Leaders are readers

The Executive Committee of MPOW Board met on Monday evening, the first meeting of the new officers for FY 2007. As a way of getting acquainted Teri, the new President, asked us to each introduce and tell something about ourselves. The first person up told us her name and that she liked to read. I asked her what she was reading, and she enthusiastically shared the title. Well, that started a trend and with each person, another book title was introduced, and many of us were writing them down.

What a great thing to find out . . . that our regional library Board is made up of readers. But then, not surprising. Written ideas and the reading of them is a cornerstone of culture. Harry Truman said: Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.

The inability to read is a handicap that I find unfathomable. Libraries are in a unique position to supply places and sources for reading. Libraries can also provide sponsorship for learning to read programs – as we did at my former POW.

President Bush revealed his most recent reading list in an interview with Brian Williams, and parts of the interview have been broadcast today on MSNBC and on the Today program (where I caught it this morning). Additionally, Wonkett blogged it and YouTubed it and The National Journal Hotlineblog published the following text of the interview:

On why he read Camus: "I was in Crawford and I said I was looking for a book to read and Laura said you oughtta try Camus. I also read three Shakespeares."
Williams: "A few months ago you were reading the life story of Joe DiMaggio by Richard Ben Cramer."
Bush: "Which was a good book."
Williams: "You've been on a Teddy Roosevelt reading kick."
Bush: "Well I'm reading about the battle of New Orleans right now. I've got an eclectic reading list."
(NBC, 8/29).

quoted with no political opinion intended