# data[].attributes.body
US - in English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Discovering Our Future of Education through the Lenses of Artificial Intelligence and its potential impact on education and the wider world

1. We help educators improve reading and writing instruction with strategies that are simple and effective.

2. Our professional development is so practical that you can start implementing right away-whether you are new to teaching or a seasoned veteran.

3. Professional learning with The National Literacy Institute is always high-energy, engaging, and provides the boost you need to return to the classroom!

CUSTOMIZED CONSULTING

On-Site Consulting ➜
Live Virtual Consulting ➜
Mini-Lesson Modeling ➜
Remote Coaching ➜

BOOKS & RESOURCES

Transform instruction so that every student excels!

Teachers matter. In fact, a good teacher has two to three times the impact of any other school factor.* That's why we at the National Literacy Institute focus on improving instructional practices so that all students receive the support and the high-quality equitable instruction they need to achieve.

​

The National Literacy Institute works with school leaders to design and implement a customized, multi-year professional learning plan that includes a combination of workshops, job-embedded professional learning, curriculum implementation, and support so that evidence-based instruction takes root and leads to lasting change.

Read More...

​

Since we opened our doors in 2003, the NLPDC has been helping teachers helping students fulfill their potential. We do this through personalized and tailored professional development sessions, working hand-in-hand with the student's classroom teachers for the most efficient learning.

Our goal is simple: To create learning success stories, one student at a time.

Testimonials

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discovering Our Future of Education through the Lenses of Artificial Intelligence and its potential impact on education and the wider world We help educators improve reading and writing instruction with strategies that are simple and effective. Our professional development is so practical that you can start implementing right away-whether you are new to teaching or a seasoned veteran.

# data[].attributes.headline
Statistics on Adult Literacy in Canada (CBC Radio, 2021)

# data[].attributes.subject
Statistics on Adult Literacy in Canada (CBC Radio, 2021)

# data[].attributes.body
In English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This story was originally published on January 17, 2021.
Nearly half of Canada's population has a big roadblock ahead of them when it comes to post-pandemic economic recovery - and it's not the novel coronavirus but a fundamental set of skills for daily life.

Poor reading, writing and numeracy skills in adults make up a literacy gap in Canada with consequences for both democracy and the economy. Experts say the gap is due in part to an abundance of jobs in the past that do not require the daily use of reading comprehension and information synthesis skills.

The Cost of Living ❤s money - how it makes (or breaks) us.
Catch us Sundays on CBC Radio One at 12:00 p.m. (12:30 p.m. NT).
We also repeat the following Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in most provinces.

In short, literacy is not like riding a bike. While Canadians tend to leave the high school level with these skills, it takes practice to retain them and Canada's economy does not provide the opportunity to do that for many workers.

Despite relatively high education rates, an analysis of international assessments by Statistics Canada in 2013 showed that more than one in six adult Canadians fell short of passing the most basic set of literacy tests.

The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) looks at how adults process information and how they use literacy, mathematics and problem solving both at home and at work.

If you're working in a particular role, whatever it is, where reading and writing isn't necessarily a big part of the job, those skills may erode over time. - Michael Burt, Conference Board of Canada

Canada's results, which have not substantially changed since the first PIACC, show that many in this country are unable to complete ordinary tasks, such as filling out a job application, reading a news article or sending an email.

About half the adult population fell short of passing a high school level of assessment, by testing the ability to digest lengthier and more complex texts while processing the information accurately.

"Generally speaking, we're below average compared to other OECD [Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development] countries in terms of adult literacy, numeracy skills," said Michael Burt, an economist with the Conference Board of Canada.

The not-for-profit research organization gave Canada a "C" grade in adult literacy back in 2014.

"I think it really boils down to [Canadians] have a competitiveness challenge," he told CBC Radio's Cost of Living. "We cannot stand still because our competitors certainly are not."

Countries that score higher than Canada in the international skills assessment, which Statistics Canada participates in, include Japan, Australia, Sweden, Finland and Holland.

The literacy gap is not limited to immigrants

Unsurprisingly, new Canadians with a native language other than English or French appear in the lowest literacy category at a higher rate than their Canadian-born counterparts.

In some provinces, immigrants with a very high literacy score actually represented a higher proportion than the Canadian-born population. Statistics Canada's analysis of the PIAAC data indicated that more "established immigrants," who had been in Canada longer, were represented in the lowest literacy groups at roughly the same proportion as those born in the country.

However, the lowest-scoring groups also include a significant number of Indigenous people in Canada, as well as English and French speakers born in this country.

It's important to separate out those born in Canada from those born abroad, because while some immigrants may struggle with a new language, a significant number also have extensive job experience and education and are highly skilled in their original languages.

Those born and raised in Canada who struggle with language, math and computer proficiency, on the other hand, are less visible because, as advocates put it, they're very good at "faking it."

"They tend to hide this fact from everyone because of the fear of being called names," said Monica Das, executive director of Project Adult Literacy Society (PALS) in Edmonton.

"'Dumb, stupid, crazy, handicapped' and other words are used to describe you as soon as you identify yourself as someone who struggles with reading and writing."

Deep 'shame' felt by native English speakers

Native English speakers make up about half of the clients who turn to PALS for help, Das said.

Eddy Piché, 59, is one of them.

The Edmontonian spent nearly 30 years driving trucks all over Ontario and Alberta before coming to terms with what he called his "shame."

"Some people, like, come out of college, university, they use big words and all that stuff," Piché said. "They make you feel you really can't do this, can't do that. You feel shame."

As a child, Piché said, it always took him 10 extra minutes to learn everything. He describes those extra minutes, every time, as enough to set him back for life.

"In the old days, like in the 1970s, if you had a hard time learning and stuff, like, they put you back. They put you in special ed classes," he recalled.

Piché said because he was in special education, no one ever bothered to teach him how to read and write.

As a truck driver, he excelled by memorizing landmarks instead of reading road signs.

At the age of 48, Piché decided to go back to school to become a social worker after overcoming significant setbacks in his life - including mental illness and addiction.

At first, he relied on his wife to help write his papers. Eventually Piché enrolled in Edmonton's PALS program and met with a volunteer tutor each week to work on his reading comprehension and writing skills.

Today, he works with homeless and other marginalized populations.

"Some people never gave up on me, so I do the same thing. I don't give up," Piché told The Cost of Living. "My motto is never leave anybody behind. That's why I do social work."

Skills needed in a changing, automated economy

Eddy Piché's ability to retrain and pivot is a success story, but on its own it does not scale up to solve Canada's problem with literacy.

For years, Canada had an abundance of high-paying jobs that didn't require high levels of literacy, such as natural resource-based work, said the Conference Board of Canada's Burt.

"Because of the nature of our economy, things like mining and forestry are more prominent in our economy than some of our OECD peers," he explained in a comparison to countries such as Japan or Sweden.

Due to these economic factors, even if the Canadian education system is producing graduates with high enough literacy scores, these skills sets can atrophy.

"If you're working in a particular role, whatever it is, where reading and writing isn't necessarily a big part of the job, those skills may erode over time," Burt said.

Financial incentives also distort whether Canadians complete their education, which would impact the level of their literacy skills as they enter the workforce to try for higher wages.

At the height of the oil boom, Alberta had a higher high school dropout rate than several other provinces. But the portion of the population with less education now has fewer places to go as changes to the economy accelerate, Burt said.

"The oil and gas sector is not the growth driver for the economy as it was five years ago," the economist said. "The dynamics around that have changed considerably in recent years. On top of that, we're looking at the impacts of digital technologies and automation on the workforce."
WATCH | How the next generation of robots could affect the labour market:

As many as one in five jobs in Canada are at risk of being automated, according to the Conference Board of Canada.

Some Canadians filling those "high-risk, low-mobility" jobs most susceptible to automation would have difficulty shifting to work that requires literacy; they tend to come from some of the country's largest industries, such as manufacturing, food services, accommodation, retail and construction.

"These are people whose jobs are at risk to automation, and they have limited ability to move over to other jobs that are at lower risk," Burt explained.

"Basically, there's a real need to to think about how skills requirements are changing in the workforce," he said. "How do we adequately prepare people for entering the workforce and how do we ensure that there are good transition pathways available for people already in the workforce today?"

Low literacy affects making informed democratic decisions

Another challenge that comes with low literacy is the difficulty in understanding information needed to make informed decisions, both in daily life and at the ballot box.

Forty-nine per cent of the Canadian population does not hit a level of literacy that can "disregard irrelevant or inappropriate content" to accurately answer questions about something they have read.

The impact of this has, perhaps, become more clear with the rise of online disinformation. On the internet, there's no shortage of bad information to push people into making badly informed decisions. Researchers say those who struggle with reading and writing tend to also perform poorly on the digital front.

Samantha Bradshaw, a a postdoctoral fellow at the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University in California, studies the impact of social media misinformation and told Cost of Living that tackling digital literacy is just as important as traditional books on paper.

"Consuming content digitally is increasingly more a part of our media diet and how we get information about politics," Bradshaw said, adding that big tech companies such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to face more government scrutiny from regulators.

According to Bradshaw, it's critical for anyone making decisions affecting today's democratic institutions to understand both how the information they get online is delivered to them and the biases that are present.
WATCH | Russia and China push coronavirus misinformation on social media:

"So being able to understand both the mechanisms through which information is delivered to us through these online systems, the biases that exist within the technology, as well as having the literacy skills to communicate, to interpret, to understand the argumentation and the ways in which content and narrations are being told through an online digital media," she said.

A lot of untapped potential

There's no magic solution to narrowing Canada's literacy gap.

Education and training play a role, but workers and employers also need to put a higher premium on soft skills, such as reading comprehension and communication, Burt said.

"I think part of it is understanding what skills make people more resilient," he said.

The good news is those with low literacy skills - who are most at risk of losing their jobs - have a lot of untapped potential, according to those working in the sector.

Eddy Piché serves as an example.

His skill set in problem-solving was a great fit for social work, even before he returned to school to upgrade his credentials.

But because he was unable to fill out a job application, write a caseload report or respond to emails, his options to capitalize on those soft skills to gain employment were severely limited.

"People forget to realize that this adult has been able to support himself all this time without someone else knowing that he can't read or write," said Monica Das with PALS in Edmonton.

"You should appreciate the amount of skills that this person has."

Written and produced by Falice Chin.
Click "listen" at the top of the page to hear this segment, or the Cost of Living podcast.
The Cost of Living airs every week on CBC Radio One, Sundays at 12:00 p.m. (12:30 NT).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nearly half of adult Canadians struggle with literacy - and that's bad for the economy | CBC Radio

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This story was originally published on January 17, 2021. Nearly half of Canada's population has a big roadblock ahead of them when it comes to post-pandemic economic recovery - and it's not the novel coronavirus but a fundamental set of skills for daily life.

# data[].attributes.headline
To Celebrate the International Convention in Calgary, Alberta (June 2025)

# data[].attributes.subject
To Celebrate the International Convention in Calgary, Alberta (June 2025)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
CBC Books’ writers to watch: 30 Canadian writers making their mark in 2023 | CBC Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
CBC Books has announced this year’s writers to watch list! Here are 30 Canadian writers on the rise in 2023.

# data[].attributes.body
'49% of adult Canadians have literacy skills that below a high school level, which negatively affects their ability to function at work and in their personal lives.' ·

Adult Literacy – Skills for Success (National Report 2022) - Canada

# data[].attributes.headline
United for Literacy: Adult Literacy (2022)

# data[].attributes.subject
United for Literacy: Adult Literacy (2022)

# data[].attributes.body
National Report 2022 (English) - 9 Skills for Success

# data[].attributes.headline
Access to Education / Accès à l'éducation

# data[].attributes.subject
Access to Education / Accès à l'éducation

# data[].attributes.body
(In English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How different would your life be if you never went to school and never learned how to read and write?

For millions of children, this is the case. Of the world's 787 million children of primary school age, 8% do not go to school. That's 58.4 million children.

The chart shows where they live in the world.

This is UNESCO data for the year 2019. During the pandemic, this number increased temporarily, but even at pre-pandemic levels - to which the world will hopefully return soon - the number was much too high. 58 million children out of primary school means 58 million who don't even have the chance to learn how to read and write.

Why are children not in school?

To make progress, we have to understand why children are not in school.

One major reason is violence in the world's ongoing conflict areas, including Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Nigeria. Half of all out-of-school children live in conflict-affected countries.

The other large barrier - often closely intertwined with conflict - is poverty.

In low-income countries, public finances for education are very low: the annual spending in a high-income country like Austria is more than 200-times higher per student than in a low-income country like the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the worst cases, poverty requires children to work - most commonly on smallholder farms - and this means they leave school early or never enter school in the first place.

If we want to make progress on education, then we will need to continue the developments that reduce conflict and poverty.

These macro changes are essential but can seem intangible in the short-term. Targeted policies can make a difference in such situations. One policy with a long and well-established track record is to provide free meals in schools. School meals achieve two goals at the same time: They offer children a better diet, and they provide an incentive for parents to send their children to school. Research studies have shown that school meals increase school attendance and have a long-lasting impact over the child's lifetime. A study in Sweden showed that pupils who received meals in school in the 1960s had 3% higher lifetime incomes. They have even been shown to have intergenerational benefits: the children of mothers who received school meals when they were children also benefit from school meal programs.

Widespread access to even the most basic education is a very recent achievement

As is so often the case with large global problems, the state of the world today is at the same time terrible, yet also much better than it was in the past.

This chart shows the same data as the first one, but it now also shows how the world has changed since the previous generation, 20 years ago. The share of children who are out-of-school has declined in all world regions. Globally, this share has halved. Today, 8% of children are not in school; twenty years ago this was 16%.

A generation ago, it was girls in particular who did not have access to schools. This inequality has declined, and today, the absolute number and the share of boys and girls who are out of primary school is similar.

Until recently, access to education was restricted to a very small elite everywhere

This recent change is part of a much larger development that spans the last few generations.

Until then, no matter where a child was born, its chances of getting even the most basic education were very small. Everywhere in the world, education was restricted to a small elite population.

The chart shows this big global development. In all countries - including those where children today have the best education - widespread access to even basic education is a recent achievement.

The global revolution in literacy

Reading is the single most important educational skill a young child can learn. How did literacy change as more and more children gained access to a basic education?

The chart shows that two centuries ago, only 1 out of every 10 adults knew how to read and write. This ratio has flipped since then: today, about 9 in 10 adults do have this basic skill.

To make progress against the world's problems, we need a strong team of educated people. From this perspective, it makes sense to consider this global change in absolute numbers. Today, there are about 4.6 billion people who can read and write. In 1800, there were fewer than 100 million people with the same skill. We have a much stronger team than ever before.

Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not

The majority of children that have ever lived did not have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. In the extreme poverty of the pre-growth economies, children with great potential ended up living a life in poverty. Even very basic educational skills - like reading and writing - were a privilege of a small elite.

It is hard to imagine what all these girls and boys could have become. Perhaps it is easier to see the importance of at least basic education by looking at those around us today and ask what their chances would have been without it. What would have become of Marie Curie, Jane Austen, Steve Jobs, or Einstein if they were born into a society in which children didn't have access to basic education?

The world has made a lot of progress in recent generations, but a lot of work is left for our generation today. Almost 60 million children are growing up without the opportunities that you and I had, thanks to the primary school that we were able to attend.

In this text, I focused on access to primary education. In my follow-up article, I will focus on the quality of education. I will show how extremely large the differences in educational quality between countries are and which opportunities there are to improve education, especially for the very poorest children in the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to basic education: Almost 60 million children of primary school age are not in school

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The world has made a lot of progress in recent generations, but millions of children are still not in school.

# data[].attributes.body
Save the date! May 24-25, 2024 is when crime, mystery and thriller writers will convene in Montreal to meet their readers - from Quebec, the rest of Canada and beyond!

