Do you know the websites that let you name a star after your beloved one, your kid or your dog for a small fee? Yeah, those are all fake— you could pay me to “name” a star for $50, and I’ll take your money and show the name online. I’ll even send you a fancy certificate! It seems that you’ve named a star, but it just doesn’t count.

Actually, the only organization that owns official naming rights is the International Astronomical Union, or the IAU. It was founded in 1919 and based in Paris, France. It is where astronomers and other professionals have reached the agreements and is the official record-keeping body for all discoveries in space.

Recently they do open up an opportunity for the public to name a dozen of planets outside the solar system. These planets will be among the first to be studied with the James Webb Space Telescope. However, they currently only have boring and complicated documents that were used to find them. That’s why the IAU is looking for something more interesting.

But before you start naming the planets, you should know the rules. First, nothing is rude or annoying. Second, the name should be less than 16 characters long and pronounceable in at least one language with no commercial or business names and nothing is named after a living individual or a pet.

The competition, named “Stars Worlds”, is open next Thursday, January 20th. It’s the third such contest the IAU has held, and the purpose is to get the public more interested in science as well as the organization. The competition also helps to break centuries of European dominance when it comes to naming things in the night sky. So people around the world can share the joy of discovery and make their mark in history.

A new study published in the journal Reading and Writing shows that reading is closely related to language skills. The piece was written by Sandra Martin, professor of education, and PhD student Stephanie Kozak. They found that people who enjoyed reading fiction for leisure and who saw themselves as readers scored higher on language tests, while those who read to access specific information scored more poorly on the same tests.

Martin and Kozak used a scale called the Predictors of Leisure Reading (PoLR) to investigate reading behavior. They then examined how well the PoLR predicted the language skills of 200 undergraduate students. The researchers note that the age range of the subjects in the study is of key interest. In early adulthood, reading becomes self-directed rather than compelled by others, which means people can choose to read any book they like. So this is a key time for developing one’s own reading habits. But there is a general lack of research on this population, with most existing research mainly focusing on children.

The researchers administered (执行) a series of measures. First, the participants completed the 48-question PoLR scale measuring various reading factors, including motivations, obstacles, attitudes and interests. They were then given language tests similar to those found in the SAT and a measure of reading habits called the Author Recognition Test. This test asks participants to select the names of real fiction and non-fiction authors they are familiar with from a long list of real and fake names. Scores on this test are related to both actual reading behavior and verbal abilities: those who scored higher read more and have better verbal abilities than those who scored lower.

After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that reading enjoyment, positive attitudes and deeply established interests predicted better verbal abilities and that they were more strongly associated with exposure to fiction than non-fiction.

The many benefits of reading have long been established. Besides having better verbal abilities, lifelong readers are known to be more understanding of others, to attain higher socioeconomic status and even to live longer, healthier lives than non-readers. The findings of the study can give teachers and parents some enlightenment (启发). They can promote a love of reading by letting young people read what they want, without guilt or shame.

Public libraries are an excellent resource for research, literacy (读写能力) education, and reading-centered events. Most towns have one or share library services with other towns through a mobile library, and the use of a public library is free to people who are willing to apply for a library card.

There are several primary sources of library funding, starting with national funds which are distributed to states or provinces. These regions send the funds on to public libraries. Local governments also play an important role in providing funding for libraries, and most librarians apply for grants (拨款). Finally, private donations help to maintain libraries — most libraries have an association of Friends of the Library which organizes fund-raising sales and pays annual dues to help maintain the library.

Grants and private donations can also be used to provide a large amount of funding for public libraries, and some large libraries maintain a separate staff member to increase the amount of funding that they can obtain through these sources. Grants include technology grants which allow libraries to install and upgrade computer systems, grants which focus on a particular topic such as science, fiction, children’s books, or local history, and education grants which support locally-based community efforts such as after-school reading programs. Many private donors are pleased to support their local public libraries by donating funds or including some library in their wills, and libraries reward their donors with treats like after-hours visits or privileged access to special collections.

By combining multiple resources, creative librarians can keep their libraries useful, informative, and fun for browsers. When it comes to supporting public libraries, every little bit counts: if you cannot afford to donate to a local library, think about volunteering time to help shelve books, lead after-school programs, or organize fund-raisers. Being active with your public library is a very important way to contribute to your local community.