One of the things I am studying in class this quarter is information seeking models and behavior. There are lots and lots of studies and models for things like how various academic scholars and students seek information. There are also lots of studies on how teens or the elderly seek information or how health information is sought. Within the last ten years library scholars have become interested in what is called “everyday life information seeking” (ELIS). Someone got a clue that not everyone is a student and that people need information on a daily basis. It was in the bibliography of an article on ELIS I had to read for class that I found this little gem: “Finding without seeking: the information encounter in the context of reading for pleasure” by Catherine Sheldrick Ross¹. Someone actually did an investigative study on how people who read for pleasure go about finding and choosing books.
I was so surprised–after all, doesn’t everyone who reads a lot know how to find and choose the next book?–and pleased–we were worthy of a study!–that I had to get a copy of the article to see what it was about.
The study was conducted by extensive interviews on self-identified avid readers, those who typically read on average a book a week. People like the kind who might read a book blog. You will not be surprised then by statements like this:
Readers choose books for the pleasure anticipated in the reading itself but then, apparently serendipitously, they encounter material that helps them in the context of their lives. In effect, these avid readers reported finding without seeking.
The study also found that unlike nonreaders who claim they don’t read because they haven’t the time, avid readers build reading time into their day and claim that while their favorite place and time to read is in bed before going to sleep, they can and do read anywhere and everywhere.
How we find and choose books all boils down to five main elements:
- Mood
- Sources that alert us to books we might want to read like reviews, friends, blogs, etc.
- The book itself, for instance, book size, the book’s subject and setting.
- Information on the physical book like blurbs, title, cover, author and publisher.
- The cost in time, money and energy that it takes to get access to the book.
Seem familiar?
A few other interesting bits of information. The researchers found that “reading occurs within a network of social relations.” In other words, even though reading itself might be a solitary activity, the motivation to read occurs in a social context. Avid readers tend to support and encourage others to read, buying books as gifts and talking to friends and family about their reading. Readers also like to talk to other readers about books. We all know this, but now it’s official.
Another interesting bit is that we avid readers have a lot of information about books in our heads that help us follow a successful experience with another successful experience. We have so much information in our heads that we have accumulated over years and years of successful reading experiences that in comparison to new or infrequent readers we are more likely to have a good experience with books. The good experience acts as a reward and encourages us to read even more. Conversely, a bad experience makes us less likely to want to read more. But avid readers have a wealth of good experiences to draw on to encourage continued reading. New or infrequent readers get discouraged. The author makes an argument regarding the importance of intermediaries (librarians, teachers) to help novice readers make successful reading choices.
As I said, all this isn’t really front page news for readers, but it was fun to see us profiled in a research study.
¹Information Processing and Management 35 (1999) 783-799
Great post! I’ve stumbled onto the most amazing books by chance.
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Thanks for sharing this! I missed out on a career here, I think–there is nothing I’d like to do more than study and write about the habits of readers.
So here’s a question: How do I, an English teacher, build up enough positive experiences in my reluctant students that they continue to read on and learn?
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It’s so interesting that someone broke it down like that! Fun post!
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Oh, I love this! It sounds totally familiar. Oddly, I was just thinking about this today as I pondered my next book. I was spurred to try and create a TBR list (you mentioned you were shocked I didn’t have one!!) and I tried to set one up on the computer, but that just seemed all wrong. I generally keep a small stack and then find other books rather serendipitously — the planning somehow seems to take the joy of the ‘find’… but maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. In any case, I think what I need is a small notebook — somehow, reading and bookfinding and a little notebook seem to go hand-in-hand, and is also more portable for when going to the library or bookstore. I went through a period a few years ago of hardly reading anything — just bad book after bad book, and it did deter me. Currently, however, I’m really having wonderful reading experiences and it’s reminding me why I’m a reading addict in the first place!
A fun post, thank you! I would love to be part of a reading study.
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Stefanie: It’s Saturday morning as I read this, and I’m not sure I have a lot to say on the subject, but I very much enjoyed the post, because naturally I can relate to much of what you wrote and plan on sharing it with others.
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Interesting post, Stefanie. I never thought about it quite that way before and now I wonder if I was lucky at some early point in my reading life and hit on a number of books in a row that I found exciting and enjoyable…a jump start that made me into an avid reader. Actually, I can’t remember ever not being a reader so it must have clicked for me at a young age.
I’ve hit on many bad books, sometimes two or three in a row and, although I find it frustrating at the time, I suppose that my overwhelmingly positive experiences carry me through the moment and I just keep reaching to the TBR stack for the next one.
I wonder if educators realize how important it is to make reading “fun” for small children? I suppose that they must, but I think that a special emphasis on making books fun for kids would serve them, and the rest of us, well.
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WonderGirl, thank you. The thing is, there is less chance to your stumbling than you think there is π
JD, good question. The article talks about how readers create meaning from the text by relating it to their own lives. Perhaps one of the ways to help novice readers stick with it is to provide them with reading that speaks to them in some way? I don’t think that means we have to teach comic books and contemporary YA novels in school, but I think it means helping students learn to create meaning from the text by leading them through it and showing them how To Kill a Mockingbird or Jane Eyre is relevant. Maybe it means bypassing books of the Henry James kind for books that are more plot-driven yet still have depth of character? Good luck!
Daphne, a little notebook seems a good solution. I personally don’t use my list to plan anything, I just use it as a way to remember all the books I think sound good and might like to read. There are a lot to try and remember!
