The Sussex County Library System (SCLS) invites borrowers to fill their long winter nights with reading, online programs, fun missions, and prizes.

Registration for the “Escape 2021 Winter Reading Challenge” is now underway at sussexcountylibrary.org. After registering, participants have all of February to earn points by logging their reading, writing reviews, attending virtual programs and completing fun, online missions through the READsquared platform.

Prizes will be awarded in five different age groups, pre-K through adult, and range from free Skylands Ice World skating passes for the first children to register, to a $100 Amazon gift card for the adult Grand Prize winner. Complete details including rules and registration, are available online.

A wide selection of Winter Reading programs are available through the Events Calendar at sussexcountylibrary.org/events. The programs are diverse, with topics ranging from the Harlem Renaissance to a Spotlight on Play-Doh, and each program attended is worth 100 Winter Reading points.

Libraries are open

All SCLS locations are open to the public, by appointment, Monday through Saturday.

Library visits are scheduled for 45-minute increments starting at the top of each hour. Buildings are cleared at the 45-minute mark (e.g. 10:45, 11:45, etc.) to allow common touch surfaces to be sanitized before the next group of scheduled visits. P

ublic computers and printing are also available. Hours vary as each location is open one evening per week. For full schedule details call your local library or go online at picktime.com/scls.