Reading Promotion Research Articles

#BookTokMadeMeReadIt: young adult reading communities across an international, sociotechnical landscape

PurposeThis research article presents an exploratory case study of the sociotechnical landscape of BookTok, and how young people use it to connect with others around the books they love, or those they love to hate. By observing the interplay between young people, books, and the technology (TikTok) that connects them, this study aims to explore how blending analog and digital media tools makes reading social and fun.Design/methodology/approachThe authors selected three bestsellers available in English and Danish, and BookTokers who made related videos. This study used a qualitative, ethnographic (Pink, 2021) approach to explore interactions on the app. Inductive coding (Saldaña, 2021) helped the authors identify themes, and connect to areas of inquiry.FindingsDuring the pandemic, TikTok and BookTok offered young people opportunities for reading engagement in social, bookish communities by using technology to promote reading in print. In doing so, their actions made reading and being a reader highly entertaining.Research limitations/implicationsAs an exploratory case study, this research is not generalizable. But the findings will apply to future work on reading, publishing, and connected learning in a sociotechnical landscape.Practical implicationsBookTok connects print and digital formats, offering innovative possibilities for young people’s connected learning and reading promotion in schools and libraries.Originality/valueBecause TikTok is a relatively new tool, and its sub-community BookTok became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on this topic is still in its earliest stages.

Modern libraries of Ukraine as an inclusive space: promotion of reading and popularisation of books

The purpose of the article is to present the libraries of Ukraine as an inclusive space for the promotion of reading and popularisation of books in contemporary conditions. The research methodology is based on the general scientific principles that cognition is systematic, and comprehensive. In order to achieve this goal, the following special methods are used: comparison, analysis, and generalization. Scientific novelty of the article focuses on the issue of an inclusive space of libraries, which is successfully solved by the librarianship of Ukraine. Legislative initiatives to ensure access of visually impaired people to adapted information resources and promotion of reading are presented. The best experience of libraries in Ukraine under contemporary conditions for servicing readers with disabilities is revealed. Conclusions. The article argues that currently scientific studies in Ukrainian librarianship as a science of the regularities of library forming, developing, and functioning should update the theoretical basis of the promotion of reading as an inclusive space under contemporary conditions, that is, in this aspect, library science falls behind the achievements of library practice. It is established that with Ukraine gaining independence, a new stage began of promoting reading, books, and popularisation of the library as an inclusive space for development, education, and socialisation at the state level. It is asserted that Ukraine's orientation towards the development of the civilized world encourages the introduction of internationally proven practices to improve library and information services for people with disabilities and visually impaired users, ie the introduction of inclusion in a library sphere is one of the trends of state cultural policy. It is determined that information and communication services for people with disabilities are focused on such vectors as social, informational, psychological, and leisure ones in order to fully meet their informational, educational, and cultural needs. Keywords: libraries of Ukraine, inclusive space, promotion of reading, popularisation of books, people with disabilities, visually impaired users.

Promotion of Reading through Distance Learning Service

This paper explores how the operations of an academy library got transfigured during closures due to COVID-19. The author offers tips on how to maintain access to resources, how to engage students in learning, and support academy staff. This paper reflect how the GEMS Modern Academy school library promoted reading during distance learning.

Children’s Literature: A Joint Venture

This article rereads research data on young children’s literary socialisation, children’s juries of literary awards, and young adults’ life writing from the perspective of recent theories contesting the idea of aetonormativity that has dominated children’s literature studies in the past decades. It is argued that intergenerational solidarity in children’s encounters with literature might be the best imaginable practice for reading promotion.

