WINDSOR — Those who like jigsaw puzzles — and have an appetite for friendly competition — should consider taking part in a team contest at the Windsor Public Library.

The Great Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge, scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Monday, July 15, has room for five teams, of two to six people each. Teams must register in advance by contacting the library at librarian@windsorlibrary.org or 802-674-2556. The competition is open to people of all ages and residents of all towns in the Upper Valley.

“It’s only a 500-piece puzzle so hopefully it’ll only be a few hours’ project, especially for multiple people on the same puzzle,” said Barbara Ball, the library’s director.

Windsor received the puzzles, which feature a horse-drawn carriage in front of a mansion being painted, from the Jaquith Public Library in Marshfield, Vt. Libraries in Vermont, connected through a Listserv, have been sharing the puzzles for close to a year, Ball said, citing an email from the Listserv last July.

“It just sounds so cool and different and we haven’t done something like that before,” Ball said. “People love their puzzles.”

Once one library finishes hosting a contest, they pack up the puzzles and send them along to another one. After Windsor, the contest will head to the Wardsboro Public Library and then the Quechee Public Library.

After other libraries posted about how successful their puzzle contests were, Michaela Lavelle got Quechee on the list.

A fan of puzzles herself, Lavelle, Quechee’s assistant librarian, said because people can form their own teams, they could draw in participants who might not be as familiar with the Quechee Public Library. Staff will post more information to the library’s website quecheeandwilderlibraries.com, Facebook and Instagram pages once they finalize the details of the contest.

“I think that’s a really good way to bring more people into our space, to let people know libraries are a place for them,” Lavelle said, adding that the contest is “a good way to increase our visibility in the community.”

The event is something Quechee hasn’t done before.

“I feel like competitive programs are fun and a little outside the norm often of what library programming is,” Lavelle said. “It’s fun to get people energized with a goal.”

Like many other Upper Valley libraries, both Quechee and Windsor offer more than just books and multimedia. Puzzles are a frequent request at both libraries.

“They were really popular during COVID when everything was locked down,” Ball said, adding that the library began offering them to patrons in 2021 when they were doing curbside services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have around 30 puzzles patrons can request.

Puzzles are among the more popular items in Quechee’s “Library of Things,” Lavelle said. Other popular items include a ukulele and a “Happy Light,” which patrons borrow to see if it helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter.

“Puzzles are just a great collaborative activity,” Lavelle said.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.