World Book Day, celebrated every April 23rd, is a global tribute to reading and the power of knowledge to connect people across disciplines and cultures. For the research community, it’s a reminder of how shared knowledge drives innovation and collaboration.
This year, Preprints.org joined the celebration by launching a special series of events centered around our Reading Lists feature, designed to help researchers, authors, and readers curate and share preprints. These events celebrated open knowledge, spotlighted community contributions, and fostered new research connections.
We’re recapping the highlights, showcasing standout reading lists, and sharing ways you can continue engaging with the Preprints.org community in this post.
Have feedback? Tell us about your experience with Reading Lists in this quick survey.
A Celebration of Knowledge Sharing
The World Book Day Reading List events brought together a global community of open science advocates. Through two programs, participants explored how reading lists can serve as powerful tools for rapid and collaborative knowledge sharing:
Preprint Reading Marathon
Participants created or favorited reading lists and read as many preprints as they could to unlock Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificates, along with discount vouchers for MDPI Author Services. It made research reading both rewarding and fun.
Reader’s Choice
Reading lists that received favorites from the community were also eligible for certificates and rewards, turning research curation into a celebration of collective insight.
These programs highlighted how flexible and valuable Reading Lists are for organizing research by theme and boosting visibility for emerging work.
By the Numbers: Community Highlights
The response was inspiring. Here’s what the Preprints.org community achieved together:
- 198 participants joined from diverse research fields
- 95 reading lists were created, covering topics from AI and agriculture to space propulsion
- 278 favorites were given, reflecting strong community engagement and the appeal of these curated reading lists
- 42 certificates and MDPI Author Services vouchers were awarded to these contributors
These numbers reflect more than just participation; they represent a shared commitment to open research and meaningful scholarly exchange.
Spotlight on Community Favorites
Participants brought creativity and insight to their curated lists. Some of the most popular included:
- Farmer’s Knowledge | 77 preprints | 26 favorites
Exploring farmer adaptation to modern agricultural technologies.
- Green Technologies for Sustainable Crop Production | 33 preprints | 23 favorites
Focused on eco-friendly farming innovations.
- The GPT Revolution: Benchmarking, Boundaries, and Breakthroughs | 6 preprints | 18 favorites
Spotlighting ChatGPT’s capabilities, benchmarking GPT-4 against GPT‑3.5 across professional exams, and real-world applications.
- Frontiers in Scholarly Communication: From Preprints to AI-Driven Publishing | 9 preprints | 14 favorites
Covering AI-powered peer review, topic selection, citation dynamics, and the future of publishing.
- AI and Education | 9 preprints | 12 favorites
Investigating how artificial intelligence is reshaping learning.
- Green and Advanced Rocket Propulsion | 5 preprints | 9 favorites
A look into emerging propulsion systems for space exploration.
These themed collections became more than just lists; they served as a starting point for discussion, discovery, and even potential collaborations. To explore more reading lists, visit the Reading List page.
The Social Impact: Strengthening Our Research Community
The value of these events extended far beyond certificates and numbers. Participants actively shared their reading lists on LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, and Facebook, helping spread the word about preprints and open science.
Preprints.org also featured select reading lists on our social media channels, sparking even more conversations and engagement among scholars worldwide.
Stay Engaged with Preprints.org
The momentum doesn’t stop here. There are many ways to keep exploring and contributing:
- Create and Share Reading Lists
Whether spotlighting emerging trends or personal research interests, your curated lists can inspire others and promote discovery. Watch this demo tutorial to get started.
- Join Upcoming Programs
Stay tuned for new events and initiatives, including our Researcher Voices interview series, where we hear from scholars across disciplines. Interested in being featured? Sign up here.
- Explore New Features
We’re continuously improving the Reading List experience and overall platform experience. Follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X to stay updated.
To everyone who participated in the World Book Day Reading List events, thank you. Your passion for research, reading, and open science made these events a success, and we’re excited to see how our community continues to grow and connect.
