Who Says People Aren't Reading Anymore?

One of the blogs that I visit periodically is Reading Ahead, which is the blog of the National Book Foundation.

"The blog’s purpose is to gather information and ideas in various fields that are having, or will have, an impact on literary reading: the sociology of (literary) reading, the neuroscience of (literary) reading, the marketing of literary work, delivery systems, educational approaches, and innovative projects that cultivate a passion for literature."

A visit to this blog this morning took me to an interesting site. We've all heard the discussions and debates regarding the supposed decline in reading, especially in the U. S. Often, what hasn't been taken into account are the 'new' ways of reading that take place every day -- such as reading book blogs.The Palo Alta Research Center (PARC), which is known for developing new technology currently has an exhibit that focuses on the future of reading. Now, I'll be the first to admit, that I'm pretty skeptical about reading technology. I have no desire for a Kindle, and I've only attempted to listen to an audio book once. I didn't get through it. But, please don't get the wrong idea. I'm not technology averse. I just prefer reading an actual printed book that I can hold in my hands. For me, the physical object can be almost as important as the words it contains. But, this new exhibit is really exciting if for no other reason than the fact that money is being spent on research that deals with reading. There is a wide range here, but all the new technology deals with the ways in which people interact with text and reading in some way. For example, The Listen Reader and The Reading Eye Dog could be utilized to help people with sight impairment. In addition, there are a few other exhibits that are quite interesting, such as The Tilty Tables and the Speeder Reader. Even if I never utilize any of these products or some of them don't even make it to the market place, it does my heart good to know that serious research is being conducted in the art and science of reading.