2008-2009 Patricia Lindell Research Project

To understand the nature of leisure reading on our campus and other campuses

To investigate barriers that prevent undergraduates from leisure reading

To understand ways that the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library can address those barriers

Survey of students at Gustavus

Survey of librarians at Oberlin schools

Reading at Risk (NEA 2004)To Read or Not to Read (NEA 2007)Do they read for pleasure? Recreational reading habits of college students (Gallik 1999)

Undergraduate Student Leisure Interests Over Three Decades (Hendel 2004)

Academic Libraries and Extracurricular Reading Promotion (Elliott 2008)

Found that Americans in almost every demographic group were reading fiction, poetry, and drama—and books in general—at significantly lower rates than 10 or 20 years earlier.

Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure at allThe percentage of young Americans who read a book not required for work or school fell from 59% in 1992 to 52% in 2002

Compiled leisure reading studies from across the United States, including the results of Reading at Risk

College attendence no longer guarentees active reading habits: 65% of college freshman read for pleasure for less than an hour per week or not at all

Found a correlation between leisure reading and civic engagement

Found a positive relationship between recreational reading and academic performace

Knowledge about students’ recreational reading habits is helpful in making predictions about their future academic successRelationship could indicate that students who spend more time reading have, in general, superior academic skills

Measured the frequency of undergraduates reading

booksnewspapersnews magazines reading literary magazines

Decline in leisure activities related to current events

Surveyed academic librarians about what they were doing to promote extra curricular reading If they weren’t promoting it, why not

Budget, staff time, space

Enumerates and describes reading programs at college libraries (Barbara Fister is quoted)

717 participants

Leisure reading- any reading that you choose to do on your own time (e.g. reading not assigned for class)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

First Year Sophomore Junior Senior No Answer

24.6%26.3% 23.9% 24.9%

0.3%

Year in School

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Male Female No Answer

37.0%

62.7%

0.3%

Sex

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Humanities Social Science Natural Science Education Fine Arts Undeclared

13.9%

28.8%

24.1%

14.7%

8.8%9.7%

Majors

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

Yes No No Answer

84.6%

14.9%

0.6%

Enjoy Reading in General

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Yes No

92.9%

7.0%

Enjoy Leisure Reading

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

24.5%

29.5% 28.1%

38.9%

33.7%

76.9%

23.4%

31.4%

51.2%

64.1%

43.9%

Genres

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

0 hours Less than one hour More than 1 hours but less than 2

More than 2 hours but less than 3

More than 3 Other

10.0%

34.5%

29.6%

14.0%

11.7%

0.1%

Hours Spent Leisure Reading per Week

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

Don't enjoy it Enough reading for class

I would rather socialize I would rather use my free time in other ways

I don't have access to materials I am interested in

3.3%

77.1%

35.7%31.2%

3.3%

Why I Don't Leisure Read (at all or as much as I would like)

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

35.9%

39.2%

14.7%17.7%

60.2%

40.5%

12.8%9.6%

How the Library Could Better Encourage Leisure Reading at Gustavus