Tuesday through Saturday of next week (March 7-11) are Durham Tech’s Inclement Weather Make-Up Days (aka “Not Spring Break”), and since we haven’t had inclement weather, there will be a break in classes.

March is National Reading Month and this year, Thursday, March 2 (today!) has been designated Read Across America Day.

We get that sometimes when you’re in school or teaching that it can be hard to budget time, energy, and attention for reading if it’s not your go-to, but we believe that everyone who wants to be a reader can be.

To challenge yourself and join our quiet society of readers at Durham Tech, check out the Read Great Things Challenge, the Library’s annual category-based challenge, now in its 6th year. You can “win” with 5 strategically-chosen books.

In honor of Read Across America Day and National Reading Month, there are a few things that the Durham Tech Library would like to remind you about reading and your reading self–

• Like other skills we learn, you can become a better reader through practice.
• Like other habits we develop, you can work reading into your daily schedule by adding it with intention.
• Do you like podcasts? Try audiobooks!
• And on that note: Audiobooks and graphic novels are books and “count” as reading, too!
• Not every book is for every person and that’s okay. Don’t yuck someone else’s favorites.
• No read shaming! You’re allowed to dislike things without making others feel bad about liking them (and vise versa).
• Being a slow reader is not a sign of moral failure or a lack of intelligence. Being a fast reader doesn’t mean you’re a better person in some existential way, either.
• And an occasionally controversial take: If you’re reading something for fun and you’re just really, really not feeling it, you can put it down. [We mostly just have to push through and finish assigned reading. Such is life and college.]

Keep reading to learn more about the in-person AND online reading collections available through your Durham Tech Libraries.