USA TODAY’s Bob Minzesheimer (@bookbobminz) reports that, for the 3rd year in a row, Washington, DC, is "America's most literate city," according to an annual statistical study ranking 75 cities with populations of 250,000 and above.
The research, conducted by Central Connecticut State University (@CCSUToday) president John Miller, is based on 6 key indicators: number of bookstores, educational attainment, Internet resources, library resources, periodical publishing resources, and newspaper circulation.
Miller says the study is aimed at shifting attention from school test scores on reading "to how much people are reading, and where are they reading the most." He notes a “troubling trend”: Spending on reading materials, both digital and print, has declined 22% since 2000. In the same period, federal statistics show spending on other forms of entertainment is up 25%.
In a digital age, the survey expands the definition of reading by counting online book orders, ebook readers, and page views on local newspaper websites.
The top 10 cities in 2012:
1. Washington, DC (same as in 2011)
2. Seattle, WA (same as in 2011)
3. Minneapolis, MN (same as in 2011)
4. Pittsburgh, PA (up from No. 6)
5. Denver, CO (up from No. 10)
6. St. Paul, MN (up from No. 12)
7. Boston, MA (down from No. 5)
8. Atlanta, GA (down from No. 4)
9. St. Louis, MO (down from No. 8)
10. Portland, OR (down from No. 11)
See our previous blogpost, “America’s Most Literate Big Cities.”
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