Print comes in an endless variety of forms, and it infiltrates nearly every part of our lives. But much of the reading done in everyday life is not actually considered “reading.” Instead, “reading” often insinuates lone study and academic texts. Print items like greeting cards, park poems, and self-help pamphlets are not considered items of value and become invisible to scholarship. However, the popularity of these items demonstrates their importance in people’s lives. Individuals use these them to create meaning for themselves, to connect with others, and to foster communities with those around them. Analyzing the uses of everyday print items reveals far-reaching and complex stories, wherein the uses of reading materials are as varied and remarkable as the readers who use them. Why do people pick up free spiritual self-help magazines, and do all readers use them the same way? Why are paper cards still so popular, despite the emergence of the digital world? Are trading cards really just a fad for middle-school boys, or are there larger motivations behind the games? Does poetry really play a role in people’s lives? How are these print markets related, and what part do they play in creating or supporting the surrounding communities?

These few reports are not meant to be an exhaustive investigation into everyday reading. In fact, the items mentioned make up only a small portion of the reading that we do every day without realizing it. A full analysis of every faction of our everyday reading would take years, perhaps lifetimes. However, when we begin this analysis, we can see that, while these print items may not be frequently overlooked or undervalued, they still central to our lives, shaping our lived experiences and providing opportunities for us to establish or further develop community with those around us.

• Popular Poetry
• Self-Help Literature
• Greeting Cards
• Postcards
• Canada 150 in Print
• Cookbooks

Our world is blanketed in print. Flyers. Street signs. Birthday cards. City maps. It may be impossible to accurately quantify the reading we do everyday without even being aware of it, but the prevalence of reading proves its importance in everyday life. Whether or not we consider ourselves "readers," we are reading all the time.

By researching the most mundane of print, we can get a clearer picture of just how important literacy is to us. Researching everyday print items and their impact people’s lives is far from a simple task. We can be reading for any number of reasons, and we cannot assume that any two readers are the same. But recognizing this variation – and celebrating it – can be the first step in beginning to understand our everyday reading habits.

Last Updated: Jan 3, 2017

Print comes in an endless variety of forms, and it infiltrates nearly every part of our lives. But much of...