“Getting caught” can be a good thing, especially this month.  May is National Get Caught Reading Month.  This is a national campaign to remind people how much fun it is to read.  The campaign grew out of Children’s Book Week, which is the first week of May.  In 1919, a group of publishers formed the Children’s Book Council and sponsored the first Children’s Book Week. 

The Association of American Publishers felt it equally important to celebrate the joy adults find in reading, so named May the official Get Caught Reading month.  Though emphasis is on reading as a family activity, we should all join in and READ.

Celebrating these two important events, bookstores, libraries, schools and families are encouraged to celebrate the importance and joy of reading.   We all know reading can be as much fun as it is instructive, and this is a great opportunity to spread the word.  The importance of reading to children can’t be understated.  The benefits of reading as a family activity were noted in a recent study that found that children who were read to by a family member were nearly twice as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading than other children.

What are some ways to celebrate?  As libraries we have plenty of great opportunities to “catch” people reading.  Take pictures of children and adults reading in the library and use them as effective public relations tools.  Set up a Get Caught Reading book discussion club for kids that might meet after school or on weekends.  Make it a family affair by having parents/friends read with children—set up a club where children and adults read and discuss the same book.

Libraries are the perfect places to host activities and events to remind people of the value of reading.  Read anything: newspapers, books, magazines, ebooks—take your pick, but be sure to encourage everyone you see to celebrate National Get Caught Reading Month.

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