We’re in love and we don’t care who knows it!

WE LOVE BOOKS!!! All books. Print books. Ebooks. Audiobooks. Read-alongs. And we love the experience of reading them. Opening up the first page to the next book in the series you’ve been waiting years to read. Reading just one more page before bed. Then one more after that. Sitting in the driveway because you just have to hear how the audiobook will end. Watching your child’s face light up when the book comes alive, and listening to them say “read it again!”. Again and again and again. And we love libraries, the steadfast institutions that offer books, entertainment, education, access, information, and community.

This week, for National Library Week, we’re shouting our love for libraries, books, and reading from the rooftops and we’ve created a brand new marketing kit that will help you spread the love to your patrons too. Now available for printing on the Resource Center is a ‘Love to Read’ kit featuring a series of print and digital pieces you can use for National Library Week and all year long.

Find a colorful, amusing bibliophile postcard series you’ll be dying to tack up at your desk to display your reading pride or hand out to your fellow book-loving colleagues and patrons.

And if you needed another reason to love reading, we have 5 more. Included in the kit is a poster and social media graphic that offers more reasons why life is better with books. Read on for a closer look at the science and research behind why reading makes life just great.

Reading makes you smarter. According to Stanford researchers, close reading can serve as a kind of cognitive training that allows for more focused concentration and the use of new brain regions. In our current landscape of ever increasing distractions, beeps, notifications, and alerts, a quiet time to read may be just what the doctor ordered.

Reading makes you a better writer. Did you know you can unconsciously pick up the writing style of your favorite books? Lumerit Unbound explains how your brain absorbs the vocabulary and writing techniques of the books you read. It also improves your spelling. See ya later, spell checker!

Reading reduces stress. When you’re stressed, your mind is buzzing at a million miles per hour. Sometimes the best medicine is a break from the buzz. Reading helps you do that, claims researchers at the University of Sussex. Just 6 minutes of reading reduces stress by 68%, which was more than listening to music, having a cup of tea, or taking a walk.

Reading makes you nicer. Can a book literally transform you? Some studies say yes. Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes (and stories) can be an effective way to empathize with another human being and lead to a better understanding of others.

Reading ebooks and audiobooks from your local library is free. With Libby, the one-tap reading app, reading and all of these life-changing improvements that come along with it won’t cost you a dollar. All you need is a library card and a good book to change your life for the better.

Happy reading and happy National Library Week!