How much does it cost to participate in Hackmatack?
Our annual registration fee is $25. If you have more than one club, for example in a school or library, you can register additional clubs in your organization for an additional $10 each.
Is there a minimum number of readers required to form a club?
A single student can qualify as a Hackmatack reading club! Just register for the program and read five books in any of the categories to qualify to vote for your favourite.
What do I get when I register for Hackmatack?
The $25 registration fee gives reading clubs exclusive access to our project kits, which include:
Reading club activity ideas
Discussion topics
Reading progress sheets
Ballots
Reader completion certificates
Hackmatack promotional materials (wordmark, promo graphics for social media)
Hackmatack news about authors and books delivered straight to your inbox
Opportunity to take part in virtual author visits
And as long as a club member reads at least 5 books in one category, they get to vote on their favourite book in that category.
Do I have to be a teacher or librarian to lead a reading club?
Not at all! While teachers and librarians have always formed the backbone of the Hackmatack reading program, any responsible adult can lead a club. Our project kit materials will guide you as you plan your activities and reading timeline.
How do Hackmatack readers qualify to vote?
In order to vote, each reading club member must read at least 5 books in one category. Your club members can decide which books they want to read and create a short-short list from the 10 selected titles!
How do Hackmatack readers vote?
Reading club leaders can gather votes and send them to the Hackmatack office or submit them online, or individual readers can vote online. Anyone voting online must to use the name of their reading club so we can make sure everyone who votes is registered.
How do we get our books?
You can order books wherever you like. Some independent booksellers in Atlantic Canada offer a discount on Hackmatack titles. Click here for the list (we love our indie bookstores!).
My reading club has a tight budget. What can we do about getting our books?
Libraries have some of the Hackmatack shortlisted titles, either as books or ebooks.
If you’re able, club members can chip in and you can create a shared Hackmatack library of your own. For example, if you have a club with 5 members, each member can buy one book (remember, the minimum number of books to read to get a vote is 5 in any of our categories!).
You could contact a local business and ask if they’ll sponsor your club for the year. We’re happy to share stories about communities that love great books on our social media channels!
What are the Hackmatack program deadlines?
You can register anytime for the 2022-23 program year, but remember, our voting deadline for the 2022-23 award is April 30, 2023. Give yourself enough time to read the books!
How do I login to get the project kits?
You set a username and get a password when you register.
How long do I have access to project kit materials?
You have access to the project kit materials even after the voting deadline of April 30 – your password is good until the next year’s registration begins. So if you want to have a summer reading club just for fun, you can do that!
Are Hackmatack shortlisted titles available in alternate formats?
All of our Atlantic provincial library services are members of the the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), which provides some of our shortlisted titles to people with print disabilities. Contact your local library for borrowing information. Libraries may also offer some Hackmatack books as ebooks.
