reading is fundamental

Study finds that people under 30 are reading more than their elders

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If you think millennials just care about smartphones and shun books, you're wrong: A new Pew Research report found that 88 percent of Americans age 16 to 29 have read at least one book in the past year, compared with 79 percent of people 30 and older.

Now, one book a year doesn't sound like much (because unless it's War and Peace or Ulysses, it's not), but the report adds that "among younger Americans who did read at least one book, the median or typical number read in the past year was 10."

These insights came from the "Younger Americans and Public Libraries" report, which shows that as much as millennials enjoy reading, they're not big into libraries. When asked how they would feel if their library closed, just 19 percent said it would have a big impact on their lives, compared with 32 percent of people 30 and over. When asked if a library closure would have a large impact on the community, 51 percent said yes, compared with 67 percent of those 30 and older.