The Banff Public Library in Banff, Alberta, is helping local children stay excited about books this winter through a card-collection incentive program called Reading Dragons. Running through May 2026, the initiative allows children ages 6–12 to earn, collect (and trade informally among participants) dragon cards as they reach their personal reading goals.
Children between the ages of 6 and 12 can pick up a Dragon Starter Kit at the library that includes a reading tracker, a bookmark, a welcome letter, and their first dragon egg card. According to the program rules, every 30 minutes of reading lets a child grow their dragon through four stages — egg, baby, adolescent, adult — and it takes a total of two hours of reading to raise a dragon from egg to adulthood.
This week is particularly busy at the library as staff celebrate Family Literacy Day (January 27, 2026) with the release of a Special Edition dragon. From January 26 to January 31, 2026, young readers can collect Rue, a Special Edition dragon themed around making mealtime a family learning time.
Library staff, including Library Director Sarah McCormack, designed these sessions to give local families a social place to gather during the cold mountain winters. The program also features monthly “Dragon Trainers” meetups where kids can play a rock-paper-scissors-style card game with their dragons and meet other young readers in the community.
While the cards are a fun reward, the main goal is to help children build a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. Residents can check the Banff Public Library events calendar or the Town of Banff civic calendar for more information on how to join the next session.