Réservez la date! Les 24-25 mai, 2024, des auteurs de polars, romans de suspense et mystère viendront rencontrer leurs lecteurs à Montréal - du Québec, du reste du Canada et plus loin encore!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Literacy of Northern New York – Literacy is the Key

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We partner with in-need elementary schools by gifting Ottawa children a book of their choice, each year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this Data Point summarizes the number of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy and describes how they differ by nativity status ¹ and race/ethnicity.

FIGURE 1. Number of U.S. adults age 16 to 65 at each level of proficiency on the PIAAC literacy scale and those who could not participate: 2012 and 2014
NOTE: Standard error tables are available at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019179. Percentages of U.S. adults age 16 to 65 at each level of proficiency on PIAAC literacy scale appear in parentheses. Low English literacy is defined as those performing at PIAAC literacy proficiency level 1 or below or who could not participate due to a language barrier or a cognitive or physical inability to be interviewed. The "Mid or High English literacy" label refers to those performing at PIAAC literacy proficiency level 2 or above.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), U.S. PIAAC 2012/2014.

PIAAC is a large-scale international ² study of working-age adults (ages 16-65) that assesses adult skills in three domains (literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving) and collects information on adults' education, work experience, and other background characteristics. In the United States, when the study was conducted in 2011-12 and 2013-14, respondents were first asked questions about their background, with an option to be interviewed in English or Spanish, followed by a skills assessment in English. Because the skills assessment was conducted only in English, all U.S. PIAAC literacy results are for English literacy.

PIAAC defines literacy as "the ability to understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts to participate in society, to achieve one's goals, and to develop one's knowledge and potential" (p. 61, OECD 2013). Results in this Data Point are presented as the number of adults at literacy proficiency levels that are described in terms of the types of tasks the adults are likely to complete successfully at a particular level. PIAAC reports out five literacy proficiency levels: from below level 1 to level 4/5. ³ Adults with low levels of literacy are defined, consistent with international reports (OECD 2013), as those performing on PIAAC's literacy assessment at "level 1 or below" or those who could not participate in the survey, ⁴ as explained below.

What are the rates of literacy in the United States?

Four in five U.S. adults (79 percent) have English literacy skills sufficient to complete tasks that require comparing and contrasting information, paraphrasing, or making low-level inferences-literacy skills at level 2 or above in PIAAC (OECD 2013). In contrast, one in five U.S. adults (21 percent) has difficulty completing these tasks ( figure 1). This translates into 43.0 million U.S. adults who possess low literacy skills: 26.5 million at level 1 and 8.4 million below level 1, while 8.2 million could not participate in PIAAC's background survey either because of a language barrier or a cognitive or physical inability to be interviewed. These adults who were unable to participate are categorized as having low English literacy skills, as is done in international reports (OECD 2013), although no direct assessment of their skills is available.

Adults classified as below level 1 may be considered functionally illiterate in English: i.e., unable to successfully determine the meaning of sentences, read relatively short texts to locate a single piece of information, or complete simple forms (OECD 2013).

FIGURE 2. Percentage of all and low-skilled adults age 16 to 65, by nativity status: 2012 and 2014
NOTE: Standard error tables are available at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019179. Low English literacy adults are defined as those performing at PIAAC literacy proficiency level 1 or below. Adults who could not participate are excluded.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), U.S. PIAAC 2012/2014.

What is the make-up of adults with low English literacy skills by nativity status and race/ethnicity?

U.S.-born adults make up two-thirds of adults with low levels of English literacy skills in the United States. ⁵ However, the non-U.S. born are over-represented among such low-skilled adults. Non-U.S.-born adults comprise 34 percent of the population with low literacy skills, compared to 15 percent of the total population ( figure 2).

FIGURE 3. Percentage of low-skilled adults age 16 to 65, by nativity status and race/ethnicity: 2012 and 2014
NOTE: Standard error tables are available at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019179. Low English literacy adults are defined as those performing at PIAAC literacy proficiency level 1 or below. Adults who could not participate are excluded. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), U.S. PIAAC 2012/2014.

White and Hispanic adults make up the largest percentage of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy, 35 percent and 34 percent respectively ( figure 3).

By race/ethnicity and nativity status, the largest percentage of those with low literacy skills are White U.S.-born adults, who represent one third of such low-skilled population. Hispanic adults born outside the United States make up about a quarter of such low-skilled adults in the United States ( figure 3).

Endnotes

¹ Nativity status refers to whether the respondent was born in the United States or born outside the United States.
² This international study is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and developed by participating countries with the support of the OECD.
³ This analysis combines the top two proficiency levels (Levels 4 and 5), following the OECD's reporting convention OECD 2013), because across all participating countries, no more than 2 percent of adults reached Level 5.
⁴ Unlike in the U.S. PIAAC 2012/2014 First Look (Rampey et al. 2016), those who could not participate are included in the literacy proficiency distribution shown here. Referred to as "literacy-related nonresponse cases," these adults who could not participate are typically not shown because virtually all nformation about them is missing.
⁵ Adults who could not participate in PIAAC because of a language barrier or a cognitive or physical inability to be interviewed are excluded from analyses of nativity status and race/ethnicity as this information is unavailable for nonparticipants.

References

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2013). OECD Skills Outlook 2013: First Results From the Survey of Adult Skills. Paris: OECD Publishing. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264204256-en.
Rampey, B.D., Finnegan, R., Goodman, M., Mohadjer, L., Krenzke, T., Hogan, J., and Provasnik, S. (2016). Skills of U.S. Unemployed, Young, and Older Adults in Sharper Focus: Results From the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) 2012/2014: First Look (NCES 2016-039rev). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

Data in this report are from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). To learn more, visit https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac. For questions about content or to view this report online, go to https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2019179.

This NCES Data Point presents information of education topics of current interest. It was authored by Saida Mamedova and Emily Pawlowski of American Institutes for Research. Estimates based on samples are subject to sampling variability, and apparent differences may not be statistically significant. All stated differences are statistically significant at the .05 level. In the design, conduct, and data processing of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys, efforts are made to minimize effects of nonsampling errors, such as item response, measurement error, data processing error, or other systematic error.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using the data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this Data Point summarizes the number of U.S. adults with low levels of English literacy and describes how they differ by nativity status 1 and race/ethnicity. FIGURE 1. Number of U.S.

# data[].attributes.headline
District 7040 Literacy / Alphabétisation

# data[].attributes.subject
District 7040 Literacy / Alphabétisation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For a general overview of our District Literacy program please read more in or

Did you know we have a District Literacy Plan for 2018-21? Check it out District & RCWO Literacy Plan in English & French.

Have you heard of Dictionary4Life? If not read more here.

In 2012 a database was created of our club literacy activities. And last but not least read RI Literacy Guide for project ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For a general overview of our District Literacy program please read more in or Did you know we have a District Literacy Plan for 2018-21? Check it out District & RCWO Literacy Plan in English & French. Have you heard of Dictionary4Life? If not read more here.

# data[].attributes.headline
Statistics: Literacy around the World - Statistiques: Alphabétisation autour du monde

# data[].attributes.subject
Statistics: Literacy around the World - Statistiques: Alphabétisation autour du monde

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Literacy is a key skill and a key measure of a population's education. In this entry we discuss historical trends, as well as recent developments in literacy.

From a historical perspective, literacy levels for the world population have risen drastically in the last couple of centuries. While only 12% of the people in the world could read and write in 1820, today the share has reversed: only 14% of the world population, in 2016, remained illiterate. Over the last 65 years the global literacy rate increased by 4% every 5 years - from 42% in 1960 to 86% in 2015.¹

Despite large improvements in the expansion of basic education, and the continuous reduction of education inequalities, there are substantial challenges ahead. The poorest countries in the world, where basic education is most likely to be a binding constraint for development, still have very large segments of the population who are illiterate. In Niger, for example, the literacy rate of the youth (15-24 years) is only 36.5%.

Interactive charts on Literacy

Of the world population older than 15 years 86% are literate. This interactive map shows how the literacy rates varies between countries around the world.

In many countries more than 95% have basic literacy skills. Literacy skills of the majority of the population is a modern achievement as we show below.

Globally however, large inequalities remain, notably between sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world. In Burkina Faso, Niger and South Sudan - the African countries at the bottom of the rank - literacy rates are still below 30%.

Historical change in literacy

While the earliest forms of written communication date back to about 3,500-3,000 BCE, literacy remained for centuries a very restricted technology closely associated with the exercise of power. It was only until the Middle Ages that book production started growing and literacy among the general population slowly started becoming important in the Western World.² In fact, while the ambition of universal literacy in Europe was a fundamental reform born from the Enlightenment, it took centuries for it to happen. It was only in the 19th and 20th centuries that rates of literacy approached universality in early-industrialized countries.

The following visualization presents estimates of world literacy for the period 1800-2016. As we can see, literacy rates grew constantly but rather slowly until the beginning of the twentieth century. And the rate of growth really climbed after the middle of the 20th century, when the expansion of basic education became a global priority. You can read more about the expansion of education systems around the world in our entry on Financing Education.

The following visualization shows the spread of literacy in Europe since the 15th century, based on estimates from Buringh and Van Zanden (2009).³

As it can be seen, the rising levels of education in Europe foreshadowed the emergence of modern societies.

Particularly fast improvements in literacy took place across Northwest Europe in the period 1600-1800. As we discuss below, widespread literacy is considered a legacy of the Age of Enlightenment.

This chart shows historical estimates of literacy in England over the last five centuries.

The historical estimates are based on the percentage of men women who could sign documents, a very basic definition of literacy that is often used in historical research on education.⁴

The first observations refer to men and women in the diocese of Norwich, which lies to the Northeast of London. Here, the majority of men (61%) were unable to write their name in the late 16th century; for women it was much lower.

By 1840 two-thirds of men and about half of women were literate in England. The expansion of education led to a reduction in education gender inequality. Towards the end of the 19th century the share had increased to almost three-quarters for both genders.

As the center of the Industrial Revolution and one of the first countries that established democratic institutions, England was in important aspects the center of the development of modernity.

The data shows that improvements in literacy preceded the Industrial Revolution and in many ways the rise of living standards became only possible thanks to an increasingly better educated public. Economic growth is possible when we better understand how to produce the things we need, and translate these insights into technological improvements that allow us to produce them more efficiently. Both the development of new technologies (innovation) and their use in production relied on a much better-educated population.

Widespread school education and even basic skills like literacy are a very recent achievement that was enabled and at the same time required by the progress achieved in recent generations.

The visualization shows, in two panels, a side-by-side comparison of long-term trends in school attendance and literacy.

We can see that in 1870 only one in four people in the world attended school, and this meant that only one in five were able to read. And global inequalities in access to education were very large.

Today, in contrast, the global estimates of literacy and school attendance are above 80%, and the inequality between world regions - while still existing - is much lower.

We can see that two centuries ago only a small elite of the world population had the ability to read and write - the best estimate is that 12% of the world population was literate. Over the course of the 19th century global literacy more than doubled. And over the course of the 20th century the world achieved rapid progress in education. More than 4 out of 5 people are now able to read. Young generations are better educated than ever before.

The expansion of literacy in early-industrialized countries helped reduce within-country inequalities. In the preceding visualization we showed that England virtually closed literacy gender gaps by 1900. Here we provide evidence of literacy gaps across races in the US.

The following visualization shows illiteracy rates by race for the period 1870-1979. As we can see, in order to reach near universal levels of literacy, the US had to close the race gap. This was eventually achieved around 1980.

Percentage of persons 14 years old and over in the US who were illiterate by race, 1870-1979 - Our World in Data, with data from NCES⁵

As pointed out above, Europe pioneered the expansion of basic education - but global literacy rates only started really climbing in the second half of the 20th century, when the expansion of basic education became a global priority. Here we present evidence of important recent achievements in Latin America, where literacy has dramatically increased in the past century.

As it can be seen, many nations have gained 40-50 percentage points in literacy during this period.

Despite these improvements, however, there is still a wide disparity between nations. Here you can see that, at the turn of the 21st century, half of the population in poor countries such as Haiti remains illiterate. This motivates the next visualization, where we discuss cross-country heterogeneity in more detail.

Literacy around the world today

Literacy by generation

To assess the extent to which progress can be expected in the years to come, it is convenient to break down literacy estimates by age groups. The following map, using data from UNESCO, shows such estimates for most countries in the world.

As it can be seen, in the majority of nations there is a large difference in literacy rates across generations (you can change the map to show literacy rates for different groups by clicking on the corresponding buttons at the top).

These large differences across generations point to a global trend: the high literacy rate among the youth indicates that as time passes, the literacy rate for the overall population will continue to increase.

World maps of the literacy rate by age group⁶

We highlighted above the fact that most low and middle income countries feature large differences in literacy rates across generations. The visualization shows specifically how remarkably large these differences are in Northern Africa and the Middle East. Using UNESCO data, these maps show that in many countries in these regions, only less than a third of the older generation is literate - while in contrast, more than 90% of the younger generation is literate.

The scatter plot emphasises the point already made. As you can see, younger generations are more likely to be literate than older generations around the world. And in some countries the gaps are dramatic. In Algeria, for example, the literacy rate among the youth (15-24 years) is close to 97%; while it is 28% among the older population (65+ years).

In the chart you can use the slider at the bottom to check how these generational gaps have been changing in recent decades. You can see that throughout Africa the changes have been mainly horizontal (i.e. gaps have been widening as there have been radical recent improvements specifically benefiting the younger population). This is in contrast to richer regions, such as Europe, where the expansion of education started earlier and as a consequence changes have been mainly vertical (e.g. in Portugal the literacy rate among the youth was already high in 1980; so continued education expansion has meant that literacy rates are today almost equally high across the entire Portuguese population).

Literacy by sex

The visualization shows that particularly in many poorer countries the literacy rate for young women is lower than the rate for young men.

This chart shows the literacy rate by sex over time.
This visualization shows the ratio of the literacy rate between young women and men around the world.

Numeracy is the ability to understand and work with numbers. The visualization shows how this basic ability became more common in populations around the world based on a very basic definition of numeracy, the ability to correctly state one's own age.

Compared to the data on literacy we have less information on numeracy skills in the world today. Some information comes from PIAAC, the OECD's survey of the skills of adults. A world map of these scores can be found here.

The scatter plot shows how adults in OECD countries scored in the literacy and numeracy dimension. We see that the two aspects are closely correlated, those countries that have high literacy also have high numeracy.

PIAAC is only available for the very recent past, but it can still give us some insights of how numeracy skills in the world have changed. If we compare the numeracy scores of the young cohort with the older cohort in a scatterplot we find that in most countries numeracy skills have recently increased.

Definitions & Measurement

Measurement today

In the chart we present a breakdown of UNESCO literacy estimates, showing the main methodologies used, and how these have changed over time. (To explore changes across time use the slider underneath the map.)

The breakdown covers four categories: self-reported literacy declared directly by individuals, self-reported literacy declared by the head of the household, tested literacy from proficiency examinations, and indirect estimation or extrapolation.

In most cases, the categories covering 'self-reports' (green and orange) correspond to estimates of literacy that rely on answers provided to a simple yes/no question asking people if they can read and write.

The category 'indirect estimation' (black) corresponds mainly to estimates that rely on indirect evidence from educational attainment, usually based on the highest degree of completed education.

In this table you find details regarding all literacy definitions and sources, country by country, and how we categorised them for the purpose of this chart.

This chart is telling us that:

There is substantial cross-country variation, with recent estimates covering all four measurement methods.

There is variation within countries across time (e.g. Mexico switches between self-reports and extrapolation).

The number of countries that base their estimates on self-reports and testing is increasing.

Another way to dissect the same data, is to classify literacy estimates according to the type of measurement instrument used to collect the relevant data. In the next chart we explore this, splitting estimates into three categories: sampling, including data from literacy tests and household surveys; census data; and other instruments (e.g. administrative data on school enrollment).

