Clock in for the minute madness reading challenge

Grab a book or three and settle in for a month-long reading competition that will pit readers across the state against each other.

For the first time the Dartmouth Public Library is participating in Minute Madness, a March Madness-inspired challenge between Massachusetts libraries in a battle of the books.

Starting on March 1, libraries across the state will compete to see who can log the most reading minutes.

The first week, from March 1 to March 7, will be a free-for-all, with the top 16 libraries advancing to the next round.

Readers of all ages are encouraged to join and all types of reading materials count toward the total minutes, including cookbooks, audiobooks and newspapers.

Paper reading logs will be available at all circulation desks for both children and adults to track their reading progress. Minutes could also be logged on the Minute Madness website at tinyurl.com/minutemadness.

The competition will run through March, with different rounds each week leading up to the Championship round. While there are no prizes, the winning library will earn bragging rights and glory for their reading prowess.