We in universities are not in the democracy business. What we do, when we're doing it, is teach and learn.
I've always been an avid reader. If I don't have a book in the car, I'll stop and pick one up just to have something to read. I don't even remember learning to read.
I can remember exactly where I sat when my teacher first read Roald Dahl's 'James and the Giant Peach'.