If you ask me this without allowing me to check, I won’t know the answer. I did read an article over at USA Today, and found out that the most literate cities in the United States today are Minneapolis and Seattle. Now, trivia and fact enthusiasts would probably have fared better at “guessing.” After all, these two cities have been alternating at getting the top two spots for the past six years.
These figures are the results of a yearly study that takes a look at culture and resources for reading in the major cities all across the country. There are six indicators to check literacy:
1. Newspaper circulation
2. Number of bookstores
3. Library resources
4. Periodical publishing resources
5. Educational attainment
6. Internet resources
This year’s study couldn’t have come at a better time. Figures for the circulation of print newspapers have declined while online newspapers are getting more hits. Some sectors have hinted that the reason for the decrease in interest in print newspapers is due to the online versions. However, Jack Miller of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut says that this is not true, despite the popular opinion. In fact, he mentions that cities which have high circulation figures also have corresponding high numbers of people going online to read newspapers. The same thing applies for bookstores – both online and offline.
If you live in any of these two cities, you ought to be proud. If not, then perhaps you should start a personal campaign to help increase literacy – if not in your city, then at least at home!