Rational and irrational factors that predict the continued intention to engage in digital reading: a perspective from China

Few studies have examined factors, including irrational factors, that affect the continued intention of digital reading. This research attempts to propose an integrated framework to understand the continued intention to engage in digital reading. Based on weighted and calculated needs for new media and the technology acceptance model, the current research empirically investigated continued digital reading using an online survey. The research examined two rational factors—technology characteristics (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and relative advantage) and individual motivations (perceived needs and perceived value)—as well as two irrational factors (emotional preference and perceived herd behaviour).This study found that the perceived ease of use and relative advantage of digital reading, as well as users’ perceived needs (information needs and social needs), perceived value (perceived benefits), and the irrational factor of perceived herd behaviour could predict the continued intention to read digitally. We provided a theoretical framework for understanding the mechanisms of the continued intention to engage in digital reading. The research provided theoretical and practical enlightenment for the development and promotion of digital reading.

Narrative-based learning using mobile devices

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore whether the use of an active learning methodology implemented through a mobile phone can help future teachers to develop more effective reading promotion activities than those based on traditional learning methodologies.Design/methodology/approachA study was conducted based on the comparison of perceptions of two groups of teacher training students. The experimental group was trained in an active methodology to promote reading on mobile phones, whilst the control group was trained in a classical methodology also using the same devices. Variables were observed using a self-administered questionnaire, and the scores obtained were analysed from their descriptive statistics of the comparison of means of Kruskal–Wallis H test.FindingsThe results showed that students perceived significant improvements associated with active learning methodology. The variables with the most remarkable results were those related to better use of the class, participation and satisfaction. However, the ubiquitous variable obtained the fewest differences, maybe because both learning methodologies were applied using mobile devices.Originality/valueThe conclusions of this study clearly suggest that combining active learning methodologies and the use of mobile phones to promote reading could lead to better results than applying traditional learning methodologies. The value of this study paves the way for future research to move forward in the discovery of effective teaching strategies based on active methods and mobile devices.

Review: Creating the Creation Museum: How Fundamentalist Beliefs Come to Life, by Kathleen C. Oberlin

Review: <i>Creating the Creation Museum: How Fundamentalist Beliefs Come to Life</i>, by Kathleen C. Oberlin

Library service experience during and post COVID-19 outbreak: the case of the National Library of China

Faced with the threat of COVID-19 outbreak, public libraries developed innovative practices to deal with the pandemic by providing information service, expanding online and digital service and reading promotion activities. The aim of the study is to explore the service experience of the National Library of China during the outbreak and after the reopening. It is found that the enrichment of online and digital services, as well as the combination with the use of social media, facilitate the service provided during the closure and also bring new angels into the development of libraries in the post pandemic era.

Werkt De Weddenschap? Opvattingen van (v)mbo-docenten en vmbo-leerlingen over leesbevorderingscampagne De Weddenschap en leescoaches DIO, Famke Louise en Jeangu Macrooy

In 2020, Stichting Lezen (a Dutch institution aimed at reading promotion amongst youngsters) announced that three Dutch celebrities would star in its campaign De Weddenschap (The Bet): rapper DIO, singer/vlogger/model Famke Louise, and singer-songwriter Jeangu Macrooy. This article examines how teachers and pupils in preparatory secondary vocational education evaluate this campaign. First, the results of a questionnaire amongst L1-teachers of Dutch are reported. According to this survey, teachers have little trust in the campaign’s efficacy, but they still seem to believe that pupils might achieve reading satisfaction once they are seduced to read. However, the survey amongst pupils indicates that even a campaign starring celebrities does not convince youngsters in preparatory secondary vocational education to pick up a book. While they responded generally positively towards the efforts of one of the celebrities (Jeangu Macrooy), the large majority nevertheless did not consider participating in the campaign.

Onderzoekend lezen: geïntegreerd leesonderwijs en de rol van de leerling als betekenisgever