Here we can see that most countries use sampling instruments (coded as 'surveys' in the map), although in the past census data was more common. Literacy surveys have the potential of being more accurate - when the sampling is done correctly - because they allow for more specific and detailed measurement than short and generic questions in population censuses.

As mentioned above, recent data on literacy is often based on a single question included in national population censuses or household surveys presented to respondents above a certain age, where literacy skills are self-reported. The question is often phrased as "can you read and write?". These self-reports of literacy skills have several limitations:

Simple questions such as "can you read and write?" frame literacy as a skill you either possess or do not when, in reality, literacy is a multi-dimensional skill that exists on a continuum.

Self-reports are subjective, in that the question is dependent on what each individual understands by "reading" and "writing". The form of a word may be familiar enough for a respondent to recall its sound or meaning without actually 'reading' it. Similarly, when writing out one's name to convey written ability, this can be accomplished by 'drawing' a familiar shape rather than writing in an effort to produce a written text with meaning.

In many cases surveys ask only one individual to report literacy on behalf of the entire household. This indirect reporting potentially introduces further noise, in particular when it comes to estimating literacy among women and children, since these groups are less often considered 'head of household' in the surveys.

Similarly, inferring literacy from data on educational attainment is also problematic, since schooling does not produce literacy in the same way everywhere: Proficiency tests show that in many low-income countries, a large fraction of second-grade primary-school students cannot read a single word of a short text; and for very few people in these countries going to school for four or five years guarantees basic literacy.

Even at a conceptual level there is lack of consensus - national definitions of literacy that are based on educational attainment vary substantially from country to country. For example, in Greece people are considered literate if they have finished six years of primary education; while in Paraguay you qualify as literate if you have completed two years of primary school.⁷

Given the limitations of self-reported or indirectly inferred literacy estimates, efforts are being made at both national and international levels to conduct standardized literacy tests to assess proficiency in a systematic way.

In particular, large cross-country assessment surveys have been developed to overcome the challenges of producing comparable literacy data. Two important examples are the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), which is a test used for measuring literacy mostly in rich countries; and the Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme (LAMP), which is a household assessment aimed at measuring literacy skills in developing countries, while remaining comparable across countries, languages, and scripts.⁸

The LAMP tests have only recently been field tested in four countries: Jordan, Mongolia, Palestine, and Paraguay. The PIAAC tests, on the other hand, have been administered in about 30 countries, and the results are shown in the chart.⁹

We only have these tests for a few countries, but we can still see that there is an overall positive correlation. Moreover, we see that there is substantial variation in scores even for countries with identical and almost perfect literacy rates (e.g. Japan vs Italy). This confirms the fact that PIAAC tests capture a related, but broader concept of literacy.

Reconstructing estimates from the past

The UNESCO definition of "people who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life", started being recorded in census data from the end of the 19th century onwards. Hence, despite variation on the types of questions and census instruments used, these historical census data remain the best source of data on literacy for the period prior 1990.

The longest series attempting to reconstruct literacy estimates from historical census data is provided in the OECD report "How Was Life? Global Well-being since 1820", published in 2014. This is the source used in the first chart in this blog post for the period 1800 to 1990.¹⁰

How accurate are these UNESCO estimates?

The evidence suggests that the narrow concept of literacy measured in early census data provides an imperfect, yet informative account of literacy skills. The chart shows a good example: As we can see, already in 1947, census estimates from the US correlate strongly with educational attainment, as one would expect.

Importantly, the correlation between educational attainment and literacy also holds across countries and over time. The next chart shows this by plotting changes in literacy rates and average years of schooling. Each country in this chart is represented by a line, where the beginning and ending points correspond to the first and last available observation of these two variables over the period 1970-2010. (As we mention above, before 1990 almost all observations correspond to census data.)

As we can see, literacy rates tend to be much higher in countries where people tend to have more years of education; and as average years of education go up in a country, literacy rates also go up.

Countries with high literacy rates also tend to have higher results in the basic literacy tests included in the DHS surveys (this is a test that requires survey respondents to read a sentence showed to them). As we can see in the chart, there is obviously noise, but these two variables are closely related.

When census data is not available, a common method used to estimate literacy is to calculate the share of people who could sign official documents (e.g. court documents, marriage certificates, etc).¹¹

As the researcher Jeremiah Dittmar explains, this approach only gives a lower bound of the estimates because the number of people who could read was higher than the number who could write.

Indeed, other methods have been proposed, in order to rely on historical estimates of people who could read. For example, researchers Eltjo Buringh and Jan Luiten van Zanden deduce literacy rates from estimated per capita book consumption. ¹² As Buringh and Van Zanden show, their estimates based on book consumption are different, but still fairly close to alternative estimates based on signed documents.

Data: Literacy rate for the entire population

Geographical coverage: Global - by country

Time span: 2011 or most recent earlier estimate (in some cases going back several decades)

Available here

Data: Literacy rate (for youths (15-24), adults (15+) and the elderly population (65+))

Geographical coverage: Global - by country

Time span: Since 1975 - scattered and far from annual data

Available at: It is online here, and it is visualized here.

The UNDP's Human Development Report data is here, and UNICEF publishes data on literacy rate here.

Older older publications including data on literacy rates are:
UNESCO (2002) - Estimated Illiteracy Rate and Illiterate Population Aged 15 Years and Older by Country, 1970-2015, Paris.
UNESCO (1970) - Literacy 1967-1969 Progress Achieved in Literacy Throughout the World. Paris (1970)
UNESCO (1957) - World illiteracy at mid-century - A Statistical Study, Paris.
UNESCO (1953) - Progress of literacy in various countries - A Preliminary Statistical Study of Available Census Data since 1900, Paris.

Data: Literacy rate

Geographical coverage: Global - by country (not by region). There are almost no data for rich industrialized countries - only for developing countries.

Time span: Since 1975 - scattered

Available at:

This data is taken from the UNESCO.

Data: Literacy rate

Geographical coverage: Mostly Western Europe

Time span: 19th and 20th century

Available at: Two important publications are: Peter Flora (1983 & 1987) - State, Economy, and Society in Western Europe 1815-1975: A Data Handbook in two Volumes. Frankfurt, New York: Campus; London: Macmillan Press; Chicago: St. James Press and Peter Flora (1973) - Historical processes of social mobilization: urbanization and literacy, 1850-1965. In S.N. Eisenstadt, S. Rokkan (Eds.), Building States and Nations: Models and Data Resources, Sage, London, pp. 213-258.

Data: Illiteracy rate (percent of adult population)

Geographical coverage: Latin American countries

Time span: Since 1900

Available at: Online here

Data: Measures of numeracy and literacy competence

Geographical coverage: 24 OECD countries

Time span: no time series dimension - only 2012

Available at: Online here

Presents the initial results of the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Being able to read and write opens up the world of education and knowledge. When and why did more people become literate? How can progress continue?

# data[].attributes.body
English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Few things make a house feel like a home more than a good book and a perfectly organized reading nook. And if you're anything like us, some of your fondest childhood memories are of reading deep into the night by the dim glow of your night light.

But you probably also find yourself thinking you don't make enough time to read anymore. Well, maybe you just need a little inspiration and motivation. In this article, we put together 21 of the most page-turning reading statistics that are sure to rekindle your passion for the written word.

Let's dive right into these fascinating stats!

The Top 10 Reading Statistics and Facts

43 million US adults possess low literacy skills.

People aged 15-44 in the US spend 10 minutes or less per day reading.

27% of adults in the US didn't read a book in 2018.

The United States literacy rate positions the country as number 28 in the World Factbook.

6 additional minutes of reading per day can significantly improve kids' reading performance.

Children who read at least 20 minutes a day are exposed to almost 2 million words per year.

One out of every five children in the UK can't read at a satisfactory level by age 11.

Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age by up to 32%.

Reading fiction can make you a better decision-maker.

Reading increases emotional intelligence, and consequently, your career outlooks.

Statistics About Reading in the United States

In this section, we'll be looking at literacy rates and reading habits in the US specifically.

1. 43 million US adults possess low literacy skills.

Although the literacy rate in America is 99%, only 79% have a literacy skill level of 2 or higher, according to PIAAC (Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies). In practice, this means around 21% have difficulty completing "tasks that require comparing and contrasting information, paraphrasing, or making low-level inferences."

2. People aged 15-44 in the US spend 10 minutes or less per day reading.

(Bureau of Labor Statistics)

The time spent reading outside of work and school depends significantly on the age group we choose to observe. People aged 75 and older read over four times as much per day (44 minutes) as the younger generations.

3. There has been a decline in reading time among Americans from 23 minutes to 17 minutes per day.

(Washington Post)

Interestingly enough, 17 minutes per day is also the amount of fitness activity that an average US adult gets. Despite the benefits of reading, statistics show we're reading less and less every year. From 2004 to 2017, the average reading time of Americans dropped by six minutes.

Also, the percentage of Americans reading for pleasure on a given day plummeted from 28% to just 19%. Some age groups showed a greater decline than others, but none of them recorded an increase in reading time over the analyzed period.

4. Teenage reading statistics show over 80% of them don't read for pleasure on a daily basis.

Research from the American Psychological Association confirms what you probably already suspected. Teenagers spend way more time on social media than they do reading.

But other media saw dips as well. From 2010 to 2018, teenagers spent less time reading and watching TV. Digital media is displacing most of the other leisure activities that used to be typical for the age group.

5. 27% of adults in the US didn't read a book in 2018.

(Pew Research Center)

Book reading statistics show adults without higher education are the least likely to have read a book. 44% of Americans with a high school degree or less surveyed in early 2019 hadn't read a book in the last 12 months. Education level seems to be strongly correlated with time spent reading.

In contrast, 92% of college-educated adults in the US reported reading a book during the same period. Reading habits also seem to increase in lockstep with household income.

6. The average number of books read per year by an American is 12.

(Pew Research Center)

If you're wondering how many books the average American reads annually, this is your answer. Although some of these facts about reading may appear grim, Americans still read a fair amount of books. The average for women in the US is 14 books in a year, while the median across all populations is four per year.

So, if you read more than four books a year, you're reading more than half the country.

7. In terms of literacy rate, the USA ranks 125th out of 194 nations.

(World Atlas)

This is concerning given that the US is considered a first-world country. Literacy rates are difficult to standardize, and the most widely accepted definition is the percentage of the population over 15 who can read and write. Some sources rank the US much lower based on reading behaviors and supporting readers' resources, such as libraries.

Fun Facts About Reading and Kids

Here, we'll be looking at childhood literacy rates and the reading habits of children.

8. 6 additional minutes of reading per day can significantly improve kids' reading performance.

(Renaissance)

When it comes to the importance of reading, statistics show that a little reading goes a long way. Case in point: the difference in reading habits between children who meet the grade-level benchmarks and those who don't amounts to just 6 minutes per day.

9. The benefits of reading to children, statistics show, include increased activation in certain brain regions.

Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics examined the link between brain activity in young children and home reading exposure. They found a strong association between children being read to and activation in areas involved in language development.

10. Children who read at least 20 minutes a day are exposed to almost 2 million words per year.

(Every Child Reads)

In contrast, kids who read at home for five minutes a day will hear only 282,000 words per year. But that's not all.

Kids who engage in reading 20 minutes a day, statistics show, are likely to score better than 90% of their peers on standardized tests.

11. Exposing kids to e-books could increase average reading levels by up to 8.4 months.

(National Literacy Trust)

According to a National Literacy Trust study, access to an e-book platform also improved kids' reading comprehension. The number of boys who thought reading was difficult dropped from 28% at the start of the study, to 15.9% by its end.

Furthermore, the percentage of children involved in the study who enjoyed reading books on paper jumped from 10% to 40%.

12. Reading statistics show 83% of children who are read aloud to love it or like it a lot.

(Scholastic)

The same research also showed that read-aloud time is on the rise. In 2014, the percentage of parents who read to their child before their first year was 73%. In 2018, that percentage went up to 77%.

In one of the most heart-warming facts about reading to your child, over 80% of both kids and parents saw read-aloud time as a positive experience. Most parents (over 92%) reported reading aloud is a special time between them and their kids.

13. One out of every five children in the UK can't read at a satisfactory level by age 11.

(The Reading Agency)

18% of kids in the UK at the age of 15 don't have a proficient literacy level, according to statistics about reading in the UK. In Northern Ireland, this percentage is 15%, in Wales, it is 21%. In Scotland, the percentage of 15-year-olds without a proficient literacy level is also 18%.

Interesting Facts About Reading and Mental Health

Reading can greatly impact your mental health. In this section, we look at how exactly reading can better your life.

14. Reading for as little as 30 minutes a week can produce greater life satisfaction.

(Quick Reads)

According to a study from the University of Liverpool, respondents who described themselves as readers were 10% more likely than non-readers to report adequate levels of self-esteem. The percentage increases to 18% if we only observe those who read for 30 minutes a week or more.

Other stats about reading for 30 minutes or more per week included a 21% higher chance of significantly broadening one's general knowledge. And people reading at least this much were 27% more likely to find it easy to start a conversation.

15. Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age by up to 32%.

In a study of 294 people, researchers discovered the importance of reading in senior years. People who engaged in mentally stimulating activities later in life experienced less cognitive decline.

However, researchers discovered even more impressive early-life reading facts. Keeping the mind active in childhood, adolescence, and middle age also contributed to a slower mental decline rate.

16. Reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.

(University of Minnesota, TLC)

Statistics about reading benefits often mention stress relief, but there are some limitations. For instance, the stress-relieving effects of reading are counterbalanced if you read something that makes you feel angry or helpless, such as negative news.

According to studies, reading offers even better stress reduction than some of the other popular methods, such as listening to music or exercise. Likewise, health and wellness statistics show that 30 minutes of reading can also lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of psychological distress.

17. Reading stats show that 50% of people who read before bed report sleeping better than non-readers.

(SleepJunkie)

Before you start self-diagnosing the causes of your lack of sleep, try a good book before bed. A bedtime reading ritual is an excellent way to wind down and prepare for sleep, with over 96% of bedtime readers recommending the habit to others.

Just make sure that you are not reading on your phone or laptop, as has been shown to suppress melatonin production, which leads to sleep irregularities.

Career-Boosting Statistics About Reading and Success

Here, we'll be looking at how reading can affect your chances of success.

18. Reading fiction can make you a better decision-maker, according to reading statistics in the world.

(Taylor and Francis)

If you want to become better at making decisions quickly, researchers say, abandon the need for cognitive closure. One way to do that? Read fiction.

Researchers from the University of Toronto found that participants were better at processing information and accepting ambiguity after reading fictional short stories.

19. 86% of people with an annual household income of $75,000 a year read at least one book every year.

Reading facts show those who earn more also read more. As opposed to the highest-earning households, only 70% of those earning less than $30,000 a year reported reading at least one book a year.

20. Reading facts and statistics show that teenagers who read in their leisure time know 26% more words than those who don't.

One of the key benefits of reading is expanding your vocabulary. Teenagers whose habits were tracked since birth for a study showed that those who grew up in book-loving homes knew 42% more words than those who didn't.

A broad vocabulary is a crucial skill for success. It allows for smooth communication and is a prerequisite for leadership, regardless of your profession.

21. Reading increases emotional intelligence, and consequently, your career outlooks.

One of the reading benefits, statistics show, is that fiction readers are more likely to show high levels of empathy and emotional intelligence than non-readers. Emotional intelligence is a key factor in how likable people find you to be.

Furthermore, another study from the APA found that hiring managers prefer candidates who are likable to those who are overly self-promotional.

The takeaway: reading more fiction could help you land your dream job.

Conclusion

Hopefully, some of these reading statistics for 2022 made it apparent just how important it is to start reading early and retain the habit throughout your life. And it's important to remember that it's never too late to become an avid reader.

It's hard to find any area of your life that won't be improved with more reading-from overall life satisfaction to a better career outlook; reading opens many doors regardless of your current situation.

So, if you're looking to keep your mind healthy, snuggle under a fluffy comforter and grab your favorite book!

