"I think we could have more readers, more books being borrowed from libraries, more library card holders, more independent bookstores, more book sales. These are indicators of the health of the industry. That people are participating is obvious, but we know there's more ground to cover. But every six months, you see the story asking: Are books dead? Obviously, they're not.... I think we could use a little more optimism and belief in the power of books, because we're still standing. Every school child picks up a book. Can you imagine how happy the theater world would be if every child saw a play?"
--Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation, in an interview with the Miami Herald