Caelin Swinehart lends a helping hand with the Lego collection at the Warsaw Community Public Library. Photo provided by Robin Fosnaugh.

By Melissa Chapman, Cataloging Supervisor
Warsaw Community Public Library

WARSAW — “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…the man who never reads lives only once.”

“National Read a Book Day” is Sep. 6. This day calls all book lovers to indulge in their favorite pastime. Bringing new worlds to life, books enlighten us and transport us on exciting adventures. They can challenge our perceptions of the human experience in ways unmatched by other media. In a world deluged by technology, “National Read a Book Day” encourages us to silence the noise and read.

While “National Read a Book Day” is believed to have originated in the US, other details of the day’s history are unclear. What is clear is Americans’ love for reading. For many, this is a welcomed day because 81% of Americans don’t feel they spend as much time reading as they should.

Over 74% of Americans have read at least one book in the last 12 months. Unquestionably, the busyness of life gets in the way of our reading pursuits with many other activities competing for our time. Luckily, electronic platforms have made it easier to read on the go. Almost 20% of books are now consumed via electronic platforms.

Some ways to celebrate the day are reading a book or volunteering at your local library. Libraries do a lot of imperative work for their communities by creating a safe, quiet space for children to learn. Community meetings are held in libraries, and many function as polling places during elections. Donating books to your local library is also a great way to share knowledge with your community, and book donations often help libraries flesh out their shelves.

Sharing your passion for reading is a wonderful thing to do. If you have children, you can read to them in order to pass along your love of books to them. There is a study that showed adults who read at least 30 minutes per week are 20% more satisfied with life than those who are not spending the same time reading.

Books expand our minds and are good for our health. Reading creates community. So why not take some time on “National Read a Book Day” to sit down with a good book and see what reading can do for you?