FAQ

How many books does the average person read in a year?

If we're discussing reading in America, statistics show that the average person reads 12 books per year. However, the median number of books read per year is four, meaning half the country reads fewer than four books per year.

(Pew Research Center)

What are the three most-read books in the world?

Although it's difficult to know precisely how many people are reading these books, sales volumes provide a reasonable approximation. Over the last 50 years, the best-selling book has been the Bible, with almost four billion copies sold.

Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung took second place with 820 million copies. The combined books of the Harry Potter series came in third with 400 million copies.

According to Bible reading statistics in the US, 24% of Americans read the Bible for an hour or more every day.

(Business Insider)

When do kids learn to read?

Typically, children learn to read by the age of six or seven. However, every child will develop slightly differently, and creating healthy reading habits is more important than achieving any hypothetical milestones.

(Healthy Children)

How fast does the average American read?

A Staples-sponsored speed-reading test showed that the average adult in the US reads at a speed of 300 words per minute. Compare that to the fastest reader in the world, who can read a jaw-dropping 4,700 words per minute.

Do CEOs really read 60 books a year?

Contrary to popular belief, CEOs aren't necessarily the voracious readers they're made out to be. There's no definitive proof about the number of books the average CEO reads, but a few remarkable examples have created a mystique about CEOs' reading habits.

Bill Gates, for instance, claims to read over 50 books a year. Warren Buffer, another bibliophile, reportedly reads over 500 pages a day of various written materials.

Which country reads the most?

India, according to information from the NOP World Culture Score Index.

People in India spend just under 11 hours a week reading, on average. That's about one day a week dedicated entirely to reading.

Thailand comes in second with 9 hours and 24 minutes per week, according to reading statistics.

Sources:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
21 Captivating Reading Statistics and Facts for 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Few things make a house feel like a home more than a good book and a perfectly organized reading nook. And if you're anything like us, some of your fondest childhood memories are of reading deep into the night by the dim glow of your night light.

# data[].attributes.headline
Definition of Literacy (Education Alberta)

# data[].attributes.subject
Definition of Literacy (Education Alberta)

# data[].attributes.body
English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Literacy has traditionally been thought of as reading and writing. Although these are essential components of literacy, today our understanding of literacy encompasses much more. Alberta Education defines literacy as the ability, confidence and willingness to engage with language to acquire, construct and communicate meaning in all aspects of daily living. Language is explained as a socially and culturally constructed system of communication.

Literacy with Young Children

From the moment child is born, his or her literacy journey begins. Children's literacy abilities are nurtured through their families and communities. Examples are

the infant smiling or crying to communicate their needs to a parent

the toddler forming their first words

a young child interpreting the symbols around them

a preschooler singing a song and

a parent and child laughing over a story

Literacy with School-age Children

As children enter the school system, there is a strong focus on the development of reading and writing skills. Children engage in learning opportunities that have them interacting with many different forms of text, in print and digital forms, using words, visuals and graphics. Students begin to learn

the rules of language

how to acquire information, evaluate it, and ethically use it

how to construct meaning from various kinds of text and

how to communicate effectively

As students move through the school system, they continue to refine all of their foundational skills as they explore a wider variety of texts and technologies. The vast amounts of information that are available through both print and the Internet and the ability to communicate with wide and varied audiences around the globe have expanded the ways our students read and communicate. Literacy for our students today also means preparing them to be critical and ethical consumers of information.

Where Does Literacy Instruction Take Place?

Literacy development does not take place in just the Language Arts classroom. It is a shared responsibility among all educators. Although specific knowledge and skills are taught primarily in Language Arts, every subject area teacher is responsible for further developing, strengthening and enhancing literacy. Every subject area has its own unique literacy demands. Content area teachers know their subject matter and their programs of study. They are aware of the literacy requirements of their subject and understand that it is through literacy that meaning is made within their subject area content. Students need to be taught how to read different kinds of text, write and express themselves in the formats associated with each subject, and use content-specific vocabulary.

Literacy development occurs not only in school but in every aspect of daily life. We interact with others when we have a conversation. We read maps, advertisements, newspapers, recipes, manuals and websites. We analyze and interpret vast amount of media information. We write poems, songs, reports, blogs, and emails. Literacy opens the door to the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To succeed in a complex and changing world, students need strong literacy and numeracy skills. As well as being able to read, write and solve mathematical problems, they need to use language and quantitative or spatial information to guide their decisions.

# data[].attributes.body
Français (site de Belgique)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
L'alphabétisation, c'est apprendre à lire, écrire et calculer.

Mais c'est aussi, pour Lire et Écrire, acquérir des outils pour comprendre le monde et y agir socialement, culturellement, politiquement.

L'alphabétisation s'adresse à toute personne adulte, sans distinction d'âge, de race, de sexe, de religion, de culture et d'origine sociale, ne sachant pas ou peu lire et écrire, ou ne maitrisant pas, et ce dans aucune langue, les compétences et savoirs de base correspondant au niveau de fin d'étude primaires.

Notre vision de l'alphabétisation

Pour Lire et Écrire, l'alphabétisation n'est pas une fin en soi. Il s'agit toujours d'apprendre à lire pour : pour aider les enfants, pour trouver du travail, pour sortir de chez soi, pour entrer dans la société, mais aussi pour se débrouiller seul, pour être libre, pour mieux comprendre le monde, pour aller voter, pour savoir se défendre..., comme nous le disent les apprenants.
Alphabétiser, c'est donner des outils - parmi d'autres - pour comprendre le monde, pour s'y situer, pour développer ses capacités d'analyse et de réflexion critique, pour y agir socialement, économiquement, culturellement et politiquement.
À qui s'adresse l'alpha à Lire et Écrire?

Nos actions d'alphabétisation s'adressent à toutes les personnes adultes analphabètes et illettrées. Des, hommes et des femmes, jeunes et âgées, belges et étrangères... qui ne savent pas ou mal lire et écrire.

Elles n'ont jamais été à l'école, ou n' y ont été que quelques années, ou y ont été plus longtemps mais sans y acquérir les savoirs de base correspondant au niveau de fin de scolarité primaire. Et ce dans aucune langue : ni en français, ni dans leur langue maternelle, ni dans leur langue de scolarité.

L'alphabétisation, une action (inter)culturelle

Travaillant sur la langue, sur la parole et sur le livre, l'alphabétisation est en soi un acte culturel. S'adressant à un public multiculturel et de milieu populaire, souvent précarisé, toujours déconsidéré, l'alphabétisation ne peut faire l'économie ni des questions de la (re)connaissance des différentes cultures en présence dans nos actions et dans notre société ni des questions "culture dominante/culture dominée", "culture populaire/culture savante".

Il s'agit d'aborder l'alphabétisation non comme acquisition d'une culture savante dominante au détriment d'une culture populaire dominée mais bien dans le cadre d'un travail interculturel de compréhension et d'analyse des enjeux en présence. Exister dans sa propre culture est un enjeu essentiel pour pouvoir reconnaître celle de l'autre et ne pas développer de stratégies de repli.

Il s'agit également, au-delà du groupe en formation, d'amener chacun à de nouvelles découvertes et participation culturelles. De nombreux domaines culturels (théâtre, cinéma, peinture, photo...) n'exigent pas de savoir lire et/ou écrire. Or, les difficultés d'accès à la lecture et l'écriture engendrent, dans la majorité des cas, une large exclusion de la culture, renforcée par la précarité sociale de bon nombre de personnes.

Il s'agit enfin de proposer à chacun non seulement d'être un spectateur actif, ou même un acteur, mais d'être auteur de sa vie et de sa culture : de participer au processus de création. Dans une société où la culture écrite a supplanté la culture orale, c'est un enjeu important que des personnes illettrées trouvent dans l'environnement culturel une place à part entière tant comme "spectateur", et "acteur" que comme "auteur" et que l'alphabétisation permette une réelle appropriation de l'écrit soit la capacité de l'utiliser comme moyen d'expression et de création.

Aussi, nous travaillons

Au développement d'une réelle dynamique de groupe interculturelle

À la découvertes et appropriation des bibliothèques, des musées, des centres culturels...mais aussi du théâtre, du cinéma...

Au développement d'espaces d'expression et de création : ateliers d'écriture, ateliers photos...

L'alphabétisation, pour exercer ses droits sociaux

Les apprenants entament fréquemment un processus d'alphabétisation pour "ne plus se laisser avoir", "connaître leurs droits", "suivre la scolarité des enfants", ou même "avoir la garde de ses enfants"...

Les difficultés de maîtrise de l'écrit renforcent gravement la précarité des personnes concernées : documents administratifs non traités, factures non payées, documents signés à l'aveugle et conduisant au surendettement où aux abus de droit, difficultés d'accès au logement, etc.

Ces difficultés renforcent également leur dépendance vis-à-vis d'un tiers (conjoint, enfant, voisins, assistant social...). Pour les adultes migrants, la précarité est également souvent relative au statut administratif, aux procédures qui y mènent et aux politiques qui les sous-tendent.

En apprenant à parler, lire, écrire, calculer...à partir des situations problèmes concrètement rencontrées et des documents reçus, nos actions d'alphabétisation permettent de lutter contre la dépendance, renforcer l'autonomie et la confiance en soi. C'est bien entendu un enjeu fondamental.

Mais il ne s'agit pas uniquement de savoir lire ou remplir certains documents, il s'agit aussi, au-delà du vécu, de comprendre de quoi il retourne et de pouvoir agir sur sa situation, ce qui implique que nous travaillions également dans nos actions d'alphabétisation sur le large champ de la connaissance de ses droits et des fonctionnements de la justice, de la santé, des syndicats...et d'analyse des mécanismes socio-économiques qui régissent la société et induisent les exclusions.

L'alphabétisation, pour exercer ses droits politiques

"Ne plus se laisser avoir", obtenir l'application de ses droits sociaux implique de développer une participation politique à la vie de la cité. La difficulté d'accès à la lecture et l'écriture engendre des phénomènes d'exclusion de participation citoyenne et de la vie politique, sans compter qu'une part importante de notre public n'a pas le droit de vote.

Il s'agit d'apprendre à prendre la parole et à exprimer un point de vue. Mais aussi de connaître les structures politiques, institutionnelles et associatives ainsi que de leurs modes de fonctionnement et d'appréhender le fonctionnement démocratique...

L'alphabétisation, pour accéder à la connaissance et l'information

Pouvoir accéder à l'information - ou plus tôt à une information diversifiée, contradictoire, permettant l'analyse - et pouvoir accéder à la connaissance pour mieux comprendre le monde et son environnement sont aujourd'hui des enjeux essentiels, tant pour les formateurs que pour les apprenants. Il s'agit de pouvoir se situer dans un environnement social et politique, mais aussi technologique, dans un contexte d'évolution rapide.

Atteindre cet objectif implique bien évidemment de travailler à l'acquisition des savoirs de base. Difficile en effet de se documenter sans savoir réellement lire et écrire, sans maîtriser les mathématiques de base, l'utilisation critique d'Internet...des savoirs scientifiques indispensables pour comprendre un tant soi peu l'actualité quotidienne au niveau environnemental : OGM, grippe aviaire, réchauffement climatique...et dépasser nos savoirs de consommateurs pour des savoirs d'acteurs.

Les activités que nous développons dans ce cadre portent sur la lecture et l'analyse des médias (presse écrite, Internet, TIC...), la maîtrise d'outils de compréhensions mathématiques et scientifiques, le développement durable...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
L'alphabétisation, c'est apprendre à lire, écrire et calculer. Mais c'est aussi, pour Lire et Écrire, acquérir des outils pour comprendre le monde et y agir socialement, culturellement, politiquement.

# data[].attributes.headline
Do you have a library card? Avez-vous une carte de bibliothèque?

# data[].attributes.subject
Do you have a library card? Avez-vous une carte de bibliothèque?

# data[].attributes.body
Visit a public library to borrow books, ebooks, audio books, graphic novels, children's books and more!

Visitez une bibliothèque publique pour emprunter des livres, livres numériques, livres audio, romans graphiques, livres pour enfants et plus encore!

# data[].attributes.body
This article was published at the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020), when many librariries were closed, but it gives a great idea of what services are offered by public libraries around the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Public libraries may be physically shuttered across the country right now, but the incredible value delivered by library systems will become more obvious than ever over the next weeks and months, with so many Canadians in quarantine, self-isolation or just staying close to home.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the first free, tax-supported public libraries were established in Canada in 1883 in Saint John, Guelph and Toronto. There was a big boom in public libraries in the first two decades of the 20th century thanks to the Andrew Carnegie grants - and then again in the 1960s and 1970s.

But the major expansion in recent decades has been in terms of online infrastructure rather than physical infrastructure - and most public libraries now offer access to a wealth of resources that includes not just e-books and audiobooks, but also apps, courses and streaming services.

Here's a snapshot of what's available from four public-library systems right now - and don't worry, if you don't already have a library card or have let yours expire, many systems have been setting up ways to sign up new users from home since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

Canada's largest city has the largest public-library system in the country - and, likewise, perhaps the best overall suite of resources accessible from home to cardholders. As of writing this, unfortunately, TPL could not accommodate new library-card registrations with its physical locations shut down.

E-book and audiobooks: As with many other library systems elsewhere in Ontario, in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, TPL allows members to check out and read or listen to e-books and audiobooks through the Libby App available from the Apple App Store or Google Play. No need to own a special e-reader or download a separate app.

Libby provides access to content from OverDrive, a digital distributor that works with a network of 43,000 libraries and schools in 75 countries. For popular titles, of course, you will have to place a hold, just as you would for a physical book.

But TPL also delivers guaranteed immediate access to certain works through two collections for the suddenly stir-crazy. OverDrive's Always Available Audio has no waiting list and lets listeners hear, for example, classics such as Little Women or thrillers by David Baldacci.

The 7 Day Loan Collection, meanwhile, allows members to skip the queue to access some high-demand books - the caveat, as the name suggests, being that you have to finish it in a week and there is no option to renew. This collection includes all the James Patterson and Danielle Steele you could ever desire, as well as The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and the Trump administration insider exposé A Warning by Anonymous.

Video: Kanopy, also accessible through library systems in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary and the Fraser Valley, is a popular streaming service for "thoughtful entertainment" (current curated sections include: Global Health Insights; World Cinema Spotlight: South Korea; and Pioneering Black Filmmakers). TPL cardholders usually get up to eight plays a month, but, in light of COVID-19, Kanopy is currently offering certain film and television content that does not count toward the limits, including unlimited access to Kanopy Kids (which includes Arthur and Sesame Street).

Other streaming services TPL offers free access to are Hoopla (four free plays of movies and TV shows a month) and Medici.tv (unlimited streaming of classical concerts, opera and ballet, including performances by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Toronto's Opera Atelier).

Information: If you're looking for up-to-date trusted information beyond The Globe and Mail, TPL lets cardholders read newspapers and magazines through Press Reader (The LA Times, the Postmedia papers), RBDigital Magazines (The New Yorker, The Economist) and Flipster Magazines (Maclean's, Chatelaine).

Calgarians not already holding library cards can sign up for memberships on the Calgary Public Library website so that they can immediately start accessing resources from home - many of which are the same as described in the section on TPL above.

Online learning: Mary Kapusta, director of communications at CPL, writes that "People are always shocked that they can access online learning resources like Lynda.com, Gale Courses, and Rosetta Stone [the language learning software] for free with their library card."

Lynda.com has more than 3,500 video tutorial courses on useful skills such as web design, software development and video editing, while Gale Courses are more interactive and instructor-led and fall under headings such as Accounting and Finance or Law and Legal.

CPL also provides access to a number of learning resources specifically for Albertan kids, who will find them especially useful while schools are closed. Brainfuse is an online tutoring service that is is "aligned with the Alberta curriculum for students in Grade 2 to Grade 12," while Solaro is an online resource that helps Alberta students from Grade 3 to 12 prepare for exams.

