Today the National Endowment for the Arts released a study that is very important to public libraries as an institution. The study is called "To Read or Not to Read: a question of national consequence". The long and short of it is that youth who read for pleasure do better on the required reading tests, while those who do not read for pleasure do not fare as well. The study showed these same results for adults. Because we live and work in a WASL environment in Washington State, this study is an important reminder that every student, no matter the age, needs to be encouraged to read for the fun of it.
Here at PCLS, every member of our staff works very hard to encourage everyone to read for the fun of it! So whether you are asking about early literacy services or possible titles for your 9th grader... spread the word about reading for pleasure.
Take a look at either the Executive Summary or the entire report at National Endowment for the Arts.
If you need suggestions for your kids, teens or adults, check out the PCLS public website. The lists include many of the latest titles. And if that doesn't help, ask your youth services librarian, or reference librarian...they are full of suggestions.
Happy reading everyone, and thanks for everything you do to make this a better environment for one more kid, teen or grown-up!