Bryan, thank you! I hope you have fun talking with others about our readerly habits. Avid readers really are a sociable community π
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Sometimes you’ve just got to love academics for carefully researching and publishing the obvious! The last bit about good readers building up good reading experiences and therefore being more like to have more good experiences was interesting; I’m curious, too, about how to make that work in the classroom. I suppose it means that while introducing students to the canon is important, teachers should do what they can to make sure they teach things the students will enjoy, so they build up enough good experiences to learn how to have more.
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I just wonder how much research funds went into this? Not that it’s not cool – but like Dorothy said: it’s research into the obvious. Or maybe it’s just not taking assumptions for granted.
But good point about making the text relevant to the reader’s own experience. Literature has always been seen as a “lesser” subject in the local schools – somewhat inferior to Maths and Science – because people believe it’s irrelevant. Maybe there’s something wrong with the way literature is being taught in our schools, and where the students are not interested in reading.
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It seems like common sense to give new readers books they can relate to, but on the other hand, doesn’t some of the pleasure of reading come from encountering people and environments that are completely different from our own? Doesn’t the exotic usually have more allure than the familiar? Our brains are wired to pay attention to novelty, and we get nice hits of dopamine when we do. What about tapping into that?
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Oh, so much pressure on poor teachers and librarians to help people have positive book experiences! Thanks for sharing. This, even if, as you say, nothing new, was still fun to read.
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Sheesh–we could have told them that for free! But it’s nice that reading merits its own study. I guess nonreaders need more good reading experiences!
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Oh how the comments here have been making me laugh – particularly Dorothy and Danielle! It’s cool that avid readers become a subset of their own, but how could the author not resist checking out further correlations, like how many avid readers have pets? And how many worry more than the average citizen about environmental issues and education? And whether we all chose houses with great places to sit and read? So much further to go before the possibilities of the avid reader are exhausted!
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I think a notebook for sure — there are, after all, so many books…
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Sam, thanks. It seems many avid readers began at an early age when reading is pure fun and there are no alternative reasons for doing it other than enjoyment. I think that’s the best place to start, not only at a young age, but also with an emphasis on the fun as you suggest.
Dorothy, it’s funny isn’t it? But I suppose the research and paper makes it official instead of something everyone just assumes. And I think you are right about the teaching.
Dark Orpheus, I don’t think there was much in the way of funding that went into this study. Most of the interviews were conducted by grad students–free labor π You are right, literature and the humanities in general is often viewed as irrelevant and suffer from an inferiority complex in universities. Unfortunately it seems they try to be more relevant by being more “scientific” instead of embracing the aspects that truly do make them relevant.
Sylvia, yes, novelty is also important but the researcher finds that even in the most exotic literature, the reader needs to find a way to relate to the story or characters.
Emily, the pressure is a bit daunting.
Danielle, you made me laugh π More good reading experiences for all!
Litlove, he has to save all that for future research papers. He doesn’t want to use it all up at once, he has a whole academic career ahead of him! π
Daphne, so many books indeed π
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The author did continue the study – I read her book Reading Matters: What the Research Reveals About Reading, Libraries, and Community (it was a group effort, there were other authors too) and it was pretty fascinating reading.
It’s not so much that new readers read about like minded or similar situations – it’s that THEY feel connected to the books they read and enjoy them. That’s why books like Harry Potter are such a good thing. Those that enjoyed the books go on to read more. Not everyone will read the classics, or appreciate them but the more they read, the more chance there will be that they will.
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Carrie, thanks for the tip about the book! I will have to locate a copy. I liked the article very much and was especially interested in the portion about how readers make meaning from the the text.
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New to the site. Wow. I’m in heaven, I think. What is the word that describes the feeling you have when you are in between books? When the memory of the last is vivid and bittersweet, you aren’t quite willing to let go….and yet….the allure of something new is just around the corner…but you just don’t know what, yet. Is it intuition, mood, color, texture, curiosity, spontaneity, seasonal… that drives one to making the leap? For me it is all of those, I think. The problem I have is sometimes I’m a bit premature. I haven’t finished one book and I’m thinking about the next. So I buy it or borrow it, only to discover that my mood has changed when I’m finally ready for the next. So I have two large bookstands in my room. Loaded with books that I have and haven’t read. I’m just about done with Slow Man and I’m thinking maybe Farewell To Arms, or maybe The Sea, or maybe Lolita. I’ve taken them off my shelf and put them into the TO READ pile. We’ll see. Any advice??
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What a fascinating study. I need to read it myself. I’m so glad you shared this. Some of it is certainly common knowledge to those of us who are avid readers and yet some of the information you shared, like the successful reading experiences encouraging avid readers to overcome bad books, may seem like common knowledge but I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought before.
I also like that they discovered the social aspects of reading. My friends and I have talked about that before, how so much of our conversations revolve around books. Some of my closest friends came in to my life because we began discussing books!!!
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This was really neat. I like how they talked about some non-readers claiming that they just don’t have time. We are all time-starved but if you love to read, you’ll find a way to at least get in a page a day!
If you do read the follow-up study on this let us know Stefanie. I’m curious about that.
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Bill, thanks for your nice comment. I’m not sure what the word you are looking for is. Happiness perhaps? All of the possibilities you mention for your next book sound good. It all depends on what mood you are in π
Carl, I’m sure you would enjoy the article. It was creepy in places how well described we were, like how did they get into my brain creepy. The article was written before blogs took off but they do mention online sources as part of the social aspect too. Something we all can related to.
Iliana, I liked that part too. I am always stumped when non-readers ask me how I have the time–there’s always time! If/when I read the follow up I will definitely be talking about it.
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Thanks for sharing this. I am going to link this to my blog.
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