Current Dutch reading education does not suffice for deep understanding of texts. This problem calls for a solution that (re)combines literary education and reading comprehension –the two pillars on which Dutch reading education is built. The goal is to introduce a way of reading that requires a different set of skills from students as active ‘meaning makers’, thus putting interpretation back on the map. In this article, we first discuss how the current linkage between reading enjoyment, reading promotion, and literature education sends students the misleading message that reading literature would produce (primarily) reading enjoyment. We argue that this linkage ensures that reading motivation problems related to comprehension of non-literary texts – as reported by students and their teachers – remain underexposed and virtually unaddressed. We then propose a repositioning of both forms of reading instruction that makes reading comprehension more ‘comprehensible’, that is, resulting in a deeper understanding of texts and positioning students in the more motivating role of meaning maker. This can be achieved with a didactic approach that approaches texts (literary as well as non-literary) as sources of – and for – linguistic and philosophical reflections, for example on one’s self, on the Other, or on the Netherlands and the world. Finally, as reading motivation is augmented when texts are read that relate to a specific context, we suggest focusing on ‘Dutch discourses’ as a productive context for the Dutch class at secondary schools. We provide examples of how such an ‘inquisitive reading’ could be didacticized and set a research agenda that could further explore this direction.

Research on the Design of Pedestrian Route in the Reading Space of Juveniles in the Library

In the library space system, taking " Pedestrian route as the research object, this paper constructs the thinking model of library space moving line design, and discusses the "best path" of library space moving line design. In order to better respond to the juvenile reading promotion of the national reading promotion, the dynamic line design thinking of its space design has become an important link. Although a good dynamic line design is for the majority of the audience, it can well evacuate the crowd and ensure the safety and meditation of teenagers' reading.

Reading promotion in the Zagreb City Libraries through the children’s jury of the Grigor Vitez award

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cilj&lt;/strong&gt;. Cilj je rada predstavljanje djelovanja Dječjeg žirija Nagrade „Grigor Vitez“ koji organizira Hrvatski centar za dječju knjigu pri Knjižnicama grada Zagreba te poticanje čitanja kod djece starije osnovnoškolske dobi. Također teži se istaknuti važnost suradnje između knjižnice i vanjskih partnera u ostvarenju ciljeva poticanja čitanja.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pristup/metodologija. &lt;/strong&gt;U prvom su dijelu rada, nakon uvoda u temu poticanja čitanja, predstavljeni dječji žiriji u svijetu i Hrvatskoj te programi za poticanje čitanja u Knjižnicama grada Zagreba. U drugom dijelu rada detaljno je objašnjen rad, djelovanje i važnost Dječjeg žirija u poticanju čitanja djece i mladih.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rezultati. &lt;/strong&gt;Dječje bodovanje knjiga, njihova pismena obrazloženja i odabir najboljih knjiga otkrivaju što djeca vole i žele čitati. Izravnim biranjem dobitnika Nagrade&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;„Ptičica“ po izboru Dječjeg žirija djeci članovima žirija pridaje se posebna važnost, kao i knjižnicama iz kojih dolaze te knjižničarima koji su ih preporučili, a dobitnicima Nagrade posebna je čast dobiti nagradu baš od djece za koju su pisali ili ilustrirali knjigu. Budući da su knjige koje nagrađuje Dječji žiri popularne i rado čitane, članovi Dječjeg žirija predstavljaju pozitivan primjer i poticaj drugoj djeci u čitanju kvalitetne literature.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Praktična primjena. &lt;/strong&gt;U Savezu društava „Naša djeca“ Hrvatske postoji vizija o proširenju Nagrade „Grigor Vitez“ kroz suradnju s knjižnicama diljem Hrvatske u organizaciji dodatnih sadržaja i programa, pa tako i Dječjeg žirija.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Društveni značaj. &lt;/strong&gt;Poticanje čitanja, razvoj kritičkog mišljenja te sloboda izražavanja djece i mladih kroz rad Dječjeg žirija izdvaja knjižnicu, njegovog organizatora, kao važan segment u izgradnji boljeg društva u cjelini.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Originalnost/vrijednost. &lt;/strong&gt;Dječji žiri Nagrade „Grigor Vitez“ jedini je dječji žiri za književnost za djecu i mlade u Hrvatskoj koji bira najbolje knjige i dodjeljuje nagrade u dvije kategorije: za tekst i ilustraciju, čime se pridaje važnost i piscu i ilustratoru književnog djela.&lt;/p&gt;

Enhancing Literacy Development in Nigeria through Reading and Writing Skills Development

