Professional Learning for Busy Educators

Compared with the past, the majority of young adults don’t read for pleasure. It’s not that they can’t. It’s that they choose not to.

In 1980, 60 percent of 12th graders said they read a book, newspaper or magazine every day that wasn’t assigned for school, one study found. By 2016, only 16 percent did—a huge drop, even though the book, newspaper or magazine could be one read on a digital device (the survey question doesn’t specify format). The number of 12th graders who said they had not read any books for pleasure in the last year nearly tripled, landing at one out of three.

As a librarian, that hurts my heart more than a little bit. Having spent almost half my career trying to put the right book in the hands of every kid, it feels more than a little demoralizing.

Reading has the potential to open doors, expand horizons, and provide escape. But it’s also the perfect vehicle for information, for figuring out a how-to or just keeping up with interests that have nothing to do with a book. In the academic world, with the best of intentions toward churning out lifelong readers, I think sometimes we make the path to readerhood a bit single-minded.