Whole Collection Wide Angel View of Arts Engagement

The National Endowment for the Arts published the key results from 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. From their press release:

How do Americans participate in the arts in the course of a year? What kinds of art forms and activities do they engage with, and in what numbers? The NEA investigates these questions and more in the 2012 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), the nation’s largest population survey of arts participation trends. Today the NEA released an initial report of the survey's findings. A more comprehensive report will be available in 2014. 

You can click through to see more results, but here are their key books related findings:

 Reading Books and Literature

• More than half of American adults read a work of literature or a book (fiction or nonfiction) not required for work or school. However, adults' rates of literary reading (novels or short stories, poetry, and plays) dropped back to 2002 levels (from 50 percent in 2008 to 47 percent in 2012).

• Older Americans (65 and older) now have higher rates of literary reading than any other adult age group. 

However, I really think the information found here is useful to anyone working with leisure readers.  You can get a snapshot picture of how people engage with the arts during their free time.  This information will help you to think beyond the Dewey Divide and consider all leisure options, TV, Books, Films, Digital, etc...

It really made me think more big picture and that broad thinking will lead to happier patrons.  Check it out for yourself.