Posted in the Akron Beacon Journal on Sun, Jan. 30, 2005

This City Reads!, Chapter 2 isn't all business for some

Companies will stop and let their people read; you can drop and read, too

By Jessica Coomes

Beacon Journal business writer

Sshhh!

The business world will come to a shushing halt at 10:30 Wednesday morning inside SageRock.com.

Owner Sage Lewis doesn't even think they'll be answering the phones at the Web marketing firm.

For the North Summit Street business and dozens of others in Summit County, employees and customers will have the opportunity to read for a half hour.

This City Reads! is a community project launched last year, when 60,000 Summit County residents read simultaneously to promote literacy. This year, organizers want 100,000 people reading at the same time.

SageRock.com is among businesses that have agreed to be ``official reading sites,'' where the public is invited to participate. Some businesses participate even though they are not registered with This City Reads!

``Being socially aware of things going on around you is part of our culture at SageRock, and it seemed like it would fit in with what we're about as a company,'' Lewis said.

The ``official reading sites'' are businesses, schools, churches, hospitals, agency offices and libraries.

In mass e-mails the Greater Akron Chamber asked businesses to participate, said Sandy Auburn, co-chair of This City Reads!

``A highly literate community is critical for economic development,'' Auburn said. ``Every business looks at what kind of employees they need and what kind of skills they have.... It's in businesses' best interests to work in the community.''

Harriett Calcagno, president of Friends of the Main Library, decided to open her business, January Paints, to the public as an official reading site, too.

She doesn't expect a lot of people to stop by her particular location. However, she said, ``If you push a few people in that direction, that's always good.'' And she'll be putting cookies out along with newspapers and magazines.

Calcagno said the half dozen employees will have time to read between serving customers.

The same goes for the employees at the phones and cash registers at Borders Books & Music in Cuyahoga Falls, which is a second-year participant. One employee at Borders will be reading to children.

It makes sense for a bookstore to be participating in the half-hour reading time, said Barbara Biasiotta, the corporate sales representative for the store.

``This is right up our alley,'' Biasiotta said. ``This is the kind of thing we should be doing.''

Three Acme stores in Akron and one in North Canton will offer places for the public to read. The event fits in with Acme's image, said Sue Guthier, director of consumer marketing.

``Acme tries to get involved with anything, especially if it fits in with education,'' Guthier said.

The work day will stop at the five branches of the AAA Akron Auto Club, said administrative assistant Jennifer Klingenberg. About 50 employees and the public will be reading.

So what will these folks be reading? Calcagno of January Paints will bring a cookbook. Klingenberg of AAA will have work-related reading. Auburn of This City Reads! will finish a nonfiction book about life in Great Britain around World War I. And Lewis of SageRock.com has Built to Last, a book on building a great business.

The only thing Lewis would like changed: Make it an hour.

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