Aliteracy

Aliteracy is when people have the ability to read, but simply choose not to. This has become exceptionally common recently as many aspects of modern culture are "more visual", pushing people to choose not to read, "especially not to read books". A lot of the reading people do now is efferent reading (reading done for the purpose of gaining information) rather than aesthetic reading done simply as a hobby or for pleasure. While many still read on social media platforms and even through simple tasks like texting, experts still worry that the significant decline in reading for pleasure is likely to be passed on to future generations. This is because parents "are the most important reading role models for children" and their lack of reading can result in aliteracy for their children as well (Robinson 317).

One organization known as the Public Lending Right (PLR), recently found that the amount of adults borrowing books from libraries has fallen significantly just within the past decade. This decline can especially be seen with "adult borrowing of fiction--a key component of pleasure reading" (Robinson 317). Libraries play a major role in forming literary communities for people of all ages and without consistent support from the public, a lot of these communities will diminish and may even fizzle out completely.

Aliteracy relates to publishing in a plethora of ways, one of the most obvious ways relating to the book market. If more and more people are actively choosing not to read, then the market for books will dwindle over time. In a digital age where technology is becoming more addicting for both older adults and even young children, reading becomes less valued in society and less a part of humanity's culture. While publishing houses can still reach readers through technology with options like audiobooks and e-books, it can still be difficult for companies to maintain a steady flux of income with drastic decreases in reading, especially smaller presses that operate on much tighter budgets.

Efforts to Encourage Reading

Logo for Oprah Winfrey's Website called Oprah Daily

On a more positive note, there are many organizations that still exist today fostering literary communities both in the digital world and in reality. Oprah's Book Club, which includes millions of Oprah Winfrey's viewers, encourages people around the world to read a book a month and to "tune in to a special discussion of it, often with the author present as a special guest on the show". Even if people haven't actually read those books, Winfrey still "assure[s] her readers" that "anyone [can] benefit just from listening in on a conversation about books" (Robinson 328). To this day, Winfrey continues to encourage reading everywhere and she even works with a variety of publishers to help market books that she finds thought-provoking. It's organizations like this that help maintain society's love for reading and in turn, can help shine a light on lesser-known titles and authors, all while keeping publishing houses in business.