You have to love this article by Ann E. Cunningham and Keith E Stanovich which proves reading makes you verbally smarter. Great data which shows how many more words you are exposed to if you read a minimum of 60 minutes a day. Students need to practice reading more to develop their competence.
A report from the US Library of Congress which shows what organizations including Libraries in the US and overseas are doing right in the area of Literacy and the promotion of reading.