When CBC Radio announced the Canada Reads initiative for 2005, the Chesley Area Friends of the Library issued a challenge. The Challenge went out to all libraries and Friends of Library groups across Canada. The challenge? To have as many people in their community read the book chosen by the Canada Reads panel as THE book for all of Canada to read. Danni Starbuck of the Chesley Friends has renewed the challenge for 2006!

Libraries and Friends groups across Canada accepted the Chesley Challenge. 
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2002.htm
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2003.htm
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2004.htm
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2005.htm
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2006.htm
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads2007.htm

The Chesley Challenge/Canada Reads ‘Challenge Rules’

• The Challenge sign up sheet or some variation of it   must be used to record signatures of residents who have read the book.
• Circulation statistics for the book are not eligible for counting readers of the book. [Stats show that a book has been borrowed or renewed but not that it has been read.]
• Faxed signatures count.
• Anyone who has read the book may sign the Challenge sheet. They may have read the book at any time since it was published.
• Readers of the book do not have to borrow the book from a library; they may use private copies to read and so add their name to the count.
• The Challenge ends  May 31, 2008.

Register now, and submit your numbers by Friday May 31, 2008.

Send your Library Name, address, a contact name, email address, telephone number and your community’s population to focal@accessola.com

The winner is selected based on the percentage of the population of the library’s community registered as having read the book. The largest percentage of the population recorded is the winner. Note, it is not the greatest number of readers of the book in any one community but the percentage of the population.