Purpose: The Purpose of this paper is to draw the attention of the Government of Nigeria to the need to support the teaching of reading and writing skills in Nigerian schools for the much-needed national development.&#x0D; Method and data used: The research was carried out using the library research method which furnished the relevant information on the relevance of reading and writing skills in the acquisition of literacy, which is fundamental to Nigeria’s development.&#x0D; Finding: The goal of education in Nigeria is development. A kind of development that is human-centred and focused on the aptitude and achievements of an individual. Development is realised when there is a highly literate populace. However, this set objective is hampered by the growing rate of illiteracy. A UNESCO survey in 2015 reveals that 65 million Nigerians out of the 170 million Nigerians are illiterates. They can neither read nor write. The latest report from Varrella (2021) indicates that 62% of Nigerians are literate, even though not quite a good rate. Hence, a development that ought to be sustainable is threatened. The lukewarm attitude of the government in seeing that literacy gains prominence in the curriculum through reading and writing skills is dashed. With the poor literacy rate, it is appalling and a thing of grave concern for a nation that is focused on development through education to have more than half of its citizens as illiterates. Illiteracy is a clog in the wheel of sustainable educational development; it has placed the Nigerian state high on the global poverty index and exposed it to so many diseases and epidemics. Hence, illiteracy is linked to poverty.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Furthermore, the paper found low literacy rate, inadequate funding of education and lack of professional literacy education teachers in the country and it concludes by strongly recommending the promotion of reading and writing skills through access to quality education, adequate funding of education and training of specialist teachers for the needed development of the nation, and sustain its future relevance in the comity of nations.

Validation of the Questionnaire on Reading Preferences and Habits of Primary School Pupils at Risk of Social Exclusion

The acquisition of the habit of reading is a fundamental issue for primary school pupils, as it contributes to the integral education of the person and, in some cases, may be essential for pupils to remain in the educational system and to escape social exclusion. In order to carry out research on reading promotion in socially disadvantaged contexts, it is necessary to have an appropriate instrument for these profiles. The aim of this work was to adapt and validate a questionnaire on reading habits and preferences that is suitable for pupils in the first cycle of primary education who are at risk of social exclusion. To this end, a mixed qualitative and quantitative methodology was used to analyse the content validity and the construct validity, which obtained, as a result, a high correlation between the variables, an appropriate factor analysis, a high overall reliability of the instrument and, in general, an adequate model to correctly explain the data of the proposed structure. We concluded by obtaining a 22-item questionnaire that is divided into five factors and that will be appropriate for determining the reading habits and tastes of disadvantaged pupils, as well as the influence of families and schools in the task of encouraging reading.

Diversity and homogeneity in Spanish-language picture books with non-human characters

ABSTRACT We analyse a corpus of 99 recent Spanish-language picturebooks, based on converging recommendations of prestigious reading promotion institutions in different countries. Focusing on the books that feature non-human characters, we inquire into how animals and other creatures may open possibilities to present diverse and intercultural worlds narrating difference differently. Using critical content analysis with an intersectional lens, we give an overview of the predominant narratives about groups and societal organisations in recommended children’s books. Most of the books in this sample (re)produce a desire for a social homogeneity, depicting communities of similar creatures threatened by those of a different kind and/or by the destabilisation of hierarchical orders. We highlight a few books that open up possibilities to narrate shifting identities and social positionings, as well as dynamics of exclusion and propose to look at the potential of non-representational stories for intercultural education.

Construction and Promotion of Reading Service Platform of University Library Based on Computer Network Cloud Platform

This paper analyzes the basic framework, cloud service mode, and cloud service approach of digital library cloud service platform under cloud computing environment and studies the future development trend of cloud service platform and cloud service mode of digital library under cloud computing environment. This paper introduces the advantages of cloud service platform construction in digital reading promotion of university library in detail, expounds the construction and application of cloud service platform for digital reading promotion of university library, and puts forward the construction and promotion strategy of reading service platform of university library and the framework model of personalized information service of digital library. By describing the technical characteristics of cloud platform, the advantages of digital reading based on cloud platform are revealed, such as massive data storage, personalized service virtualization, and big data statistical analysis. On this basis, the innovation of digital reading promotion mode in colleges and universities is discussed. This study is conducive to promoting the standardized management of reading and information services and the rational allocation of resources in university libraries in order to provide some reference for the practice of building and popularizing the reading service platform of university library.

