Books and reading |
Reading promotion. |
Reading -- Social aspects. |
Reading interests |
Popular literature. |
Public services (Libraries) |
Libraries and community. |
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Library | Collection | Material Type | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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Searching... Cobourg Branch | Searching... Unknown | Adult Non-Fiction Book | 028.9 Ros | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Drawing upon data published in a variety of scholarly journals, monographs in education, cultural studies, media studies, and libraries and information studies, as well as their own research findings, these authors shatter some of the popular myths about reading and offer a cogent case for the library's vital role in the life of a reader. By providing a road map to research findings on reading, reader-response, audiences, genres, the value of popular culture, the social nature of reading, and the role of libraries in promoting literacy and reading, this guide offers a clear rationale for making pleasure reading a priority in the library and in schools.
The authors assert that reading for pleasure is as vital as ever; and that it is, and should be, woven into the majority of activities librarians consider fundamental: reference, collection building, provision of leisure materials, readers' advisory services, storytelling programs, adult literacy programs, and the like. Reading Matters covers myths about reading, the boy problem, reading and identity, how readers select books, and reading as a social activity. An essential resource for library administrators and personnel, the book will help them convey a message about the importance of reading to grant-funding agencies and others. It contains powerful proof that can be used to justify the establishment, maintenance, and growth of fiction (and other pleasure reading) collections, and of readers' advisory services. It is also of interest to LIS faculty who wish to establish/maintain courses in readers' advisory, and can be used as supplemental reading in these classes. Finally, it is a great model and aide for additional research on this topic.
Author Notes
Catherine Sheldrick Ross , professor, faculty of information and media studies, The University of Western Ontario, teaches a course in readers' advisory, and is involved in ongoing research on reading for pleasure.
Lynne (E.F.) McKechnie , associate professor at the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Western Ontario, is conducting a longitudinal study of the role of the public library in the lives of 30 children.
Paulette M. Rothbauer , assistant professor, University of Toronto, has done extensive research on adolescent readers and the role of pleasure-reading in the discovery of identity. She is the winner of the Eugene Garfield Dissertation Competition.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Drawing upon a wealth of published data, this book synthesizes current knowledge on pleasure or leisure reading, the role of public libraries in supporting literacy, and community backing for libraries. Inspired by the latest research as well as by myths surrounding the declining rates of reading and literacy among youth, the authors place findings within the context of the important roles that public libraries have played, are playing, and should continue to play in fostering literacy and lifelong reading. Chapters cover childhood reading, the boy problem, patterns of reading among young adults, and readers' advisory for adults. Recommended reading for library administrators, staff, and students. --Diana Kirby Copyright 2006 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Starred Review. If I were a public library director in this age of Google, I'd give all my managers a copy of Reading Matters, then go on a retreat to discuss how we could better support reading for pleasure. Ross (dean, LIS, Univ. of Western Ontario), Lynne McKechnie (LIS, Univ. of Western Ontario), and Paulette Rothbauer (Univ. of Toronto) have assembled the theory and research about reading and readers' lives from multiple disciplines and produced a much-needed book that speaks directly to practitioners about the value of reading. As a profession, our relationship to readers has been conflicted--even if all those popular fiction circulations are what often end up paying the bills. Readers' advisory, after a heyday in the early part of the 20th century, went dormant while information ruled the earth, only to begin to reemerge in the 1980s. Reading Matters explains the impact of libraries on readers' lives, points to how we can do a better job of supporting reading as a social activity, and--perhaps most important--arms us with the tools to communicate to funders and others why reading is so vital. With a chapter on reading and children (series and the boy problem) and young adults (reading and identity), this is a must-read for all public librarians.--Brian Kenney,School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Preface | p. ix |
Chapter 1 The Company of Readers | p. 1 |
1.1 Henny Penny and the Case for Reading | p. 1 |
1.2 The "Fiction Problem" | p. 10 |
1.3 Myths about Reading | p. 17 |
1.4 Histories of Reading | p. 27 |
1.5 Introduction to Reading Research | p. 37 |
1.6 Reading as a Transaction | p. 48 |
1.7 Reflecting on Reading | p. 56 |
Chapter 2 Becoming a Reader: Childhood Years | p. 63 |
2.1 What We Know about Children and Reading | p. 64 |
2.2 Becoming a Reader | p. 69 |
2.3 Series Books | p. 82 |
2.4 The Boy Problem | p. 87 |
2.5 Children, Libraries, and Reading | p. 97 |
Chapter 3 Young Adults and Reading | p. 101 |
3.1 What We Know about Young Adults and Reading | p. 101 |
3.2 Young Adults and Fiction Reading | p. 110 |
3.3 Reading and Identity | p. 114 |
3.4 Reading Diverse Media Forms | p. 118 |
3.5 The Reading-Writing Relationship | p. 123 |
3.6 Young Adults Reading and Reaching Out | p. 127 |
Chapter 4 Adult Readers | p. 133 |
4.1 The Who, What, Why, Where, When of Reading | p. 133 |
4.2 The Reading Experience | p. 147 |
4.3 What Role Does Reading Play in the Life of the Reader? | p. 160 |
4.4 Better than Life | p. 173 |
4.5 Reading High and Low | p. 181 |
4.6 Best Sellers, Prizes, Lists, and the Manufacture of Taste | p. 189 |
4.7 How Do Adult Readers Choose Books to Read? | p. 197 |
4.8 Advising Readers | p. 209 |
4.9 Reading as a Social Activity | p. 221 |
In Conclusion: Reading Becomes You | p. 243 |
Name and Subject Index | p. 247 |
Title Index | p. 267 |