The Great Courses, available through Kanopy, delivers popular history lessons in broad strokes ( Turning Points in Modern History, ranging from 1433 to 2004, in 24 episodes) or deep dives ( The French Revolution, in 48 episodes). Other episodes teach "money management skills" or "how to draw," as well as more immediately applicable skills for the housebound such as yoga and cooking.

Everyone living in Nova Scotia can now get access to the Halifax Public Libraries's e-Library suite of resources; as of March 19, HPL had set up online registration forms for temporary library cards.

For the youngest: Like all other public libraries, HPL has special resources for children - and that doesn't stop just because in-person storytime has been cancelled. Tumblebooks features more than 300 "animated, talking picture books that kids can read or listen to online."

Squiggle Park, meanwhile, is an app designed for kids in pre-Kindergarten to Grade 2 that will teach literacy skills through play involving monsters and games. According to the HPL website, it's been "proven to help kids master reading skills five times faster than other teaching methods with only 30 minutes of play per week."

Vancouver Public Library, www.vpl.ca

As of writing this, the Vancouver Public Library was setting up new accounts over the phone - and working an online process to get cards for non-cardholders.

Specialty streaming services: While its resources overlap with many of the library systems described above, the VPL provides lucky Vancouverites access to a couple of unique streaming services.

Acorn TV is a slightly under-the-radar one that Globe critic John Doyle recently celebrated for its "adult, eclectic diversions." Some of his recent picks on this platform were The Truth Will Out, a Swedish crime drama, and Care, a British drama with enormous power. A VPL card will also get you access to IndieFlix, which focuses on independent film from around the world.

Expand your mind and build your reading list with the Books newsletter. Sign up today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
things to do at home because of coronavirus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
With a library card, here's what you can access and stream from home, from Halifax to Toronto, Calgary to Vancouver

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Public libraries may be physically shuttered across the country right now, but the incredible value delivered by library systems will become more obvious than ever over the next weeks and months, with so many Canadians in quarantine, self-isolation or just staying close to home.

# data[].attributes.headline
British Council: Why do we still need public libraries?

# data[].attributes.subject
British Council: Why do we still need public libraries?

# data[].attributes.body
(in English)
Libraries need to evolve to meet 21st century's reality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
After years of declining visitor numbers, libraries are experiencing a resurgence of interest and investment. The British Council's Tomas Doherty explains how libraries have adapted to new trends in how we read, work and socialise, as the British Council library in Dhaka reopens on 20 September. Technology has changed the way we consume media
Libraries have always been at the heart of the communities they serve. They are accessible and safe spaces, providing access to huge resources of information and knowledge. There are an estimated 315,000 public libraries in the world, 73 per cent of them in developing and transitioning countries. The public library transcends national and cultural boundaries -- no matter where you are in the world, they are an essential part of creating and maintaining an educated and literate population.

But today, public libraries are at a turning point. The way we access and consume information has changed dramatically in the 21st century, and this presents major challenges and opportunities for public library systems across the world.

The advent of new technologies has changed some of our reading habits. But our need for shared, community-centred spaces to find information and connect with others is unlikely to change any time soon. To survive in the digital age and stay relevant, public libraries need to be brave and innovative. They must embrace both the physical and virtual.
Libraries must offer more than just books
Regular visitors to libraries expect them to continue to provide the services they have provided for many years. And rightly so -- the 'traditional' library of books, journals and quiet reading spaces shouldn't just disappear. But libraries also need to respond quickly to real changes in how people live their lives.

In the UK, with heightened pressure on public expenditure and lowering visitor numbers, the traditional library system has come under more scrutiny. Why maintain expensive-to-run 'physical' libraries when growing numbers of people can already access the information they need from any location? As a result, in recent years public libraries have been threatened with closure across all parts of the country.

But there has also been a major rethink in the UK as to how exactly the library should be serving the public, and what the library of the future could and should look like. Last year, the Arts Council England published a wide-ranging and detailed piece of research, Envisioning the library of the future, aiming to answer these very questions. As well as emphasising the need for the physical and the digital to sit side by side, it finds that the 21st century public library service will be one in which "local people are more active and involved in its design and delivery." A sense of community, always a defining feature of libraries, has renewed importance.
People in developing countries like Bangladesh need access to reliable information
In lower-income countries, like Bangladesh, the context for libraries is different but some of the same challenges remain. Bangladesh itself is a small country with a huge population, estimated at around 162 million people. There are high rates of poverty and illiteracy, especially in rural areas. According to the World Bank, 43 per cent of the total adult population is illiterate, with a disproportionate number female. Internet penetration in Bangladesh is only 22 per cent, 10 per cent less than the global average.

Bangladesh urgently needs greater access to reliable information for all its citizens. Not only do they need vital information about health, safety, nutrition and public services, but they also want opportunities to develop their literacy, learn skills for employability, and take part in collective educational and cultural activities. In Bangladesh, information is essential to survive and prosper - and lacking the right information can lead to worsening economic poverty.

With the right investment, libraries could be well-placed to provide some of that knowledge and those opportunities to communities all over Bangladesh. However, there's also a need for library services to go beyond the 'traditional'. An increasing digital divide (that has been shown to entrench both gender and class divisions), and ethnic and religious tensions continue unabated in some regions. Just like in the UK, Bangladesh has to rethink how libraries can better meet the needs of its people.
Bangladesh has plenty of libraries, but the quality of their services is inconsistent
Bangladesh's current library and information services provide access to information to varying degrees, but they are fragmented and unaligned in what they offer. For instance, there are 68 government public libraries, all in urban areas, which have long been in need of investment.

There many more non-governmental public libraries, around 1,000 spread across urban and rural areas. BRAC, the world's largest NGO, maintains a network of 2650 Gonokendros (multi-purpose community learning centres), mostly located in rural villages. About 10 per cent of these have internet connectivity.

The Bangladesh Government's Access to Information (a2i) programme has also set up a network of Union Information Service Centres (UISCs). These provide limited public internet access and operate in all 4,547 Union Parishads, the lowest tier of local government. Bangladesh's population is young, growing and ever-changing, so these services will have to find a way to adapt for the future.
Bangladesh's economy is improving fast
Bangladesh has gone through a period of unprecedented economic change over the last two decades, with growth averaging at around five to six per cent year-on-year. The country has been named by Goldman Sachs as one of its 'next 11' emerging economies. This speedy development is likely to continue, but for everyone to take part in it and gain equally, the country will need broad-based access to information. Libraries should be at the centre of this.
The British Council has a long history of running libraries in South Asia
Historically, the British Council's international network of libraries played a vital role in educating a generation of leaders. In South Asia in particular, the libraries were, and continue to be, integral parts of the communities they serve. They provided access to a wide range of books and learning materials in the English language that were in limited supply elsewhere. In countries that were once isolated or had closed societies, like Burma, the British Council library was a venerated source of up-to-date information from the wider world.

In Bangladesh, people from all walks of life continue to speak with great respect and nostalgia about the role of the British Council library in their lives; the education it provided, the opportunities it created - many met their spouses there. The organisation first began to offer library services in Dhaka 60 years ago in 1954, in what was then known as East Pakistan. It later expanded to run branch libraries in the regional cities of Chittagong and Rajshahi. Today, there are British Council libraries in Dhaka and Chittagong, with more library services planned to open in Sylhet in early 2015.
Libraries have to modernise while staying true to the heart of what they offer
Like other library providers, the British Council has had to respond to lifestyle changes in the countries we work in. Our network of libraries has decreased in recent years, reflecting a global trend for fewer library visitors, with people more likely to read books and newspapers digitally, instead of on paper.

Our refurbished library in Dhaka will aim to bridge these two concepts, as it will be both a physical and a virtual space. As well as an updated physical collection of books, CDs and DVDs, the new library will provide users with remote access to over 80,000 e-books and 14,000 e-journals. The same quiet reading and study areas will be there for those who need it, but the library will be also be used as a cultural and social space where people can come together to watch theatre and film screenings, or take part in workshops, seminars, meetings, author talks and fashion events.

The concept of the library continues to hold a special place of importance in people's hearts - and recent developments, like the reinvention of the Library of Birmingham in the UK (which has two million visitors a year, and lends its digital collections to ten million people a year), have shown how a library can still be a huge source of pride.
The British Council has carried out a Library Landscape Assessment of Bangladesh, a year-long research project that aims for a complete understanding of what people in Bangladesh want from libraries and information services. The assessment supports the case for more investment and involves Bangladeshi government ministries, BRAC, and the Bengal Foundation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why do we still need public libraries in the digital age?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After years of declining visitor numbers, libraries are experiencing a resurgence of interest and investment. The British Council's Tomas Doherty explains how libraries have adapted to new trends in how we read, work and socialise, as the British Council library in Dhaka reopens on 20 September.

# data[].attributes.body
(Read the article in the May issue of Rotary Magazine)
(English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Unjudge someone - The Human Library Organization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Human Library® is, a library of people. We host events where readers can borrow human beings serving as open books and have conversations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Loan Stars: A Website to Help Find your Next Read (English)

# data[].attributes.subject
Loan Stars: A Website to Help Find your Next Read (English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Loan Stars is Canada's readers advisory service for Canadian library staff. Vote for favourite upcoming books in collaboration with BookNet's CataList site

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Come visit your new, beautifully renovated library. Masks are still recommended.

Hours:
Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 8 PM
Friday and Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM
Sunday, 12 to 4 PM

Curbside service will continue to be available. Patrons may place holds at ncls.org. Pickup will be available during our open hours at the garden entrance in fair weather and outside the Friends' bookstore in inclement weather.

Your library card gives you access to electronic resources, ebooks, audiobooks, and classes at every library in the NCLS system.

Financial Wellness w/ Alene: Fraud, How to Prevent it and React to it
2 Park St,Potsdam,13676,US Map

Key Bank Personal Banker Alene Dishman continues her Key Bank at Work Presentation with a discussion on how to prevent and react to fraud .

Between rising political tensions, economic uncertainty and technological advances fraud cases are on the rise across our nation. This discussion will help prepare you to recognize potential threats before they occur, respond to fraud in the event you or a loved one is victimized and recover from a fraud incident if you encounter one. This discussion will be great for adults at all stages of life and their financial journey. Protecting your assets is a 24/7 job most are not experienced or educated in. This discussion will help prepare our community members in the event they become targets of a fraudulent endeavor.

Village Writers Guild
2 Park St,Potsdam,13676,US Map

Weekly writing workshops hosted by Aubrey Slaterpryce

PPL's Aubrey Slaterpryce will host ongoing workshops structured after the Critical Response Process by Liz Lerman. Members will share their written projects, receive feedback, and engage in various prompts to help start the creative process. Feedback requires no outside work, focusing only on your observations in the moment.
Bring and share your original written work of any kind; poetry, fiction and nonfiction, stage and screenplays, or even a graphic novel you've been working on! More information on our blog!

Financial Wellness w/ Alene: Beginning Your Savings Journey
2 Park St,Potsdam,13676,US Map

Key Bank Personal Banker Alene Dishman continues her Key Bank at Work Presentation with a discussion on security through savings.

Holidays are a great time to make your finances a priority. With so many responsibilities and obligations this time of year, it is easy to overextend ourselves and spend the rest of the year recouping just to put ourselves through it all again next holiday season. This discussion will help us prepare for the impending holiday season this year while simultaneously managing finances at your own pace to avoid starting the new year with any regrets or new debts!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Come visit your new, beautifully renovated library. Masks are still recommended. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 8 PMFriday and Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PMSunday, 12 to 4 PM Curbside service will continue to be available. Patrons may place holds at ncls.org.

# data[].attributes.headline
Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System (New York State)

# data[].attributes.subject
Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System (New York State)

# data[].attributes.body
English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As New York State's Un-Pause continues, libraries will begin to roll out services to patrons in the safest manner possible. Below are the libraries that are currently offering augmented services and their hours. Please contact the library directly for details. Currently, additional reopening and services do not have a clear timeline and are dependent on the results of the State's guidance. Additionally, libraries will be taking precautions to ensure that any contaminates will not be spread via library materials, taking CDC recommendations into consideration. Please contact libraries directly if you would like to know what steps they are taking specifically.

To learn more about the COVID-19 coronavirus and what you can do to help stop it from spreading, check out our information guide at this link.

[CLICK TO READ MORE]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As New York State's Un-Pause continues, libraries will begin to roll out services to patrons in the safest manner possible. Below are the libraries that are currently offering augmented services and their hours. Please contact the library directly for details.

# data[].attributes.body
(English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Available 24/7 – Download a book, learn a language, get creative and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cornwall Public Library / Bibliothèque publique de Cornwall

# data[].attributes.subject
Cornwall Public Library / Bibliothèque publique de Cornwall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Unwind from school! In this after school program, we will play party games to help you unwind from school and socialize with friends. Each week, we'll go over the rules, break into teams & vote on upcoming games! This week's game is Co...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unwind from school! In this after school program, we will play party games to help you unwind from school and socialize with friends. Each week, we'll go over the rules, break into teams & vote on upcoming games! This week's game is Co...

# data[].attributes.body
English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Under the current provincial guidelines, the library is open with social distancing requirements in place for browsing and computer use. Curbside pickup of materials is still available if you prefer. P hotocopying, faxing and scanning services are also available.

Masks and social distancing are required.

Library materials (other than technology and/or equipment) can be returned in person or via our drop box on Railway Avenue.

To request curbside pickup, request materials, or for any other inquiries, please call 613-432-8151 ext 603, email info@renfrewlibrary.ca, or send a message through social media.

Thank you for your continued patience and support!

Your Doorway to Discovery!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Under the current provincial guidelines, the library is open with social distancing requirements in place for browsing and computer use. Curbside pickup of materials is still available if you prefer. P hotocopying, faxing and scanning services are also available. Masks and social distancing are required.

# data[].attributes.body
English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Brockville Public Library (BPL) was formally established in July 1895, an out-growth of the collections and services developed by the Brockville Mechanic's Institute.

The library was founded in 1842 with the purpose "to collect books of interest to clerks, apprentices and craftsmen; to sponsor lectures on a variety of subjects; and to conduct experiments in natural philosophy (essentially, physics and chemistry)", wrote Canadian Historian Ian MacPherson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Brockville Public Library (BPL) was formally established in July 1895, an out-growth of the collections and services developed by the Brockville Mechanic's Institute. The library was founded in 1842 with the purpose "to collect books of interest to clerks, apprentices and craftsmen; to sponsor lectures on a variety of subjects; and to conduct experiments in natural philosophy (essentially, physics and chemistry)", wrote Canadian Historian Ian MacPherson.

# data[].attributes.body
English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you thought about what will be most important to you if you become seriously ill or injured, or near the end of life? Who will speak for you if you are unable, and have you clearly communicated your beliefs, values, and wishes to them? Advance care planning helps you arrange for future care needs to ensure your directions will be respected and carried out.

Come to an online Compassionate Communities Kingston seminar on the second Tuesday of each month from Jan. 11 through May 10. Those who have attended previous sessions and have questions about advance care planning are always welcome to register for a new session!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you thought about what will be most important to you if you become seriously ill or injured, or near the end of life? Who will speak for you if you are unable, and have you clearly communicated your beliefs, values, and wishes to them?

# data[].attributes.headline
Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa

# data[].attributes.subject
Ottawa Public Library / Bibliothèque publique d'Ottawa

# data[].attributes.body
English / Français

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Masks are required to be worn inside Ottawa Public Library branches, as per the Temporary Mandatory Mask By-law. For information about Library cards, virtual programs, and more, contact InfoService by phone or email.

