NAIROBI: Although it has been said that ours is a society that lacks a reading culture, we can still encourage reading in our homes and workplaces.
Usually, magazines are piled up in a heap in a corner of a room, which makes it difficult to access and uninspiring to read.
Given that magazines have a long shelf-life and can remain relevant for a long time, one must find attractive ways to display them so as to encourage and increase the frequency of reading. Here are a few ideas to consider:
MAGAZINE RACK
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Place an attractive magazine rack in the sitting room, terrace, bedside or in the toilet, especially for those who like to spend a long time in the loo.
Find an attractive and artistically creative rack that will keep your magazines organised and vary your content from cars, to fashion and interior décor, to properties and lifestyle to suit various readers’ interest.
WALL ROD
Hanging magazines on a rod on a wall will also inspire reading as the magazine is openly displayed. The rod should be at eye level so that one can easily see the content of the magazine.
Keep three to four magazines hanging on the wall and the visual display is likely to cause one to reach out and read.
OFFICE RECEPTIONS
Magazines that are relevant to the business of an organisation can be placed on a coffee table or rack ladder to encourage visitors to browse as they await their meetings.
Waiting rooms at a doctor’s clinic or health centre are good opportunities to pass on vital information about various diseases, their causes, prevention and treatment.
An architect’s office could have magazines with building designs and various property magazines. Change the magazines from time to time so as to keep content fresh.
VEHICLES
Place some magazines in your car to encourage your passengers to better utilise time spent in traffic jams by reading a magazine or two.
It is definitely a better use of time than staring out of the window impatiently hoping that the cars will move faster.
Tuck magazines into the back pocket behind the driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat.
Include children’s magazines which have colouring sections and puzzles to keep them busy, especially when boredom checks in during a long journey.
—jkanyeki@standardmedia.co.ke
