Robert David Sullivan 2

Statistically ignorant study ranks Boston 8th for literacy

Via Universal Hub: A study by the president of Central Connecticut University tags Boston as the 8th most literate city in the US, with Minneapolis and Seattle tied for first.

"America's Most Literate Cities, 2008" places Boston 22nd in educational attainment (Plano, Texas, is first), 9th in Internet usage (measured by online book orders and by visits to the "city's Internet version newspaper"), 7th in public library resources, 4th in newspaper circulation, and 47th in booksellers per capita.

Boy, that last one really killed us. Maybe the fact that so many of us go to bookstores across the river in Cambridge (not counted as part of Boston in the survey) has something to do with our poor showing. It seems to have hurt us in the 2003 version of the survey as well (see third item here).

We ranked 13th in overall literacy six years ago; that Internet usage category seems to have helped us this time. So thanks to all the Americans who like to click on pictures from dog shows and the like on Boston.com!

New York City fared even worse, placing 24th in literacy overall and 60th in booksellers per capita. That was probably because Manhattan's bookstore numbers were dragged down by Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx.

Meanwhile, Anchorage ranked 11th in bookstores per capita, and Las Vegas ranked 14th. The lesson: If you want to live in a literate city, pick any place that that's not too big, not too small, and not too weirdly shaped, and you can't go wrong.

Norton, Fitchburg now dead to state library board

Last week Norton became the 17th community in Massachusetts to lose certification for its library system, thanks to underfunding -- specifically, a town meeting vote to cut funding by 33 percent. Deborah Knight Snyder laments the "dark day" in the Easton Journal:

The worst punishment of the state decertification is that Norton residents are now in literary and research exile. They will lose their membership in the SAILS Library Network, which offers a hugely expanded world, providing books and materials from over 70 member libraries and branches in southeastern Massachusetts....

Norton residents have essentially been thrown back into the dark ages and will only be able to borrow the limited materials on the shelves of the Norton Public Library.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners currently lists the following towns on its online equivalent of a "do not accept checks from these people" list:

Jacob's Pillow, BSO, and MFA top NEA recipients in Massachusetts

The National Endowment for the Arts announced its first round of grants for fiscal year 2009 yesterday. Below, in descending order of grant amounts, are the Massachusetts recipients and the NEA's descriptions. For my taste, the list is light on theater, and it's not surprisingly skewed toward the immediate Boston area. Among the Gateway Cities, New Bedford fares best, with three projects (the Working Waterfront Festival, a public mural "inspired" by notable artists who were born in the city, and a production of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Zeiterion Theatre).

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Inc.
Becket, MA
$80,000
To support residencies and performances of dance companies. The project will include a Creative Development Residency, presentation of national and international dance companies, and audience engagement and educational programs.

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.
Boston, MA
$70,000
To support the world premiere performances of a new work by composer Gunther Schuller. In celebration of the orchestra's 125th anniversary, four performances of Where the Word Ends will be presented with related educational activities.