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Why Do People Read?

Tom Peters has a great thought piece in Library Journal on their website:
The Future of ReadingAs the book changes form, the library must champion its own power base – readers. [Library Journal, 11/1/2009]
I agree with his primary point that libraries must focus on the reading experience and less so on the traditional book format.
I also think we need a better discussion on why people read. It seems basic but do we really understand why people read? Here’s my modest unranked list of twelve reasons off the top of my small noggin (add to it in the comments):
1. To learn
2. To engage in hearing other’s opinions (to agree or disagree or just to understand and be empathetic)
3. To develop more knowledge about myself and develop as a whole person
4. To be entertained and laugh, to engage and interact
5. To address boredom and the inexorable progress of time
6. To research and keep up-to-date
7. To participate well in civil society (everything from news to voting)
8. To be informed (and maybe smarter)
9. To understand others (individually and culturally)
10. To escape our day-to-day lives
11. To stimulate the imagination and be inspired
12. To write and communicate better through reading others
13. To teach
14. To have something to talk about
15. To connect with like-minded people
I’m sure there are more reasons to read.
Interestingly I can’t think of any reasons not to read but I am there are some (knowing glint in eye and smile).
Either way, it goes beyond just the mere reading experience into the life lived large. And text reading isn’t the only way to have experiences and libraries support more than text experiences in our communities.
Stephen

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Posted on: November 2, 2009, 1:28 pm Category: Uncategorized

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  1. I’d like to add:
    16. Because we can’t get everything we need face-to-face
    17. To access shared knowledge which is stored in an easily distributable and interpreted form.