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Secret Lives of Readers

"Secret Lives of Readers." The Chronicle of Higher Education / Jennifer Howard.
Washington: The Chronicle Online, December 17th 2012.

Read to Survive

Monster Librarian

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits

Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habits / Pew Research Center.
Washington: Pew Research Center, October 2012.

What Kind of Book Reader Are You?

"What Kind of Book Reader Are You?" Atlantic Wire / Jen Doll.

Boston: The Atlantic Online, August 29th 2012.

"Delayed Onset Reader #1. You are without a doubt a book lover, and when you walk into a bookstore or any place books are available, you can't help yourself, you buy one or many. When you get home you put them aside, often reverently, as if they were art, displaying them on a bookshelf or propping them up on your bedside table, pages ready to meet your eyes as soon as you have the moment. But you're very, very busy, and days, weeks, or months may go by before you actually crack open one of these books. It's not for lack of trying! When you finally do, you will be overjoyed by all the learning and emotional depth and humor and writing quality that exists in this book that's been sitting within reach all along, and you will be amazed that you waited so long to ever open it. Suggested delayed onset #1 suggestions: The Imperfectionists, by Tom Rachman; The Princess Bride, by William Goldman; Lolita by Nabokov; Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery."

See Also:
Many More Types of Book Readers 

The Library With No Rules

"The Library With No Rules." The Guardian / Jon Henley.
UK: The Guardian Online, September 23rd 2012.

"Books, believes Hernando Guanlao, need to live. And they're only alive if they are being read. Thought and effort, time and money went into making them; they will never repay it lying idle in a cabinet or on a shelf. Books need to be set free. So walk by his home on Balagtas Street in Makati, downtown Manila, and it seems books are pretty much all you'll see. Thousands of them, on shelves and in crates outside on the pavement, piled high in the garage and on the stairs, each one free to anyone who wants it.

"People can borrow, take home, bring back or keep," says Guanlao, 60, a former tax accountant, ice-cream salesman and government employee known by all as Nanie. "Or they can share and pass on to another. But basically they should just take, take!" Guanlao reckons books "have lives, and have to lead them. They have work to do. And the act of giving a book …it makes you complete. It makes your life meaningful and abundant."

Parent Co-Reading Survey

Parent Co-Reading Survey / Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Summer 2012.

1937 Rules for Reading

Librarian Chic

NYLON

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books

Libraries, Patrons, & E-Books / Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Washington: Pew Research Center, June 22nd 2012.

"58% of Americans have a library card, and 69% say that their local library is important to them and their family."

Making Room for Readers

"Making Room for Readers." The Millions / Steve Himmer.
America: The Millions Online, August 18th 2011.

"One recent morning, my almost four year old daughter started crying out of the blue. I asked her what was wrong, and she wailed, “I don’t have a library card!” So with a proud paternal bibliophile’s heart swollen in my chest, I strapped her into her car seat and we set off for the library in search of a library card and — at her request — in search of Tintin books like those I’d told her were my favorite stories at the library when I was young."

Doctors Prescribe Regular Library Visits

"Doctors Prescribe Regular Library Visits." Kitsap Sun / Katie Scaff.
Kitsap County, WA: Kitsap Sun Online, July 13th 2011.

"Kitsap Regional Library is working with health clinics and the nonprofit organization Reach Out and Read to promote early literacy this summer through a program called Libraries Are Doctor-Recommended."

Open Wonderful New Worlds

Reading in Canada Still Strong

"Canadians Purchased or Borrowed More Than 2.7 Million Books Last Week". TD National Reading Summit / National Reading Campaign.
Montreal: National Reading Campaign, January 19th 2011.

"2,714, 946 books in seven days means that in a typical week in January, Canadians bought or borrowed as many books as they purchased tickets to the top box office film. In fact, it is likely that more people picked a book than watched a game on Hockey Night in Canada. We do so much to promote film and to encourage youth to play hockey. Do we do as much to advance reading? The NRC believes our nation can do much more."

See Also:
National Book Count Tallies Canadians' Love of Reading / Natalie Samson

"Though the National Book Count is meant to reflect a typical week in Canadians’ reading habits, it’s worth noting that the figure is likely a conservative one. The count, which organizers say captures roughly 80 per cent of the Canadian book retail market, comes less than a month after the busiest time of year for retailers, during a comparatively fallow period on most publishers’ lists. Moreover, the circulation figures account for 22 major public libraries across Canada, but not rural and academic library systems.

Still, it’s a compelling snapshot of the voracious reading habits of Canadians. Extrapolated over a year-long period, Canadians purchase or check out more than 140 million books.

In addition, [Jamie] Broadhurst says the National Book Count highlights the potential for growth in Canadian readership. “Reading levels in Canada are actually high … but we are worried about the long-term future of reading, and of whether this passion for reading reaches across all regions of the country,” he says."

Flash Mob Freeze Mob for National Library Week

Walrus Posters by Seth

See:
Limited Edition Summer Reading Walrus Issue Artwork by Seth

See Also:
"Seth" Drawn & Quarterly

Lessons For Grown-Ups From Story Time

"Lessons For Grown-Ups From Story Time." Your Ottawa Region / Charles Gordon.
Ottawa: Your Ottawa Region Online, January 27th 2011.

"For one thing, this would give children an opportunity to see librarians in action, and notice what heroes they are."

Ebooks & Libraries: A Stream of Concerns

"Ebooks & Libraries: A Stream of Concerns." Information Wants to Be Free / Meredith Farkas.
Vermont: Information Wants To Be Free, January 18th 2011.

"And how do you browse a shelf of eBooks?

Browsing is still an important part of the discovery experience. Every time I am helping a student find books on a specific topic, I will suggest that they look to the left and right of the books they are specifically looking for on the shelf to see if there’s something that didn’t come up in our search that would be a great fit for their research. There’s nothing like serendipity, and serendipitous browsing is still not replicated well online. And this becomes even more difficult to imagine replicating when you have a mix of ebook collections and print books. The collection becomes even more fragmented, even more difficult to browse."

Wishing You A Year of Good Reading