Niagara University and Canisius University are putting a new spin on their longtime rivalry, this time with books.
Librarians from both Niagara and Canisius have come together to promote reading amongst college aged students. A study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts found that only 48.5% of U.S. adults had read at least one book during the previous year, down from 54.6% in 2012. Fiction reading fell even more, from 45.2% in 2012 to 37.6% in 2022.
Students, faculty and staff from both universities are invited to take part in the Reading Rivalry, a campus-wide competition that challenges participants to read as much as they can while representing their university.
The competition runs through Dec. 1, giving participants several weeks to read, log their chapters and help their university claim bragging rights.
There is no limit to what counts as reading. Participants can log chapters from books, audiobooks, textbooks and even journal articles. The goal is simple: If you can read it, it counts.
Throughout the competition, participants will track the number of chapters they read. The university with the most logged chapters will come out on top, while the student who reads the most chapters on their campus will receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
The Reading Rivalry is open to students, faculty and staff, making it an opportunity for the entire Niagara community to get involved and show their school spirit.
Whether you are already working your way through a stack of books or looking for a reason to start reading again, every chapter counts.
Ready to represent Niagara? Start logging your chapters and help bring the Reading Rivalry title home.