# data[].attributes.headline
BAnQ - Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec

# data[].attributes.subject
BAnQ - Bibliothèque et archives nationales du Québec

# data[].attributes.body
La Grande Bibliothèque est accessible à tous les résidents de a province de Québec (français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

# data[].attributes.body
Français

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bibliothèques Montréal - Pour aller plus loin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
COVID-19 Montréal est au palier vigilance (zone verte). S'informer

# data[].attributes.body
Français

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Facilement accessibles et polyvalentes, les 9 bibliothèques de Laval offrent activités, documents et services variés. Laval compte 9 bibliothèques réparties dans toute la ville. En plus de bénéficier du prêt de documents (papier, audiovisuel et numérique), on peut s’y initier aux technologies, assis…

# data[].attributes.headline
To Celebrate the International Convention in Singapore (May 2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
To Celebrate the International Convention in Singapore (May 2024)

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some authors from Singapore to discover - or read again!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a Singaporean living abroad, something you lose count of is the number of times you've been asked about chewing gum. You explain for the nth time that yes, it is illegal to import gum into Singapore, and while addressing the inevitable questions that follow (no, you will not be arrested for bringing a stick of gum through customs, yes, dental gum can be obtained from dentists), you go through the list of things you wish you could talk about instead.

You wish you could talk about the hawker food, the way your friends are evangelical about their favorite chicken rice stalls, the split between those who believe rice should be subtly flavored and those who prefer each grain slicked and coated in yellow chicken fat. You wish you could talk about the government campaigns whose posters and mascots chart the years of your childhood: the National Courtesy Campaign; the Speak Good English Movement; the Clean & Green Initiative. You wish you could talk about the time you were watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as a teenager and everyone in the movie theater cheered when Chow Yun Fat said "Welcome to Singapore." How it felt like a sudden shock to have the name of your little country, a country the size of New York City, to be said on screen in a big budget Hollywood movie. How it made you wonder, many years later, why it should feel like a shock at all.

Only one of the five novels on this list, Sharlene Teo's Ponti, is actually set in Singapore. But I believe that Singapore shimmers beneath the surface of the geographically varied, otherworldly settings of the remaining four.

A Singaporean writer myself, it wasn't until asked by an interviewer about how growing up in Singapore had influenced my work that I realized I'd been writing about home all along. My own novel, Suicide Club, is set in a dystopian, near future New York, where life expectancies average 300 years. But the ideas it deals with-state paternalism, metric-driven notions of success and the darker side of meritocracy-had all been deeply inspired by my upbringing. Thea Lim similarly attributes the themes of loss in her novel, An Ocean of Minutes, to Singapore's racing modernity and what often feels like a tenuous relationship with the past; to the unsettling way old buildings and streets back home have a habit of vanishing without a trace.

Amongst the novels on this list, you will find a historical drama set in early Maoist China, a time-traveling love story that takes place in virulent flu-swept America, a silkpunk universe where genders are not assigned at birth. In 2018, Singaporean writers are tackling topics of loss, familial love, memory, female friendships. And I am happy to say that no one is writing about chewing gum.
Clarissa Goenawan, Rainbirds
(Soho Press)
Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan's dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man's path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister's murder.

Named one of 2018's most anticipated reads by The Huffington Post and Bustle, Rainbirds "evokes the simple joys of early Haruki Murakami" ( amNewYork) and is "a soulful whodunit full of deadpan humor and whimsical narrative unpredictability" ( Kirkus Reviews).
Kirsten Chen, Bury What We Cannot Take
(Little A)
Set against the backdrop of 1950s China, Bury What We Cannot Take tells the story of a family forced to flee their home after a nine-year-old boy reports his grandmother vandalizing a framed portrait of Chairman Mao.

Bury What We Cannot Take has been named one of 2018's most anticipated reads by Electric Literature, The Millions, The Rumpus, Harper's Bazaar, and InStyle. Celeste Ng calls it "an engrossing historical drama and a nuanced exploration of how far the bonds of familial love can stretch."
Thea Lim, An Ocean of Minutes
(Touchstone)
In 1981 a deadly flu pandemic flays America, and to pay for her lover Frank's treatment, Polly takes a job elsewhere: the future. But when Polly reaches 1998, she'll have to risk everything to find Frank again. An Ocean of Minutes asks: how much does it cost to hold on to the past, and how much does it cost to let go?

A "strikingly imaginative time-travel story" (Elan Mastai), An Ocean of Minutes has been likened to The Time Traveler's Wife and Station Eleven.
JY Yang, The Descent of Monsters (The Tensorate Series)
(Tor)
The third novella in Yang's silkpunk fantasy world of The Tensorate Series, The Descent of Monsters follows an investigation into atrocities committed at a classified research facility that threaten to expose secrets that the Protectorate will do anything to keep hidden.

Lauded as "joyously wild stuff" by The New York Times, the Tensorate Series has been described as "full of love and loss, confrontation and discovery" (Ken Liu) and "wonderfully imaginative and original" (Aliette de Bodard). One of the earlier novellas in the series, The Black Tides of Heaven, has been nominated for a 2018 Nebula Award.
Sharlene Teo, Ponti
(Simon & Schuster)
Set in Singapore, Ponti is the story of three women: 16-year-old Szu; her mother Amisa, a once beautiful actress; and Circe, Szu's unlikely friend and confidant. Spanning five decades of their interconnected lives, Ponti is about a book about friendship, memory, and how we change.

The winner of the inaugural Deborah Rogers Writers Award in 2016, Ponti has been called "remarkable" by awarding judge Ian McEwan and compared to novels of Zadie Smith and Elena Ferrante. Tash Aw raves: "Sharlene Teo has produced not just a singular debut, but a milestone in South East Asian literature."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Novels by Singaporean Writers You Should Read

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a Singaporean living abroad, something you lose count of is the number of times you've been asked about chewing gum. You explain for the nth time that yes, it is illegal to import gum into Singa...

# data[].attributes.body
Voici une liste de titres ayant des auteurs de Singapour, ou encore une mention de Singapour (en français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

romans policiers et polars

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

&nbsp

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Découvrez sur Babelio.com livres et les auteurs sur le thème singapour. Le maître de fengshui perd le nord de Nury Vittachi ,Le Hussard sur le toit de Jean Giono ,Koko de Peter Straub ,Les braises de Sándor Márai ,Pêcheur d'Islande de Pierre Loti ,

# data[].attributes.body
La revue des librairies indépendantes au Québec et ailleurs au Canada (en français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Staff Recommendations, Week of April 5, 2022

# data[].attributes.body
(English)
April 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is an absolutely jam-packed book release week, and we've got the staff recs to guide you through it.

Alphabetically by bookseller's first name, we begin with Caroline, who recommends The Unwritten Book: An Investigation by Samantha Hunt. Caroline says: "Hunt's earlier work ( The Seas, The Dark Dark, Mr. Splitfoot) has already proven her to be a master of the ghost story. The Unwritten Book is no different. But then, it's also entirely different. Technically nonfiction, this reads like a collection of essays orbiting around chunks of a novel - her late father's, which she unearthed after he died. His words become a means for Hunt to reflect on his life, on their relationship, alcohol ('spirits' themselves), clues, and memory, but also so much more than what any of those words contain. Hunt is interested in vastness and possibility, in the undefinable, in patterns and coincidence, in connection, 'madness,' and motherhood. At its core, this is a story about all the things that haunt us: books, objects, houses, place, violence, and of course, the dead. A word of advice: this is a book that asks you to surrender to it completely, to read it as it asks to be read. Hunt won't lead you astray. Or then again, maybe she will."

Next up we have Daniel, who has three recommendations to share. First it's In Praise of Good Bookstores by Jeff Deutsch, the Director of Chicago's Seminary Coop Bookstores. Daniel says: "Jeff Deutsch meditates on what makes a bookstore special, using as a model the legendary Seminary Co-op on the campus of the University of Chicago. Deutsch uses voices from literary history to make a point that the experience of book browsing and discovery is important well beyond its mercantile nature. And he draws on his Jewish background to show how a culture can celebrate learning for learning's sake. With economic pressures compounded by the rise of Amazon, stores like Seminary are searching for a new model, with the idea that taking out the profit incentive will allow bookstores to focus more on what they should sell and less on what they have to sell. In Praise of Good Bookstores is not just a work to inspire, but also functions as a catalog for recommended reading."

Finally Daniel, along with Tim and Jenny, recommend Sea of Tranquility, the latest novel from Emily St John Mandel. Daniel says: "After reading Sea of Tranquility, a novel that veers from a hundred years in the past to almost 300 in the future, I wondered if a new reader to Emily St John Mandel would love it as much as I did. I decided they would, with a caveat that they might have to stop everything and read the author's previous novels. But for folks who've read Station Eleven and The Great Hotel, with both references that tie the story together and laugh-out-loud meta-commentary (you'll know it when you get to it), the rewards are mind-blowing."

Jenny chimes in: "As humans, what do we really want in life? You can probably think of lots of things, but I'm going to guess that connections with others are definitely in the top three. Besides her brilliantly crafted sentences, the sometimes significant, sometimes small ways her characters and her books connect to each other make Emily St. John Mandel's books unforgettable and so compelling. The Sea of Tranquility is her best yet for tying together some loose ends that I didn't even realize were loose. I loved revisiting characters from previous books in timelines that sometimes cross one another but often run in parallel universes. It's not a spoiler for either book to say that Mandel's novel Station Eleven appears in Sea of Tranquility as a novel written by one of the characters. The most significant connection of this fictional author's life is made on a book tour to promote it. And if you are like me, the beauty of the ending will make you cry. All that said, these connections are bits of joy implanted in the book. You don't need to have read previous titles. Sea of Tranquility will keep you up reading late into night, and you'll carry the story in your thoughts as you go about your day, constantly checking the time, waiting for the minute you can return to Emily St. John Mandel's exquisitely built world."

And Tim brings us home: "I'm trying to understand why Mandel's writing casts a spell on me. I don't have a complete answer, but I've decided on this: her style is steady and beautiful, she's smart without sounding pretentious, and her characters feel true. There's a flesh and blood intimacy about them that makes me feel safe in their world, even as we're brought to the edge of catastrophe. When tragedy comes, I want to face it with these fictional people. This novel builds on The Glass Hotel (which I loved!) and Station Eleven (which I now must read!). It brings the past and future together as if connections across time are waiting to be discovered. It throws our reality into doubt by questioning how we came to be, and it shows us that technology will never hide our humanity. I'll forgo the summary and just say that Mandel has created a dazzling story with humble simplicity, then tied it tight with a perfect ending."

Jen joins the fray with a middle grade book recommendation - Catch that Dog! by Will Taylor. Jen says: " Catch that Dog! is a wholehearted delight of a novel. Based on a true story, Masterpiece (the world's most valuable dog) is missing! To this day it is still an unsolved mystery, but author Will Taylor has imagined what might have been. Walking to her parents' shop after school, 10-year-old Joanie Dayton finds a cat stuck under some crates in alley. Rescuing the poor animal, Joanie takes it home, cleans it up, and discovers she's rescued a tiny dog! After some careful negotiation with her parents, Joanie is allowed to keep it and names him Lucky. Joanie shares all her hopes and dreams with Lucky. It's Joanie who feels she's the lucky, one until one day, when she sees an article in the paper - there's a picture of a dog named Masterpiece who's been dognapped. Masterpiece looks an awful lot like Lucky, and and Joanie has a big decision to make. Catch that Dog! Is full of warmth and humor, and the bond between Lucky & Joanie will melt your heart."

Kay suggest The Dolphin House by Audrey Schulman. Kay says: "The inspiration for Schulman's novel is a brief but groundbreaking study conducted on dolphins in the summer of 1965. A young woman is hired to feed four 'research' dolphins who live in a lagoon on St. Thomas. Having grown up around pigs and horses (intelligent animals), Cora is naturally curious. Unlike the scientists, she gets in the water, and is immediately struck by a fascinating variety of sounds. The dolphins flee to the farthest corner, so Cora pretends to be busy and ignores them. Perfect! The dolphins soon come to check her out, and so begins their friendship. In a very short time, Cora devises ways to communicate with the dolphins - a gigantic step in animal research at the time. Scientists and journalist from around the world come to St. Thomas, and soon the world knows that dolphins are highly intelligent creatures. Schulman's story is breathtaking, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, and a must-read for animal lovers."

Paperback picks, too? You betcha. We've got four.

From Daniel, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. Daniel says: "Marian Graves is a pilot who disappeared on a groundbreaking flight. Hadley Baxter is the actress, tarnished by scandal, who hopes an important role playing Marian in a biopic will burnish her reputation. With alternating voices, Great Circle ponders, can you really know someone's story? Historical fiction of the highest order!"

Daniel also recommends The Guncle by Steven Rowley. Daniel's rec: "Patrick O'Hara, Golden Globe winner of the iconic television comedy The People Upstairs, has been holed up in Palm Springs after the cancellation of his show and the death of his partner. When his college buddy turned sister-in-law also dies, and his brother confronts his addictions by heading to rehab, Patrick agrees to take in his niblings Grant and Maisie for the summer. As Patrick's disagreeable sister Clara notes, Patrick is no Rosalind Russell, but that doesn't stop The Guncle from calling to mind Auntie Mame, notably when the ready-made family has a Christmas-in-July party. I'm well aware that quirky children are a shortcut to sympathy - ask any screenwriter - but Maisie and Grant (or Grantelope; nicknames don't become Maisie) do a particularly good job of forcing Patrick to overcome his grief-fueled-malaise. And like Rowley's novel, they are also charming and funny."

Margaret is next with her recommendation of Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. She says: "Amidst the clashing viewpoints and lifestyles of 1970s America one teen girl tries to make sense of it all and find out who she wants to be in Mary Jane. The story opens on a 14-year-old girl from a straight-laced, conservative family whose worldview is shaken when she takes a summer nanny job for a doctor. Expecting a family much like her own, Mary Jane is surprised and strangely delighted when the Cones turn out to be a bohemian, openly amorous, rock n' roll couple with a free-spirited 5-year-old. On top of it all, a rock star and his famous wife are living in the attic as the doctor helps the rocker recover from his drug addiction. Throughout the summer, Mary Jane encounters and embraces new music, new clothes, and a new way of looking at herself and what she wants to be, all while inadvertently helping the Cone family and their guests grow as well. A wonderful read about found families and finding yourself - this is already one of my favorites of the year!"

Does Daniel chime in here too? You know he does! "Baltimore, 1975. For 14-year-old Mary Jane, life is Roland Park Country Day School, lemonades at the Elkridge Country Club, and cooking and cleaning with her mom. A summer nanny job offers a surprising twist - a rock star and his actress wife are in hiding at the house, being treated for addiction. That's one crazy summer. Jessica Anya Blau does a great job of capturing that moment when you realize that life could be more than what you've been offered. For all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll, Mary Jane only occasionally veers into raciness. Mostly it's smart and funny and charming."

And finally, Madi Hill recommends Whisper Down the Lane by Clay Chapman: " Whisper Down the Lane is a love letter to the horror classics of the 70s and 80s. An alternating story of six-year-old Sean and his single mother together against the world as they try to establish themselves in a new town and a new school in 1983, and Richard, an elementary school art teacher newly married with a stepson with which he is trying to establish a father-son relationship in 2013. Sean tries to keep his mother happy and ends up embroiled in a school wide scandal about a satanic cult, while thirty years in the future Richard is starting the school year trying to make sense of what seems to be a series of escalating grotesque pranks. A psychological horror with just enough gore, Chapman crafts the story with twists and turns that keep you gripped. This book perfectly shows how dangerous groupthink can be and shows the similarities between the mindset that allowed the Satanic Panic to flourish, and the dangerous conspiracy theories that lead to real harm today."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Staff Recommendations, Week of April 5, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is an absolutely jam-packed book release week, and we've got the staff recs to guide you through it. Alphabetically by bookseller's first name, we begin with Caroline, who recommends The Unwritten Book: An Investigation by Samantha Hunt.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a list of reading suggestions by the Rotary Club of Lake Placid, NY. Thank you for sharing!

