Saskatoon still loves to read, but falls to sixth on Amazon's list

Saskatoon is number six on Amazon Canada's list of Canadian cities that love to read this year. But not only do residents buy books, they also spend time at the Saskatoon Public Library, with 3,339,472 items circulated in 2017. Gord Waldner / The StarPhoenix

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Saskatoon still hankers for literature, as revealed by Amazon Canada’s list of the top 20 Canadian cities that love to read, released by Amazon Canada.

However, the city fell from first place to sixth on the list this year.

According to the sixth annual Canadian Cities that Love to Read list, Saskatoon is in the top five cities in terms of the popularity of books in the romance, science fiction and fantasy categories.

The list is based on Amazon.ca per capita sales data for print and e-books from May 2017 to May 2018, in cities with more than 100,000 residents.

Mayor Charlie Clark said literature plays a big role in the community, and in creating a healthy city. Through reading, people can “expand their horizons and see the world differently,” he said.

It’s always good to take a little more time to be reflective and engaged in a book, especially in today’s sped-up world where people often need bite-sized bits of information, Clark added.

“Books are a tremendous opportunity to be reminded of how other people see the world.”

In addition to buying books, Saskatoon residents also use the public library frequently. In 2017, the library recorded 1,503,649 patron visits and 3,339,472 items circulated. In the first quarter of 2018, total circulation was 841,944, which is about the same as the first quarter in 2017.

“Learning to read is one of the most critical and empowering abilities anyone can acquire. Reading is an essential ingredient for success and lifelong learning at any age,” said library CEO Carol Cooley.

The library offers various programs, services, and collections to help develop literacy skills. Lisa Fleming, superintendent of education with Saskatoon Public Schools, encourages students and their families to use those resources during the summer months to prevent “summer slippage.”

Fleming said an important role for Saskatoon schools and their teachers is to help get children interested in reading. To do so, all children need access to high-quality reading resources and teachers need to ensure they’re making reading exciting, she said.

“We really encourage our teachers, especially in our primary grades, to think about making sure they have books that are engaging for children, to open the world of reading. If we can start our children early on feeling like they are confident and competent readers, they will want to grow their reading skills. And we know when we have strong readers we have successful students.”

alawlor@postmedia.com

twitter.com/lawlor_alexa

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