Bookish Conversations Are Hot Even As Leisure Reading Rates Go Down

So I know some of you were like, wow Becky just ignored that report last week about the study that found that over the last 20 years there has been a steady decline in Americans reading for pleasure. (Click here to access it via PW.)

I did not. Rather, instead of posting the report-- which is very interesting and way more nuanced than the click bait headlines-- in a vacuum, I held on to it until I felt like I had something more to add to this conversation.

One of the things the study found was that people who are already readers have been reading more since Covid, which I see reflected in the library as well. Our patrons are taking out more books per person, while the number of new book reading patrons is still growing, just slowly. And many are coming via audiobooks and ebooks, numbers which are reflected in our circulation stats but maybe not in the door counts.

Despite the fact that fewer people are reading for pleasure on a daily basis overall, we have all seen an increase in the conversation around books. Places like BookTok and Bookstagram are popular follows even from those who don't ever read the books mentioned. It is a cool follow.

Also garnering a lot of headlines recently is the new video game Tiny Bookshop .  It is a cozy game where you run a book shop in a small town and suggest books to your customers. 

So it appears talking about books is very popular. It is the taking the time to read them that is not.

What does this mean for us at the library? Well first, the library will continue to be the place where people come as they find time to read, even after long absences. We see this all of the time. Because we have the books and they don't need to pay more than they have already contributed with their taxes to access them, it is a great way for people to try reading again. There is a low barrier to access.

So when people want to try reading, we are there for them. We need to remember that.

Second, we need to be better about joining in the larger community conversations about books. I write about this all the time and give you examples, whether it anticipating trends and having a display there before people ask or encouraging you to bridge the physical virtual divide or just reminding you to start conversations all the time and every where. The more interactive our service to readers is, the more chance people will come back to the library (and reading) and tell a friend.

I am not as pessimistic as others about the study because I see how well we are doing to start conversations around books and reading at the library. Seeing BookTok make old titles bestsellers and knowing that many of those books were ready and waiting on library shelves as book stores were scrambling to get some in stock-- this shows me things are going to be okay.

And now a video game where basically your goal is to be a readers advisor! 

There are enough signs that things are not as bleak as they seem. Let's embrace the places where people outside our bookish world are talking about books and remind them to come visit us to find their next great read. And especially, to invite them to come back to re-discover the joy of a great book.