As a librarian, I saw firsthand how the pandemic sent everyone's reading habits into a tailspin. Students were struggling to focus on much beyond their constantly changing routines and lives. Teachers were admitting they were struggling to pick up a book and concentrate. I was also in a state of constantly checking my phone to see what crazy thing had happened that day, that hour, that minute. Simply put, 2020 tanked our reading habits. And it's no ones fault.

Fighting back, I decided to immerse myself in books that gave me joy. I surrounded myself with reading communities and created new reading challenges and goals. 2020 ended as my best reading year ever!

I have a vision for 2021 and it is a movement. We can ALL READ HARDER in 2021! Not a reader? How about you attempt to read one book? Or two books? Maybe you could challenge yourself to read a book a month, a book a week or even 100 books in 2021! What about a cool reading challenge that has you reading outside your comfort zone or exploring new genres? There are no rules. We are simply committing to READING HARDER.

To be a part, you simply need to get involved by following #readharderpaducah2021 on Instagram or liking on facebook. We hope you will share your books using the hashtag or join in an online discussion. We also hope you'll ask friends and family to be a part of the discussion. The payoff is a culture of reading in our community...an environment where reading is valued, promoted and actively encouraged.

Beth Wyant

Paducah Tilghman High School Librarian