The Mesa Public Library is rallying its community members around the shared experience of reading, launching the first-ever citywide initiative called Mesa Reads Together. Running from November 1 to December 15, the event is part of the broader 2025 Mesa Reads goal to bolster literacy and integrate reading into daily life. "Mesa Reads Together supports our 2025 Mesa Reads initiative, which promotes literacy and encourages residents to make reading a part of daily life," expressed Library Director Polly Bonnett, as reported by the City of Mesa. The chosen book for this literary gathering is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which delves into the profound subjects of life's choices, regrets, and potential.
Those eager to participate can make use of the Beanstack app to log their reading minutes and engage in challenges, with a citywide objective of hitting 15 million minutes read throughout the course of 2025, as they vie for the chance to win prizes drawn monthly. To facilitate widespread access, the Mesa Public Library is offering complimentary copies of The Midnight Library at all full-service locations and through the Mesa Express Library as well as the Read Runner bookmobile when staff are available, limited to one per household, with electronic versions also up for grabs starting November 1, according to the City of Mesa.
Aligning with the novel's underlying themes, the program includes an array of events that will be hosted across all Mesa Public Library branches, these events aim to spark thoughtful discourse and creative expression encompassing mental health, resilience, and the choices that shape our existence. Among the notable gatherings is a workshop called "A Book of Possibilities" where participants can visualize their alternative paths and hopes through the mediums of collage and writing, alongside "Steps in the Sand: How to Help a Grieving Friend," a talk to help individuals compassionately support friends in mourning by guest speaker and nonprofit founder Michelle Cleveland, illustrating the library's commitment to not just reading but also community engagement and support, as stated by the City of Mesa.
Additionally, a family-friendly event named "Kindness Rocks" invites attendees to decorate rocks with positive messages, embodying the spirit of the event in tangible, shareable art. The entire schedule of these events can be found on the library's online events calendar, and although a library card isn't mandatory to attend the Mesa Reads Together programs, it is necessary for checking out copies of the book, with free cards available to Maricopa County residents and stakeholders, further details regarding applying is available on the Mesa Public Library website, as per the City of Mesa.