# data[].attributes.body
Listen to my weekly podcast on books and reading! It's free and it's fun :)

Écoutez mon balado hebdomadaire sur les livres et la lecture! C'est gratuit et c'est plaisant :) (en anglais)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to Jackie's Reading Room on Spotify.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Take a Book. Share a Book. - Little Free Library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization with a mission to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries.

# data[].attributes.headline
Example of a Little Free Library / Exemple de petite boite à livres

# data[].attributes.subject
Example of a Little Free Library / Exemple de petite boite à livres

# data[].attributes.body
This one is located behind Collège André-Grasset in Montreal - my workplace!

Cette petite boîte est située derrière le Collège André-Grasset - mon lieu de travail!

# data[].attributes.headline
Croque-livres: Petites bibliothèques de rue

# data[].attributes.subject
Croque-livres: Petites bibliothèques de rue

# data[].attributes.body
Région de Montréal: Croque-Livres (français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Les Croque-livres sont des boîtes de partage de livres pour les enfants du Québec âgés de 12 ans et moins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Your New Literacy Project

This program utilizes two children's stories to give your club the opportunity to share the ideals of The Four-Way Test and Service Above Self with the children in your community. It has been developed by the Rotary Club of Fairborn, Ohio and TokoBooks.

ANDY & ELMER'S

APPLE DUMPLING ADVENTURE

demonstrates

The Four-Way Test

BECKY & LIN'S

APPLE ORCHARD PARK

demonstrates

Service Above Self

Customize an exciting literacy program using:

PICTURE BOOKS • ACTIVITY BOOKS • BOOKMARKS • POSTERS

Many Rotary clubs across the U.S., Canada and beyond have adopted it as an Annual Literacy Project.

We hope you'll join us!

# data[].attributes.body
(Français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Nous voulons promouvoir le plaisir de lire et la littérature auprès des jeunes de 0 à 12 ans en favorisant l'accompagnement comme moyen privilégié d'apprentissage et de partage. Lis avec moi a à cœur de faire connaitre la littérature québécoise et canadienne de langue française.

Par ses événements principaux : la Semaine Lis avec moi, le Colloque, le Grand jeu de lecture à voix haute Lis avec moi - Le défi et diverses expositions, l'organisme promeut le plaisir de lire aux quatre coins du Québec. Lis avec moi encourage les adultes (parents, enseignants, éducateurs, etc.) à s'engager à lire avec des jeunes et les soutenir dans leur parcours.

En se donnant comme modèle de lecteurs auprès de ceux-ci et en les accompagnant dans la découverte du plaisir de lire, les adultes jouent un rôle primordial. Transmettre le goût de la lecture aux jeunes, permet de les outiller et leur ouvrir la porte au succès scolaire et social. Tout au long de l'année, de nombreuses activités sont proposées : animations ponctuelles en bibliothèques, en classe ou lors d'événement publics, rencontres littéraires avec des auteurs et des illustrateurs, journée familiale, exposition, Le Défi de lecture à voix haute, un colloque annuel destiné aux professionnels du milieu, animations estivales dans les parcs de Laval, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nous voulons promouvoir le plaisir de lire et la littérature auprès des jeunes de 0 à 12 ans en favorisant l'accompagnement comme moyen privilégié d'apprentissage et de partage. Lis avec moi a à cœur de faire connaitre la littérature québécoise et canadienne de langue française.

# data[].attributes.headline
Site web de l'organisation Les Libraires

# data[].attributes.subject
Site web de l'organisation Les Libraires

# data[].attributes.body
(Français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
leslibraires.ca | Livres papier et numériques | Plus de 100 librairies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Un réseau de plus de 100 librairies, plus de 500 000 livres papier ou numérique, une expertise inégalée. Acheter local sur le Web, c'est possible!

# data[].attributes.body
Une culture de la lecture au Québec? Quelle bonne idée!
(En français)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
La quatrième édition de la Nuit de la lecture au Québec aura lieu le 22 janvier 2022 et présentera deux volets : un volet en présentiel et un volet en ligne.

Les librairies, bibliothèques et les organismes culturels ou communautaires peuvent dès maintenant soumettre une activité pour faire partie de la programmation !

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
La quatrième édition de la Nuit de la lecture au Québec aura lieu le 22 janvier 2022 et présentera deux volets : un volet en présentiel et un volet en ligne. Les librairies, bibliothèques et les organismes culturels ou communautaires peuvent dès maintenant soumettre une activité pour faire partie de la programmation !

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM), formerly known as Rotary South Asia Society for Development and Cooperation (RSAS) aims to work towards Total literacy and Quality Education in India. To achieve that RILM have designed a comprehensive program called "T-E-A-C-H" where :

T - Teacher Support

E - E-learning

A - Adult Literacy

C - Child Development

H - Happy School

Each of these programs has a specific focus and it is interlinked with each other in achieving the common goal of bringing total literacy and improving the learning outcomes of primary education, in various parts of the country.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM), formerly known as Rotary South Asia Society for Development and Cooperation (RSAS) aims to work towards Total literacy and Quality Education in India.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland.

Inspired by her father's inability to read and write Dolly started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county. Today, her program spans five countries and gifts over 2 million free books each month to children around the world.

"When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.

The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library | USA, UK, IE, CA, AU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ILA NEWS

ILA News | November 9, 2023
Submitted students' perspectives on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice for a chance to be included in the 2024 AERA Annual Meeting.

Research Advisory | Oct 2, 2023
Additional resources, including webinars, available now.

Digital Events | Sept 19, 2023
Free ILA Webinar About Dyslexia
Registration is now open for a new, free ILA Webinar: Dyslexia: What We Know and What We Want to Know.

Free New Resources for JAAL
First set of the new JAAL Literacy Insights available for download.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ILA is a global advocacy and membership organization of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers, and experts across 86 countries.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning. We develop and support the use of high-quality introductory learning materials and resources written in clear language. We envision a Canada where everyone has the tools and opportunities they need to improve their literacy and essential skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ABC Life Literacy Canada | A National Literacy Organization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a not-for-profit that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning. Learn more about our literacy programs.

# data[].attributes.body
Français

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Avec les années, nous avons développé une panoplie de services pour vous soutenir dans vos efforts de francisation, de littératie et d'alphabétisation dans votre communauté et au travail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fondation pour l'alphabétisation | Le pouvoir de lire et d'apprendre - Fondation pour l'alphabétisation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Avec les années, nous avons développé une panoplie de services pour vous soutenir dans vos efforts de francisation, de littératie et d'alphabétisation dans votre communauté et au travail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Literacy Quebec is a network that connects and represents community-based literacy organizations to empower people, impact lives and build a stronger society.

# data[].attributes.body
Many clubs participate in this great program, including Ottawa and West Ottawa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Free Reading Program

The Free Reading Program is a professional, comprehensive, free and fun Kindergarten to Grade 6 online English literacy program. The program has over 260 learning units and over 3600 interactive learning activities. Designed to engage young learners and instill confidence, the activities' auditory, visual, and tactile elements are based on leading educational research and the most thoroughly proven and effective teaching practices.

Through the support of Rotarians and Rotary Clubs, the Free Reading Program is favored by tens of thousands of learners around the world seeking the English literacy skills they need. Ensure your child's computer time is time (very) well spent!

Already using the Free Reading Program?... Log in and learn!

Not yet using the Free Reading Program?... Get your own "classroom" and sign up your kids, an after-school program, or a village halfway around the world!

NO ads. NO pop-ups. NO promo emails. NO cost. EVER.

Get your own Campus! with your organization's name and logo, and host it from your website! Be a community literacy leader. Ask us how!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Be Reading | Online literacy with the Free Reading Program

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Free Reading Program is a professional, comprehensive, free and fun Kindergarten to Grade 6 online English literacy program. The program has over 260 learning units and over 3600 interactive learning activities. Designed to engage young learners and instill confidence, the activities' auditory, visual, and tactile elements are based on leading educational research and the most thoroughly proven and effective teaching practices.

# data[].attributes.body
(English)
The Rotary Club of Kingston has partnered with First Book Canada to provide books for children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Providing equal access to quality education for kids in need since 2009

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Home

# data[].attributes.body
Supported by many clubs, including the Rotary Club of Mont-Tremblant

Supporté par plusieurs clubs, dont le club de Mont-Tremblant

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
During the current COVID-19 crisis, the need to help struggling families is now. The Arnprior Rotary Club met with Dawn McAdam, Customer Service Representative of Ontario Works in Arnprior, to hand over $10,700 in Food, Gas and Supply Gift Cards to aid ongoing Disaster Victims as provided by a group of Rotary Clubs. This adds to the $3,050 funds donated by Rotary Clubs to help Flood victims last fall.

The obtaining of these funds was spearheaded by Gerhard Peters of the Arnprior Rotary Club and the money comes from all District 7040 Rotary Clubs including the Ottawa Valley Rotary Clubs in Renfrew County. Contributing District Clubs come from Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec and Northern New York State.

The total $10,700 of $50 Gift Cards included:

$5,700 from President's Choice for groceries and medications (through Shopper's Drug Mart)$1,000 from Home Hardware
$2,500 from Canadian Tire (including Gas),
$ 750 from ESSO Gas,

These cards will be delivered to Andrea Patrick, Ontario Works Manager - Social Service Department, to disburse throughout Renfrew County to selected qualifying clients in need of this aid.
$ 750 from Ultramar Gas.

Rotary Club of Arnprior Charitable Trust: Donations would be welcome and could be sent to PO Box 481, Arnprior, ON K7S 3L9

Rotary Club of Arnprior donated $500 to the Arnprior Food Bank to help with the increasing numbers of families needing assistance during our COVID-19 shutdown

Canada's Veterans need our support. Arnprior Rotary recently made a $200 donation to the Vets Canada, presented by Arnprior Rotarian Dave Palmer, second from the right.

As service providers of Veterans Affairs Canada, Vets Canada ( http://vetscanada.org ) provides aid and comfort to Canadian veterans that are in-crisis, are at risk of becoming homeless, or are homeless.

The Arnprior Rotary Club has been involved with Dictionary 4 Life since 2016. This Fall Rotarians were at two elementary schools in Arnprior, namely McNab Braeside Public School and Walter Zadow Public School handing out dictionaries to the Grade 3 students.

The purpose of this project is to help children develop stronger self esteem, encourage familiarity with books, give "pride of ownership", and promote Rotary values to the child, family, and the community. The D4L has a space for the recipient's name on the inside cover in the Rotary information

Grade 3 students at McNab Braeside Public School, with their D4L books which they received from Rotarians David Grant and Vila Smith.

Students from Walter Zadow Public School:

Grade 3 students from Walter Zadow school. From left Rotarian Mike Steeves, Teacher. Mrs. Hewitt, Rotarian David Grant and on the right Rotarians Rod and Vila Smith.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During the current COVID-19 crisis, the need to help struggling families is now. The Arnprior Rotary Club met with Dawn McAdam, Customer Service Representative of Ontario Works in Arnprior, to hand over $10,700 in Food, Gas and Supply Gift Cards to aid ongoing Disaster Victims as provided by a group of Rotary Clubs.

# data[].attributes.body
Donated to refurbish a children's corner in the local library, and more.

Le club a donné des fonds pour refaire le coin des enfants dans la bibliothèque locale, et plus.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Each year, members of the Brockville Rotary Clubs, along with many of our community partners, team up to execute the collection of food and donations for the Harvest Sharing drive which benefits the Brockville and South Grenville Food Banks.

I can't imagine a more worthy cause than to see those who truly need our help, benefit from this show of generosity by our communities especially given the effect COVID has had on everyone.

Remember that donating cash to the local Food Banks allows them to purchase items which may not normally have been donated.

And, through their purchasing power, they can purchase up to four of the same items, that we would traditionally have donated, for the same price.

Some people feel more comfortable in donating food and paper items and this is both completely understandable and welcomed.

Our goal is to pack the shelves to the top and we really need your help.

Stay updated by visiting our web page at https://rotarybrockville.ca/ and our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BrockvilleRotary for updates.

You can also donate cash by clicking on the DONATE button below.

Your community thanks you for your support!

The Rotary Clubs of Brockville

Harvest Sharing Committee

In 2011, under the guidance of our Rotarian Michelle Peters, and the support of Rotary Brockville, an EarlyAct club was chartered at Vanier Public School. The students form their own executive with members from each class and conduct monthly meetings. They have been very active and have raised over $30,000 for various causes including the Smiles Program, Shelter Box and most recently for a birthday party for the children in the Chausey Orphanage in Belarus. This spring a student and his mom and Madam Peters journeyed to Belarus to bring the party to the children. The party was shared with the EarlyAct club via skype.

Each November Rotary Brockville organizes the Santa Claus Parade through downtown Brockville. It includes the usual bands, floats and clowns as well as many groups of supporters. Did you know that Mrs Claus is a Rotarian?!

We lend financial support to the Brockville Police so that they can hold free Thursday Evening Movies in the Park for local families. This has been a well-attended and well enjoyed community event.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Each year, members of the Brockville Rotary Clubs, along with many of our community partners, team up to execute the collection of food and donations for the Harvest Sharing drive which benefits the Brockville and South Grenville Food Banks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Restoring children's love for literature

Last month, we launched our Raise a Reader campaign in the UK, to help provide children and young people with the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers. Over the next three years, the campaign will champion reading for pleasure and the transformative benefits it can have on a child's life, bringing together schools, booksellers, local communities, parents, librarians, literacy partners, and reading experts.

As part of the campaign, we have collaborated with the National Literacy Trust, joining the Primary School Library Alliance as a flagship partner. We will shortly be taking Raise a Reader directly to communities, visiting ten locations across England with lower levels of literacy to facilitate engaging activities and workshops with OUP authors and illustrators-all aimed to celebrate the joys of reading.

Taking steps to support and inspire a generation of readers has never been so important. Research unveiled alongside the Raise a Reader campaign outlined some of the challenges parents experience in reading with their child; nearly half of those surveyed (43%) said screen time and gadgets often cause distraction. A lack of time and difficulty in establishing a regular reading routine were also cited as contributing factors.

Adding to this, research from the National Literacy Trust highlighted that reading enjoyment levels among children have dropped to just under 50%. A concurrent survey revealed that nearly one in five children between 5-8 years-old in the UK do not have a book at home.

And our previous research into the word gap -where vocabulary is below age-related expectations-also found that deficiencies in literacy can have a significant impact on children's mental health, as well as educational attainment. Confidence, social skills, and the ability to engage in conversation are all affected.

These statistics are extremely worrying to see, given the difference we know that reading can make to young people; it's been shown that developing a love of reading from an early age can help to improve literacy and vocabulary, as well as support future education.

I have previously talked about the power of language to inspire expression and help people to make sense of the world around them. That's why we need to provide schools with the necessary materials, engage with parents and carers, and promote positive attitudes towards reading so that we can restore a love of literature among children.

At OUP, we remain committed to developing resources and highlighting the benefits that reading can bring. Indeed, our Raise a Reader campaign works hand-in-hand with existing, literacy-focused projects around the world. For example, in Australia, we supported the Great Book Swap for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) to provide books and learning tools to children living in remote communities. Meanwhile, in Pakistan, we held an interactive Urdu storytelling and singalong session at the OUP Bookshop in Karachi.

Where possible, we also try to align with wider local government efforts. For example, earlier this year, OUP India's REaD (Read, Engage, and Develop) campaign-following on from the Ministry of Education's 100-day reading initiative-worked alongside school leaders, teachers, librarians, parents, and experts to equip them with the materials and opportunities to inspire learners to read. Similarly, our Road to Literacy Campaign in South Africa, in partnership with the AVBOB Group, saw 86,000 books being donated to 180 primary schools and non-profit organisations, contributing to the South African government's ambition to address poor literacy skills across the country.

In addition to this, we are proud to work with our long-standing charity partner, Book Aid International, whose vision is 'a world where everyone has access to books that will enrich, improve, and change their lives'. In 2021, we helped them to send hundreds of thousands of books to 150 partners in 24 countries. Likewise, our employees have the chance to volunteer with ARCh -an Oxfordshire based charity-who provide reading assistance in local primary schools.

