’Tis the season for resolutions, and as we all begin developing our individual and collective vision for a successful 2020, I would like to challenge every New Yorker to make one commitment that will help each of us, our city and our nation truly start a new chapter.
Read. For at least 20 minutes a day. It’s that simple — and yet as transformative as the power of reading has ever been.
The benefits of developing this habit are clear, numerous and important, especially in today’s world. Studies show that reading for at least 20 minutes each day sharpens a variety of skills that are valuable in the workforce, including memory retention, social-emotional skills and critical thinking, to name a few.
Reading helps generate empathy, something our world needs more than ever before. Reading helps us learn about our world and understand varying perspectives, critical in an increasingly complex, harried and often-alienating world, where too many of us spend our days shouting at strangers on the Internet.
And of course, there are the benefits for children. If you read to your children or encourage them to read for at least 20 minutes a day, some studies show that they will hear approximately 1.8 million words a year.
If the reading continues from kindergarten, your child will have read for 851 hours by sixth grade. And studies show that students who read regularly and widely will perform better on all school-based measures of success.
They will also potentially be more creative and imaginative. They will enjoy learning. And they will have fun.
And perhaps that’s the most important benefit. Reading is fun. When you find the right book — and I’m the first to admit that not every book makes one want to turn pages — it is a blissful distraction from the daily stresses that too often dictate our moods and lives.
Sitting in your living room, squeezed in a subway car or standing on the line at the grocery store, you can be transported away from bills and work and political rancor. Books can transport you to, well, anywhere you want.
Breaks are always important, but let’s be real: This coming year is poised to be intense, stressful, difficult and divisive. We will all need an escape, no matter how strong we are. Sometimes, what’s happening around us can feel overwhelming.
But, yes, New Yorkers, there is an answer: reading.
Whether it’s books, e-books, newspapers, magazines, online articles or blogs. Whether it’s classics, romances, mysteries or fantasy. Fiction, non-fiction. History or science. It doesn’t matter. Whatever you love, there is a book to match.
And the New York Public Library can help you find it. We are celebrating our 125th anniversary in 2020, and since our founding, we have been dedicated to making knowledge and opportunity accessible to all.
We give all people the tools they need to participate in civic society, and a key part of that mission is to work every day to spark and sustain a true love of reading in our communities.
We have countless reading recommendation lists online. We are launching a Book of the Day newsletter in 2020, and librarians in all of our branches can help connect you with the book that will get you started. You just need to ask.
So let’s paint the town “read” this year, New Yorkers, if you will forgive a librarian’s pun. Let’s get engaged with our world. Let’s learn, grow and have fun.
I know there are other options vying for that 20 minutes of your time. But I think you will be happy with your choice if you choose to read. So visit us this year. Choose from our millions of books (and classes and programs, including story times for the kids).
And remember, everything is free, and we have plenty of books on healthy cooking, just in case you have other resolutions you are considering.
Anthony Marx is the president of the New York Public Library, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2020. To sign up for the NYPL’s Book of the Day e-mails, visit nypl.org/2020.