How to reclaim the right to read.

Reading rates in the United States have declined steadily over the past two decades. The National Endowment for the Arts reported that less than half of American adults had read a work of literature in 2003 — a drop of seven percentage points from 1992. The American Time Use Survey found that the average American spent approximately nineteen minutes per day reading in 2004. By 2022, that figure had fallen to ten minutes. The share of Americans who haven’t read any books in a given year rose from roughly 8% in the late 1970s to approximately 23% in 2021. Declines have been most pronounced among young adults and men, but every demographic is reading less than before.

Scholars have proposed several explanations. Obviously, the growth of digital media and smartphone use is frequently cited. Screen time has increased as reading rates have fallen. Studies on attention suggest that this screen time may reduce our tolerance for the sustained focus that reading requires. Economic factors also play a role: Americans are working more hours than a generation ago. Our leisure time is limited, and many of us may find it easier to be stimulated by videos on our screens than to read. Some researchers point to educational shifts. Standardized testing requirements reduced time available for independent reading in K–12 schools beginning in the early 2000s, and most students aren’t assigned whole books to read in their curriculum. Some argue that digital reading — long-form journalism, online books, newsletters like this one, I’d imagine — goes undercounted in surveys that focus primarily on physical books and audiobooks. But regardless, this consumption is unlikely to outweigh the measured decline.

The sociopolitical consequences are fascinating. Our deep literacy skills grow with long-form reading (when we read more than 1,000 words in a session). This practice gives us the tools to follow extended arguments, evaluate evidence, and understand perspectives other than our own. These skills are considered foundational to informed democratic participation: readers are more likely to vote and identify misinformation on the web. Cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf emphasizes that the decline of deep reading represents not merely a cultural shift, but a threat to the cognitive infrastructure on which democratic societies depend. A population that consumes information primarily through short-form and algorithmically curated content is more susceptible to oversimplification, which can lead to the collapse of shared factual frameworks.

What we choose to read — and whether we choose to read at all — is inseparable from who we choose to become. Reading builds the capacity for empathy by requiring us to inhabit lives unlike our own. It builds the capacity for discernment by requiring us to sit with complexity long enough to understand it. It builds the capacity for imagination by giving us language for worlds that do not yet exist. Without it, who will we allow to read for us? Whose imaginations will we allow to shift our reality? Reading is a way of being, one that asks us to slow down, to attend, to think. As we grow, we’ve got to explore how we can protect the conditions in which reading remains possible and reclaim that spark for ourselves and our communities.

• Start with a short and simple goal: ten pages. Five pages. One page! It’s more important to stay consistent than the speed you finish a book.

• Pick something you actually want to read, not something you think you should.

• Put the book somewhere you'll be reminded to read. A great place is next to something you already do consistently. If you drink coffee each morning, put it next to the coffee maker. If you’re diligent about your skincare routine, leave it next to the bathroom sink. Friction kills habits. Make the book accessible.

• Read at the same time every day and anchor it to that habit, like your morning coffee, or when you take your dog for a walk or to the dog park.

• Give yourself permission to quit a book that isn't working. Nothing kills a reading habit faster than forcing yourself through something you hate! If you’re struggling through a book with an important topic, try to watch interviews with the author, a documentary on the subject, or the book’s reviews or SparkNotes.

• Start with short-form. Essays, short stories, poetry collections. Anything that can be finished in one sitting reminds you that reading feels good and adds a sense of completion to the task.

• As you read, turn off notifications on your phone or leave it in another room to minimize distraction and keep you in the habit.

• Track your progress, even loosely. A sticky note on the fridge. A note in your phone. Seeing the list grow is its own motivation.

• Remember why you loved it. Think of one book that changed something for you. That feeling is still available. You just have to show up for ten pages to find it again.

Organizations worth supporting that are guiding more readers to resources

Reading has always been a form of resistance, even when it’s recreational. Here are four events that shaped the world of reading as we know it today.

The criminalization of literacy under slavery (1740–1865)

In 1740, South Carolina enacted the Negro Act, which prohibited teaching enslaved people to read or write. The legislation was passed in the aftermath of the Stono Rebellion, a slave uprising that killed more than twenty white colonists. Most Southern states enacted similar statutes over the following century, with penalties applied to both enslaved people and the white individuals who taught them. Virginia's 1831 law, passed in the wake of Nat Turner's rebellion, imposed fines and corporal punishment for violations. Proponents of the laws argued that literacy facilitated communication among enslaved people and increased the likelihood of organized resistance. The laws remained in effect until the abolition of slavery following the Civil War.

The establishment of public libraries (1848–early 1900s)

The Boston Public Library, established by an act of the Massachusetts legislature in 1848, was the first publicly funded municipal library in the United States. Its founding was premised on the idea that tax-supported institutions should make books and educational materials available to all residents regardless of economic status. Between 1883 and 1929, Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 2,509 libraries across the English-speaking world, including 1,689 in the United States. Access to these institutions was not uniform. In the South, Carnegie libraries were frequently segregated or entirely closed to non-white patrons, prompting the establishment of separate library branches and, in some cases, independent Black-founded libraries and reading rooms. The American Library Association did not formally oppose racial segregation in libraries until 1936.

