or assignments count as long as your read the whole book-- chapters from textbooks don't count unless you finish that whole thing. 

Can I use the same books for the Read Great Things Challenge?

Yup. You can double-dip books across challenges. The number (20!) is the key here, not categories.

How do I win the challenge?

Finish 20 books in 2020! That's it. In order to get "credit," once you're done,  fill out either the paper form [pdf] or the online form and submit it to the library! Come to the library and get your winner's button!    

Do the books have to be from the Durham Tech Library?

Nope, but we do have some great books just waiting to make it on your list! And remember that we can borrow a lot of books from other libraries, so don't forget to check with us. 

More questions? Email library [at] durhamtech [dot] edu or Orange County Campus Librarian Meredith Lewis at lewisma [at] durhamtech [dot] edu.

*Okay, so technically 12 books is the mean and 4 books is the median for American readers, so participating in the Read Great Things Challenge also makes you an overachiever, just using a different measure.