As the holiday season descends on us and along with it the frenzy to find the perfect gift, host the best party or decorate to the max, it makes sense to reflect on the simple pleasures of life. One of these is reading.
Okay – I admit it – I am biased. My earliest memories are of visiting the local public library, and I happen to be a librarian who is married to a bookseller. Our idea of a good time is to spend our weekends searching used-book stores for first editions.
But I challenge you to identify another single activity that is just as accessible, free, fun and inspiring. There is nothing quite like being swept up in a great book. So from one who has spent a career (a lifetime even) surrounded by books, may I offer a simple and free gift idea: a library card. Really.
Consider this: Have you stepped into your local library lately? Both Tacoma Public Library and Pierce County Library System offer incredible services and resources, from e-books, to music, to health care information, to job and business support, to homework help and online classes, to assistance for adult literacy programs. The local library provides a refuge and a bastion of support for the community, and, importantly, it is available to everyone, providing access to information in a variety of formats and languages.
Just imagine introducing a child to the joy of reading this holiday season. To the small child, a library is a treasure chest. Visit any children’s section and see kids on the floor curled up with their books. And think of all that you can do. Yes, of course, read aloud to your children – but you don’t have to wait for bedtime. Start a family book club, get the kids to dress up as characters, or use the Internet to expand on what’s in the books.
The benefits of reading last a lifetime. Numerous studies have shown that kids who read for pleasure excel academically, and that parental involvement in reading has a positive impact on children’s school grades. Research shows that reading fiction can improve social skills, empathy, and understanding. As well, reading reduces stress. One study found that even six minutes of reading is more effective in reducing stress than listening to music or going for a walk, probably because the distraction of being drawn into a story eases the tension in muscles and the heart.
So if the holiday parties, frenzied parking lots and frantic search for the perfect gift start to wear you down, just turn off that cell phone, cozy up with a cup of tea or coffee, and open a book. Think of it as yoga for the mind.
Lastly, here’s a small holiday challenge: Once you get that library card and stack some good books on the shelf, forget about taking yet another selfie, and post a “shelfie” on Instagram or Twitter instead. A shelfie? Sure, that’s a close-up photo of what’s on your bookshelf – kind of what is going on inside, not outside, your head. Thanks go to “Arches,” our university’s alumni magazine, for creating the shelfie idea. It’s so compelling that our library is now posting our staff’s shelfies online too. How about it Tacoma? Let’s “break the Internet” not with shameless selfies, but with inspiring shelfies. And the key to getting started is that library card. You could call it the perfect gift.
Jane Carlin is director of the Collins Memorial Library at University of Puget Sound.