CAMDEN — The Camden Public Library, 55 Main St., will be the first system in the state of Maine to provide Beanstack to families in the local community. Beanstack is an online portal that offers free personalized recommendations of children's books and apps handpicked by the library staff.

It is a new way to connect children and their families with books and educational apps that match each child’s specific age, interests, reading level and background. The service is powered by children’s curation company Zoobean, and gives the library access to a database of books using more than 1,600 unique tags to help library users find the right books and apps.

Starting this week, Camden Public Library members can sign up and use Beanstack from their home computer, mobile device or in the library. Every week, a book in the library's collection will be suggested specifically for a child based on that child's preferences, interests and reading level. Recommendations are sent by email and are also available via an online profile that families can access anytime. In addition, each book recommendation is accompanied by a learning guide containing helpful tips, background information, and activities to encourage engagement and critical thinking.

"We are proud to be the first library in Maine to have this service, and to offer it to Midcoast residents,” said Library Director Nikki Maounis in a news release. “We are fully committed to expanding literacy skills in our community, and Beanstack is an exciting and easy-to-use resource. It’s just another piece of the puzzle of our mission to Read, Connect, and Discover.”

Beanstack is already available online at http://librarycamden.beanstack.org/.