Six out of ten Poles did not read a single book last year, reveals new research that will shock educationalists and publishers.

During a jubilee session, honouring the 55 years of the Book and Reading Institute of the National Library in Warsaw it was underlined that the “book index” among Poles is the lowest since early 1990’s, when systematic research started.

The “book index’ allows to gather information on regular reading, on the choices of books, preferences and favourite writers.

The latest research revealed that 62 percent of Poles had not read one book in a year. The drop in reading statistics is registered in almost all levels of society with the exception of large cities with a population exceeding 500,000 where a 3 percent rise in the interest in books was noted.

Polish men read the least, but also inhabitants of small towns, teenagers and those who use heavy web users. The Internet was initially thought to be an ally of reading, with web surfers being a group eagerly reaching for books. The drop in reading statistics by over 18 percentage points to the fact that the Internet does not support sales of books but on the contrary serves as a replacement.

The research of the Book and Reading Institute also showed that reading for pleasure is a dying out as a phenomenon. Should the presented data omit school pupils who have the obligatory reading to do, the statistics would be even more alarming.

The Book and Reading Institute was called to life in 1955.It gathers data on libraries and book reading. It’s reports are published every two years. The latest was presented in spring 2009. (ab/pg)