Promoting Reading to Adults in UK Public Libraries

Citation

Allred, J. (1999), "Promoting Reading to Adults in UK Public Libraries", Library Management, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 88-89. https://doi.org/10.1108/lm.1999.20.4.88.5

The aim of this project is clear: to investigate how, and how well, public libraries are at promoting reading to their adult users. The adult user is defined as the general adult reader, not those with special needs or pursuing courses of formal education. The researchers looked at adults′ reading for leisure, pleasure or informal education. The objectives were to draw together the findings from user studies and reader surveys, identify the state of the art in public libraries, explore current and initial training being provided for library staff, identify constraints, and to consider policies in the book trade and the Arts Council which have been influential in encouraging libraries to develop reading promotion.

The researchers met their objectives through a literature survey, a national questionnaire to public libraries and in‐depth interviews, though not with any readers. They claim it is “the first major study of reading promotion for adult readers in the UK”. They have certainly produced a report that should be a valuable text for library staff and trainees who want a handy guide to the place of books and reading in public libraries. Their recommendations are for more active development of reading promotion, staff training and co‐operation with other agencies.

Chapter 2, “The service environment”, compares the present day turbulence with the stable context and achievements of the 1970s. Evidence is provided about the 30 per cent of library authorities who have a specific statement regarding reading promotion and the 86 per cent who agreed there were constraints. Few libraries (18 per cent) had specific plans for reading promotions and fewer still evaluated their efforts, though some of these, for example as part of a special project, were quite enterprising. Earlier work on performance indicators and charters is appraised in relation to reading promotion ‐‐ and found wanting. The investigation of staffing and management expressed concern about “the weakness of the relationship between reading promotion and the management of the service”.

The survey of the status of reading in today′s society in Chapter 3 is very useful covering market research, research on reading itself, and the activities of other bodies. Interestingly, little is made of McClellan′s argument that “we cannot therefore with any certainty assess the kinds of values that actually emerge from the reading of a particular text”. This is a pity because McClellan actually put into practice stock management policies based on the function as well as the content of books. The rest of this report investigates the attitude of librarians to reading promotion and the kinds of activities deployed by libraries. It provides a valuable distillation of ideas and experience.

If there are limitations to the research they seem to lie in a lack of distinction between the content, format, process and benefit of reading matter. These four “levels” are problematical and the relationships between them are complex and multi‐directional, but not providing some kind of theoretical framework results in a concentration upon issues surrounding “literature”, especially fiction, and leisure reading in the public library and the kind of erroneous statement on page 106 that “non‐public library sectors probably have less interest in the content of materials”. Paradoxically, reading nowadays is both an indispensable skill for coping (functional literacy) and is being replaced by the most amazing graphical presentations in learning materials and electronic machinery for example. The relationÑships now between graphics and text are electrifying. The book of the film is arguably less popular now than the computer manual: “the book of the application”. It is not helpful to imply that audio‐visual materials are in opposition to text.

The authors themselves say that “there is a need to connect the range of promotions to the core business of libraries” and that “The time is now right for libraries to appraise the business they are in”. Bob Usherwood told them that “the public library will have to be faced with the central dichotomy of value versus demand”. The report begins by justifying reading as a way of widening a person′s horizons. Is not that where public libraries started? Is not that the task ahead? Stock categorisation and display, annotated catalogues and promotional activities do much more than encourage reading.