It's encouraging to know that our literacy campaigns and initiatives are bringing enjoyment to children around the globe and inspiring young people to pick up and enjoy a book. After all, books can open doors to exploring exciting new places and cultures, as well as understanding more about our own surroundings; all of which will be essential for the next generation when it comes to navigating their way through the world.
You can download our report on the perceptions of reading, with recommendations for parents and teachers, and find out more about our partnership with the National Literacy Trust, which supports schools with access to reading spaces, books, and advice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Oxford University Press - Restoring children's love for literature

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last month, we launched our Raise a Reader campaign in the UK, to help provide children and young people with the tools and opportunities to become lifelong readers. Over the next three years, the campaign will champion reading for pleasure and the transformative benefits it can have on a child's life, bringing together schools, booksellers, local communities, parents, librarians, literacy partners, and reading experts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. Our Impact 2023 reveals the effect World Book Day can have on the lives of children across the UK.

# data[].attributes.headline
Author Louise Erdrich: Books & Bookstores

# data[].attributes.subject
Author Louise Erdrich: Books & Bookstores

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Louise Erdrich, author of LaRose, talks about her love of books

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading Can Help Us Focus and Reduce Stress

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading Can Help Us Focus and Reduce Stress

# data[].attributes.body
Article by Arianna Huffington (English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Read any good books lately? Read any books at all? If you're like a growing number of Americans, the answer is likely no. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, nearly a quarter of Americans say they haven't read a book, or even part of one in the last year. Finding the focus and marshaling our attention to read books has never been more challenging. And that's deeply troubling.

Though it's not like we're not taking in information. In fact, we're drowning in it. But the ways we take in information - in noisy, fragmented, random bursts - is not just robbing us of our attention, it's changing the way we think and the way our brains are wired.And it's limiting our ability to reflect and think deeply, to connect with others and ourselves, and to tap into our wisdom.

The idea that the manner in which we process information matters isn't new. The first chapter of Marshall McLuhan's seminal 1964 work Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man is entitled "The medium is the message." What that means is that with each new innovation incommunication technology, we tend to focus on the contentof the communication, but it's actually the structure of the technology itself that is ultimately more important in shaping how we think. And it does this in ways we're often unaware of.

So what does it mean that we're now living in an "ecosystem of interruption technologies," as the writer Cory Doctorow puts it. According to a study by Microsoft, the average human attention span hasshrunk to eight seconds, one secondless than the attention span ofgoldfish.In our defense, though, goldfish don't useTwitter. And Facebook. And Instagram. And... sorry, what was I talking about again? I lost my train of thought.

Our new way of taking in information is driving our inability to focus and reflect deeply because it's also altering the underlying architecturein our brains.As U.C.L.A. education professor Maryanne Wolf writes in The Guardian, the circuitry that allows us to read was built up over thousands of years, enabling "the development of some of our most important intellectual and affective processes: internalized knowledge, analogical reasoning, and inference; perspective-taking and empathy; critical analysis and the generation of insight." But in the world of digital reading and information intake, these deeper thought processes are fading. "There's an old rule in neuroscience that does not alter with age," Wolf writes: "use it or lose it."

And right now, we're losing it. As Nicholas Carr wrote in The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, the wiring in our brains is changing to mirror how we're using them: "As the time we spend exchanging bite-sized text messages crowds out the time we spend composing sentences and paragraphs, as the time we spend hopping across links crowds out the time we devote to quiet reflection and contemplation, the circuits that support those old intellectual functions and pursuits weaken and begin to break apart." And as Carr told Ezra Klein, "What was lost was not only the ability to engage in deep reading and attentive thought and contemplation, but also when we come across new information, the ability to bring it into our mind and put it into a broader context." In fact, in December, Klein, whose New York Times podcast features deep-dive interviews with book authors, confessed on Twitter that he finds reading long pieces online difficult and asked his readers for recommendations for "focused, long digital reading."

I myself love reading physical books. I can mark them up in the margins and highlight my favorite passages. And as I do, it helps me commit them to memory, and locate my reactions and thoughts in a specific time and place, as opposed to the disembodied, non-linear digital world. I know you can highlight books online, but for me it doesn't match the feeling of pulling a book off my bookshelves and looking at what I had highlightedmaybe last week, maybe 10 years ago. Occasionally, I'll even disagree with earlier versions of myself. But that simply points to the way real books allow us to have a constant conversation not just with authors and their subjects, but with ourselves. That's what allows us to tap into our own wisdom, connect with the wisdom of the past, grow and evolve.

But as Wolf argues, reading in our noisy, bite-sized digital world has made skimming the new normal. And when we skim, "we don't have time to grasp complexity, to understand another's feelings, to perceive beauty, and to create thoughts of the reader's own." Deep reading is what allows us to step into the lives and experiences of others, nurturing and broadening our sense of empathy - something in short supply these days. As Joyce Carol Oates put it, "reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul."

This doesn't just affect us individually, but collectively as well. A just-published study found that faster internet connections weakened people's sense of civic engagement. As the study authors put it, "This result is disturbing as it suggests that progress in information and communications technology can undermine an essential factor of economic activity and the functioning of democratic institutions."

It's part of what Johann Hari calls "a serious attention crisis," which he explores in his important new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention - and How to Think Deeply Again. Hari cites neuroscientist Joel Nigg, a leading expert on pediatric attention problems, who believes we may be in an "attentional pathogenic culture," in which sustained focus is becoming all but impossible. "This isn't happening because we all became weak-willed," Hari writes. "Your focus didn't collapse. It was stolen."

We're confronting a paradox: the technology that connects us to the whole world is the same technology that keeps us drowning in the shallows and disconnects us from ourselves. Yes, technology has been a lifeline during the pandemic, allowing millions to work from home and stay in touch with friends and loved ones. At the same time, it has produced our " pandemic brain," that combination of tech overload, stress and lack of focus we've all experienced over the past two years.

The answer to having our attention stolen is to steal it back. "I believe we now need an attention movement to reclaim our minds," Hari declares. "I believe we need to act urgently, because this may be like the climate crisis, or the obesity crisis - the longer we wait, the harder it will get."

Some are doing just that. Padma Warrior founded Fable, a platform for reading and online book clubs. For Warrior, reading was her refuge while growing up in India. But nobody knows better than a former Chief Technology Officer of Cisco and Motorola how technology has accelerated the pace of our lives and made deep reading more difficult. "Starved for time and with limited mental energy, we are endlessly scrolling, constantly searching for ways to fill the micro-moments in our busy lives or distract ourselves from things unfolding outside our doors," she writes.

Warrior's solution? "Stop ingesting digital junk and start reading a book." As she notes, reading books, especially fiction, can be "a powerful tool for mental wellness," with studies showing that reading can increase our empathy, mental agility and creativity, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and help lower our risk of dementia.

There are even mental health professionals who practice " bibliotherapy," using reading as an adjunct to other forms of clinical therapy for patients with mental health issues. In the U.K. the non-profit organization The Reader promotes a "shared reading movement" as "a tool for helping humans survive and live well."

The pandemic has been a forced pause, one that has given us time to think about what we truly value. It's allowed us to see the value of going deeper, of connecting with ourselves in more profound and meaningful ways. There is a collective longing to stop living in the shallows. And reading is one of the most powerful - and widely available - antidotes to our harried, always-on culture of stress and burnout. We still might not be able to travel freely, but with books we don't need to get on a plane or get a negative test to be transported to another place, or another time.

"Reading," the 18th century English essayist Joseph Addison wrote, "is to the mind what exercise is to the body." It's essential not just to our mental health and our physical health, but also our capacity for empathy and our ability to connect with others. By allowing us to see the world from other perspectives, reading makes it more possible to come together and work collectively to meet the big challenges we're facing in the world today. So grab a book, and for a few hours trade the shallows for the depths.

Subscribe for Arianna's On My Mind Newsletter, where you'll find inspiration and actionable advice on how to build healthy habits, resilience and connections in our unprecedented times.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Arianna Huffington: Why Reading a Book Is an Antidote to our Always-On Culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read any good books lately? Read any books at all? If you're like a growing number of Americans, the answer is likely no. According to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, nearly a quarter of Americans say they haven't read a book, or even part of one in the last year.

# data[].attributes.headline
Article sur les petites bibliothèques de rue (Rotary Canada, octobre 2021)

# data[].attributes.subject
Article sur les petites bibliothèques de rue (Rotary Canada, octobre 2021)

# data[].attributes.body
Article I wrote about little free libraries (in French), Rotary Canada, Oct. 2021 (p. 7)
Article que j'ai écrit sur les petites bibliothèques de rue (en français), Rotary Canada, octobre 2021 (p.7)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Rotary Canada - October 2021 - page1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rotary Canada is a quarterly magazine produced by Rotary International presenting stories of particular interest to Canadian Rotarians. Rotary

# data[].attributes.headline
Benefits of Reading (Bénéfices de la lecture)

# data[].attributes.subject
Benefits of Reading (Bénéfices de la lecture)

# data[].attributes.body
(English)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
But let's face it: It can be challenging to motivate ourselves to read a 382-page book when we can watch the movie, listen to the audiobook, or watch a YouTube video summary instead.

However, if most of your daily reading consists of social media posts, text messages, and news headlines, you're missing out.

So, what are the benefits of reading books?

What Are the Benefits of Reading Books?

Here are 10 benefits of reading that illustrate the importance of reading books. When you read every day you:

Now, let's dive a little deeper to better understand the advantages of reading.

1. Gain Valuable Knowledge

One of the most obvious benefits of reading every day is learning.

A book by someone who's studied productivity for 20 years,

Or a 10-minute YouTube video by someone interested in the topic?

Going beyond the surface of a subject is essential to success, too. This is probably why the author Roald Dahl once said, "If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books."

Plus, you can learn literally anything from books. For example, whenever anybody asks Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, how he learned to build rockets, , "I read books."

So, what do you want to learn?

Perhaps you want to learn how to code, paint, or start a successful business ? Maybe you want to learn how to stop procrastinating ? Or perhaps you want to figure out how to change your life completely ?

Whatever it is, reading can help.

2. Exercise Your Brain

So, what does reading do to your brain?

Want to know the best part?

The scans showed that brain connectivity increased while reading for days afterward, demonstrating the enormous benefits of reading books every day.

3. Improve Your Focus

"To remain valuable in our economy ... you must master the art of quickly learning complicated things. This task requires deep work."

"Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship."

Thankfully, one of the key benefits of reading is that it helps you practice concentrating on just one thing at a time.

For example, a novel requires all of your attention for it to whisk you away to another world. And if you want to learn from a non-fiction book, it requires you to be fully present and engaged.

4. Improve Your Memory

When you read a non-fiction book, you also consume an enormous amount of information on the subject you're reading about.

Similarly, whenever you read a novel, you have to remember tons of information about the story's plot and subplots, the characters and their relationships, and the environment in which the story takes place.

That's a lot of information!

The upshot? Reading every day can improve your memory - it can help you learn how to store new information and recall memories more effectively.

5. Enjoy Entertainment

Books provide some of the most engaging entertainment on the planet. As the author Stephen King said, "Books are a uniquely portable magic."

Have you ever read a book that you couldn't put down?

Do you remember feeling so invested in the story or what you were learning that you would keep reading even when you needed to use the bathroom or were hungry?

To replicate that feeling, or to experience it for the first time, all you need to do is find the right books to read.

There are millions of incredible books out there, and there's a perfect reading genre for everyone - from fantasy novels and classical literature to self-help guides and business books.

Reading is something you can enjoy safely at home. And books don't cost that much - especially with services like your local library and Amazon's Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 per month for unlimited ebooks).

So, step away from your smartphone each day, open the pages of a book, and dive in.

6. Improve Your Ability to Empathize

Another one of the benefits of reading books is that they can improve our ability to empathize with others. And empathy has many benefits - it can reduce stress , improve our relationships, and inform our moral compasses.

For example, experiencing the world through the eyes of Harry Potter or Jane Eyre can help us learn to see the world from the perspectives of our families, friends, and coworkers.

The author John Green said it best: "Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood."

7. Improve Your Communication Skills

The ability to communicate effectively is a vital life skill.

The good news? One of the key benefits of reading is that it helps us to communicate better.

How? Reading every day can improve our communication skills in a few ways. For example, reading can influence your writing and increase your vocabulary.

When we read well-written work, we naturally observe its writing style, cadence, and composition. These characteristics inevitably seep into our writing, in the same way that musicians are influenced by each other.

Finally, don't forget that reading also helps improve our communication skills by increasing our ability to empathize and understand others.

Long story short? Read more, communicate better, and improve your life!

8. Reduce Stress

"Losing yourself in a book is the ultimate relaxation," said Dr. David Lewis, the cognitive neuropsychologist who conducted the study.

So, the next time you're feeling stressed, remember the benefits of reading for pleasure and let the tension melt away.

9. Improve Your Mental Health

The pros of reading also extend to mental health.

The act of using books as therapy is called "bibliotherapy."

10. Live Longer

This last effect of reading is perhaps one of the most exciting and interesting: It turns out that the health benefits of reading can help us live longer.

Pretty cool, right?

As noted above, reading is a great way to exercise our brains to make us smarter and sharper. However, the knock-on effect of this is that reading also helps prevent age-related cognitive decline.

On the other hand, people who don't exercise their grey matter stand a chance of losing brain power, says the study's primary author, Dr. Robert Freidland.

All in all, when you read every day, you're more likely to retain your mental abilities and live longer!

What Should I Read? 4 Top Book Lists

Now that you understand the importance of reading books and why you should read every day, what should you read? To help you find the perfect book, here are four lists of curated books to check out:

1. Must-Read Books of All Time: 40 Books Everyone Should Read

2. The 12 Best Books for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business

3. 20 Business Books That'll Change Your Life in 2021

4. 15 Investment Books That'll Boost Your Financial IQ

Summary: Why is Reading Important?

Why is reading good for you? Reading is good for you because it improves your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. Reading also allows you to learn new things to help you succeed in your work and relationships.

The best part? You can get all these benefits of reading books while enjoying some fantastic entertainment.

Do you read every day? What are you reading right now? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to Learn More?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
9 Benefits of Reading Books: Why You Should Read Every Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If most of your reading consists of social media posts, you're missing out on the incredible benefits of reading books. Learn more here.

# data[].attributes.headline
Family Literacy Day is January 27, 2025 / La journée de l'alphabétisation familiale est le 27 janvier 2025

# data[].attributes.subject
Family Literacy Day is January 27, 2025 / La journée de l'alphabétisation familiale est le 27 janvier 2025

# data[].attributes.body
Why not start a tradition of a Rotary Day at the Library on Family Literacy Day? Check out the website above to find out more

Pourquoi ne pas commencer une tradition d'une journée Rotary à la bibliothèque lors de la journée de l'alphabétisation familiale? Allez jeter un coup d'oeil au site web ci-haut pour plus d'informations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27 th to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Since 1999, thousands of schools, libraries, literacy organizations and other community groups have taken part in the initiative. ABC creates free learning and promotional resources for anyone that wants to get involved. Taking time every day to read or do a learning activity with children is crucial to a child's development, improving a child's literacy skills dramatically, and can help a parent improve their skills as well.

Celebrate Family Literacy Day 2024 Virtually with Honorary Chair Barbara Reid!

Barbara will be doing a demonstration on how to use clay to create a picture. She will share unique techniques you can use to make different things. The event will end with a Q&A.

This event is ideal for families with children in grades 1 to 6.

register now

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Family Literacy Day 2024 | abclifeliteracy.ca

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Family Literacy Day raises awareness about the importance of reading and learning together as a family. Download free resources to get involved.

# data[].attributes.body
(English) For children to discover their reading type, and get book recommendations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home Page - Read & Teach - A Book And A Hug

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover your reader personality type and get ready to find some awesome new books!