On reading "The librarian and the art of reading"

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reflect on an editorial from an earlier issue, entitled "The librarian and the art of reading''. Design/methodology/approach - Critical review of the argument presented in the original editorial. Findings - The concept of the "art of reading'' (essentially critical thinking about text) proposed in the original editorial has held up well, especially when its historical context (World War Two) is appreciated. Practical implications - This article would be of interest to anyone working in libraries who is interested in the promotion of reading and why we read. Originality/value - Analyses a challenging concept - the "art of reading'' (essentially critical thinking about text).