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Tuesday was National Book Lovers Day, and we can’t help but take a few minutes to tout the importance of reading.

Though life in today’s world is busy with all kinds of opportunities, we encourage you to take a few minutes out of your day to pick up a book.

Don’t think you have time to read? Apparently you’re not alone. According to the National Book Lovers Day website, 24% of Americans had not read a book in 2018.

Though there are many things to compete for your time, we encourage you to schedule it into your day. We think you’ll be interested to see how much you enjoy it and how much you look forward to that time each day.

Reading has many benefits, including stress reduction, stronger analytical thinking skills and even memory improvement — not to mention it can help you gain knowledge.

Reading can expand your vocabulary and improve your focus. Just like it is important to take part in exercises such as walking and running to keep our bodies strong, reading can help keep our brains strong.

This day and age books can be found in their traditional paperback or hardcover formats or even on electronic devices if you prefer.

Of course one of the best resources about books in our own community is the Albert Lea Public Library. Whether you’re young or old doesn’t matter. There is a book for every age, and many are timeless.

The library is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays for no contact pickups.

We leave you with a quote from the famous American children’s author known as Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”