Reading Still Matters: What the Research Reveals about Reading, Libraries, and Community

by Catherine Sheldrick Ross, Lynne (E. F.) McKechnie, Paulette M. Rothbauer

Drawing on scholarly research findings, this book presents a cogent case that librarians can use to work towards prioritization of reading in libraries and in schools.

Reading is more important than it has ever been―recent research on reading, such as PEW reports and Scholastic's "Kids and Family Reading Report," proves that fact. This new edition of Reading Matters provides powerful evidence that can be used to justify the establishment, maintenance, and growth of pleasure reading collections, both fiction and nonfiction, and of readers' advisory services. The authors assert that reading should be woven into the majority of library reference, collection building, provision of leisure materials, readers' advisory services, storytelling and story time programs, adult literacy programs, and more.

This edition also addresses emergent areas of interest, such as e-reading, e-writing, and e-publishing; multiple literacies; visual texts; the ascendancy of young adult fiction; and fan fiction. A new chapter addresses special communities of YA readers. The book will help library administrators and personnel convey the importance of reading to grant-funding agencies, stakeholders, and the public at large. LIS faculty who wish to establish and maintain courses in readers' advisory will find it of particular interest.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Read For School

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2018

About the author

Catherine Sheldrick Ross FRSC (November 4, 1945 – September 11, 2021) was a professor and later dean of the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at University of Western Ontario. In 2018, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Ross earned her undergraduate and master's degree at the University of Toronto before completing her PhD at the University of Western Ontario. In 1995, Ross was awarded the Jesse Shera Award for Research by the American Library Association for her article “If They Read Nancy Drew, So What? – Readers Talk Back."

In 2013, Ross was the recipient of the NoveList's Margaret E. Munroe Award for her “significant contributions to library adult services.” In 2015, her book "Shapes in Math, Science and Nature: Squares, Triangles and Circles" was shortlisted for the Information Book Award by the Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada.

In 2018, Ross was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. -- Wikipedia

Reviews

[Warren Wulff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: These were some of my professors when I was a library science student at Western, and they are good people and good researchers and I'm already predisposed to like this book. However, I really do like this book. There's so much contradicting information out there, and beliefs that, as a librarian, you just "feel" is true but have no basis for it. This book helped to dispel some of my own misconceptions about reading and to confirm others, done by carefully considering the evidence of the state of reading. They are clear when they explain the limits of current research and, when there is indeed conflicting evidence where both cases are solid, they so state. The long list of further reading is well worth the price of admission on this book.

Although primarily aimed at librarians, the dedicated chapter on children's reading (and reading development) should be read by every caring parent.

High recommend.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting points about the reasons behind different people's very different reading patterns, choices, and preferences (do they read to learn or escape? what do THEY mean by 'good book'?), useful for library or teaching professionals and/or book club organizers to take into account when choosing or recommending books. Also takes a look at what makes people become readers and some of the reasons why some may be more reluctant readers or have more difficulty, and what can be done to help with that; and some of the practices or trends in different studies of reading and readers that can cause such seemingly contradicting results ('Crisis: young people aren't reading anymore!' vs 'Young people are reading more than people over 60') - what do they count (or discount) as 'reading' and why? Is reading books any different from reading magazines, websites, blogs, eBooks, etc, and if so, how?
Worth a look for librarians, teachers, and people who research literature or literacy or are interested in such fields of study.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me longer than I thought to finally read this, but I've been studying it rather than reading just for interest sake. A very good book for both Librarians and English teachers, and anyone in love with books and in the book world really, because everyone has been 'worried' that reading is on the way out with the advance of modern technology and kids 'not liking to read' but the reality is reading is evolving, not dying out and this book looks at reading from all angles. Easy to read and understand though is full on 'reading', a set of reports, essays and long answers to reading questions. If you are really into one topic, no reason why you can't focus on a reading 'issue' rather than the whole book. Glad I read this and hope others in the profession will also. Well done ladies!

[Melliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading and re-reading for my UCLA class. A really stellar compendium of material about readers and reading.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and engaging book on reading in the digital era, and the role families, schools, libraries and communities play in fostering a positive reading culture.

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me a great deal to sort out a lot of my own feelings about my reading, and helped me to confirm some professional practices.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't quite finish, read more than half for a Literacy class. Very informative and appropriate when paired with other materials that supply diverse voices in addition to these case studies.