Gender differences in leisure reading habits: a systematic review of literature

PurposeProviding equal opportunities in class as well as at home does not ensure equal promotion of leisure reading among girls and boys. Gender differences have wider impacts on their reading development. The purpose of this paper is to find out gender differences in leisure reading habits among children.Design/methodology/approachThe search process was conducted during Aug.–Sept. 2019 using Scopus database. A total of 41 studies were selected for the review. The systematic review used Cochrane Methodologies reported as per preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for identification, evaluation and selection of studies. The studies that dealt with leisure reading, reported gender difference of reading, had age group of 4–18-year children, were in English language and were accessible to the researchers were selected for review.FindingsThe results were presented in terms of identified reading factors including reading frequency, reading choice, reading time, reading media, reading influence, reading value and library use. The girls were more frequent readers than boys. The girls were in favor of fiction, while boys were interested in reading nonfiction. Girls preferred online materials but boys were in favor of printed materials. The boys were influenced by their fathers and peer groups’ reading, while girls were influenced by their mothers’ reading habits.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provided better understanding of boys’ and girls’ reading differences and required the librarians, teachers and academic policymakers to deal with them accordingly.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first kind of systematic review reporting difference of reading on the basis of gender and inferred reading factors. It will be helpful for librarians, teachers and academic policymakers to consider these differences while dealing with boys’ and girls’ reading choices and interests.

Exploration on the Service of Audio Reading Promotion in Public Libraries

Exploration on the Service of Audio Reading Promotion in Public Libraries

The Kamishibai theatre in work with children with intellectual disability.

The Kamishibai theatre is a traditional Japanese method of storytelling using illustrated boards successively taken out of a small wooden chest used as a screen. Although the method has a significant educational and therapeutic potential, researchers devote little attention to it, focusing mainly on its connection with developing language competency and promotion of reading. However, the Kamishibai theatre constitutes an excellent form of working with children with intellectual disability, as we try to demonstrate in this article. The article is devoted to the issues of using Kamishibai theatre in working with children with intellectual disabilities and the role the teacher plays in implementing this stimulation method. Considerations made are based on the results of two previous scientific projects oriented around the epiphanies and key experiences in the biographies of educators and the impact of various forms of communication within the Kamishibai theatre method on the perception of the content presented to children with intellectual disabilities. The article presents the results of our research, supplements the analysis with the indications regarding the role of the teacher conducting art therapy classes and an in-depth reflection on the predispositions a teacher should possess.

Analysis of the Demand for Russian Literature in Shanghai Library

This research focuses on Shanghai Library users’ demand for Russian literature of different literary periods. Method of sampling and questionnaire were applied for the study. Analyzing the online circulation records of Chinese translations of Russian literature in the main collection of Shanghai Library from 2016 to 2019 and providing an overview of reader demographics are two major tasks. As a typical example, the circulation records of 2019 are thoroughly examined. The aim of the study is to identify the level of demand for Russian literature at various times and the factors influencing the changing trend of demand. The results obtained from the research show that despite the large total number of visitors and the frequency of use of the main collection, the demand for Russian literature was relatively low, especially when compared with other foreign authors. Russian literature from the 19th century and Soviet literature are in the highest demand. Readers didn’t show an obvious interest in contemporary Russian authors. The demand for these three types of authors is clearly uneven. Russian-American writers, as a special group, are also popular choice of readers. The largest reader group consists of middle-aged women. Male readers have a more steadfast and clear preference for one particular author than female readers do. The demand for Russian literature in the library is influenced by such factors, as age and gender, the spread of culture through mass media and social networks, and reading promotion practices by libraries. These factors interact with each other.