The paperback revolution (1939)

Pocket Books, founded by publisher Robert de Graff, released the first mass-market paperback books in the United States in June 1939. Priced at 25 cents per copy, the books were distributed through newsstands, drugstores, and other retail outlets rather than traditional bookshops. This significantly expanded the points of sale available to consumers, especially the lower-class population. The format had precedents in Europe: Penguin Books, which had launched in the United Kingdom in 1935, found fast distribution through this approach. Within its first year, Pocket Books sold approximately 1.5 million copies. The mass-market paperback format was subsequently adopted by major publishers across the industry and is credited with substantially increasing both book sales and readership in the postwar United States.

The Freedmen's Bureau and Black literacy after emancipation (1865–1872)

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, commonly known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was established by Congress in March 1865 to assist formerly enslaved people and impoverished white Southerners in the aftermath of the Civil War. By 1870, the Bureau had helped establish more than 4,300 schools serving approximately 250,000 students. The schools were staffed by a combination of Northern white teachers, many of them affiliated with abolitionist and missionary organizations, and Black educators, some of whom were themselves formerly enslaved. Opposition to Black education was widespread and frequently violent — school buildings were burned and teachers were subjected to threats and physical attacks in multiple Southern states. The schools it helped establish formed the foundation for several historically Black colleges and universities that remain in operation today.

How libraries shape AI literacy on campus. At institutions like Bryn Mawr College, libraries are emerging as AI sandboxes where students and faculty experiment with the tools and learn responsible use. Inside Higher Ed>

U.S. high school students lose ground in math and reading, continuing a yearslong decline. A decade-long slide in high schoolers’ reading and math performance persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years. AP >

Kids who were babies during COVID are now struggling with reading and math. NWEA data shows that while kindergarten achievement is steady, first and second graders' math and reading skills remain below pre-pandemic levels. 74 Million >

As literacy rates lag, a pediatric hospital is screening for reading ability. Nationwide Children’s Hospital has begun screening children’s literacy skills starting at age 3 during pediatrician visits. The idea is to catch reading struggles early on and guide parents on how to help their kids. AP News >

The lesson of AI literacy class: Don’t let the chatbot think for you. Teachers say they want to equip high school students to drive artificial intelligence, rather than be mere passengers steered by chatbots. NYTimes >

With reading scores slipping, Massachusetts is changing course. Some teachers aren’t happy. Critics say a curriculum mandate is too restrictive for a state long considered an education leader. Hechinger Report >

The Georgia House passes legislation funding literacy coaches for schools with K-3. The bills addresses the low reading rates for its students. Around 30% of Georgia’s fourth graders read proficiently or better in 2024, which is around the national average. This percentage is 32% for fourth graders in Mississippi and Louisiana and 33% for Florida. WABE >

I often get messages about jobs–readers looking for aligned opportunities, and employers hoping to amplify their work! Now, I’m curating a list of full-time, part-time, contract and volunteer opportunities. I’ll post them in full each Friday on Patreon and provide a snippet below each Sunday. Let me know what you think!

Chief Advocacy Officer Vera Institute of Justice – Brooklyn, NY

Full-time | $280,000-$300,000

The Chief Advocacy Officer (CAO), a position that reports to Insha Rahman, the incoming President and Director of Vera and Vera Action, is on Vera’s Leadership Team. Vera’s Advocacy & Partnerships team and Vera Action are responsible for leading the vision, strategy, and staff development of both policy advocacy and political advocacy across the organizations. Learn more >

Community Organizer Common Justice — New York, NY (Hybrid)

Full-time | $72,960

Common Justice runs the first alternative-to-incarceration program in the U.S. focused on violent felonies in adult courts. This role builds the base of people most impacted by violence — survivors and those who have caused harm — to drive transformative racial justice campaigns. They want someone with strategic instincts, a collaborative spirit, and a good sense of humor. Learn more >

Manager, Social Work Center for Justice Innovation – Bronx, NY

Full-time | $92,500 - $110,000

The role is a leadership role responsible for overseeing the BxCJCs' social work team, therapeutic programs, and healing-centered practices. Working in close collaboration with the Community Initiatives team, this position ensures that youth and community participants receive holistic support that fosters healing, personal growth, stability, and long-term success. Learn more >

Associate, Communications - Working Lands National Audubon Society (Remote)

Full-time | $24–$36/hour

The Communications Associate, Working Lands, will support the communications, storytelling, and promotional efforts of the Working Lands programs, which include the Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) program. They will work closely with communications and marketing staff across the organization to develop content on many platforms that support the creation of digital and print materials that highlight the Working Lands’ efforts. Learn more >