Under his direction, a group of books were selected to become the Commandant's Reading List. Each year, a few additional titles are added and a few deleted. The list contains selections for every rank from PFC to General. Each Marine must read at least two books per year to meet the commandant's professional reading requirement. The PFCs read Rifleman Dodd, Starship Troopers, the U.S. Constitution, for example.
Officers read books on military history, strategy and leadership.
Here is where audiobooks come into play. A surprisingly large group of hardcore audiobook fans use this library. Many officers and some enlisted members prefer military fare for listening and not necessarily just the commandant's reading list, though many of them are available as audiobooks. We actively seek books that appeal to our military listeners and these are often history. Some of our younger Marines enter the service with less than perfect reading skills and the Marine Corps strives to help these young people to improve their skills.