About the National Reading Campaign
The National Reading Campaign is about creating a reading strategy for Canada. It is about engaging Canadians in exploring what a Canadian reading plan would look like, and what we would expect the key outcomes to be. The campaign plans to incorporate and promote reading as a central feature of 21st century Canadian citizenship.
The first forum, held in 2008, proposed that a National Reading Campaign be developed over the course of three Reading Summits. The first Summit was held in Toronto, ON in 2009, the second was held in Montreal, QC in 2011 and the third took place in May 2012 in Vancouver, B.C.
How did the National Reading Campaign start?
The National Reading Campaign had its beginnings in 2008, when a coalition of readers, parents, writers, editors, librarians, bookstore owners, teachers, publishers and distributors came together to assess and consider the changing reading habits of Canadians. Meet the Steering Committee here.
Why do we need a National Reading Campaign?
Becoming a reader is at the very heart of responsible citizenship. But as we find ourselves caught in the fierce updrafts of an information hurricane, we often lose sight of what reading — as an intellectual activity — contributes to our sense of self, our cultural awareness, our capacity for self-expression and, ultimately, our notions of engaged citizenship and the collective good. Reading, after all, is about so much more than a technical act that allows us to communicate, consume media and perform the activities of daily life. To be literate is necessary, but it is not enough.
We live in an accelerated, information-saturated society that often discourages sustained engagement with many traditional forms of writing. Mass media, digital culture and stunning advances in communications technology together represent unprecedented opportunities in terms of how ideas circulate within technologically advanced societies. But these same forces also pose formidable challenges for those worried about the future of reading.
These are not theoretical concerns. In his bracing 2008 report on the state of Canadian literacy, TD Bank deputy chief economist Craig Alexander lays out compelling evidence to suggest that Canadians shouldn’t be complacent about generally positive standardized test scores and news of Canada’s standing on international academic rankings. Probing deeper, Mr. Alexander finds much to indicate that all is not well. Four in ten youth lack adequate literacy skills. Stubborn regional disparities persist. Boys lag behind girls. Poverty affects learning. As for adults, among Canadians between 16 and 65, almost half struggle with literacy, often due to linguistic barriers among new immigrants.
What is Canada doing to foster a reading culture?
Many countries around the world have developed a national program to promote reading among children and the general population. In Canada, individual provinces and communities have made steps in this direction; however, because schools and libraries are the most obvious focus for public reading initiatives, and both are under provincial and municipal jurisdictions, we have no coordinated national strategy to promote reading.
How do we Canadians go about building a reading society?
The TD National Reading Summit has brought together writers, educators, librarians, academics, publishers, business leaders, and public officials who care about crafting a blueprint for a reading Canada. Speakers from across the country and around the world shared their research and experience in developing reading promotion programs, and delegates layed the groundwork for implementing new programs and policies with both provincial and federal participation.
The ultimate goal of the National Reading Campaign is to create a strategy that will promote reading amongst all Canadians; Reflecting the value of reading as a tool for democracy and civic engagement, as a means to equalize the playing field for all Canadians, as a way for Canadians to learn about themselves, and as a vehicle for joy.
