Research on reading and libraries

Reading research is integrated into key areas within the research section of this website. Click here to access the research menu. Some key research on reading habits and libraries is listed below.

A report published in March 2005 by the University of Central England Library Service reports findings from a survey of school and children's librarians in the UK.

Key findings

• Although in theory interviewees did not support censorship, all employed censorship in practice to a greater or lesser extent.
• Racism, violence (especially against women) and sadomasochism were seen as the most serious issues which should be censored in libraries used by children and young people. Swearing was less of a problem.
• Graphic novels and fantasy books (e.g. Warhammer, manga), "crossover" novels (i.e. teenage imprints of adult titles) and art books were among the most problematic types of resource to deal with.
• As well as considering each resource objectively, most librarians would take account of the ethos and culture of their organisation when making decisions about censorship.
• Almost all interviewees restricted access to fiction materials according to age.
• Librarians interviewed claimed that young people were generally accepting of the restrictions in place and understood the reasons for them.
• The fear of receiving a complaint from a parent was a strong motivator for librarians to censor materials, especially as many did not feel they would be supported by their headteacher or colleagues if a complaint was received.
  
• Decisions in school libraries tended to be taken at a more personal level and individual librarians made decisions based on personal views, rather than a rigid selection policy.
  
• Interviewees stressed the importance of building a balanced collection of resources which represented all sides of an argument. However, in some schools (for example, denominational schools) this might not happen with certain issues.
• Most librarians labelled books they felt might be biased to make students aware that they should look at alternative resources as well.
• No librarians interviewed had direct control of internet access in the library. This caused problems because many useful sites were filtered and the ease with which these could be unblocked varied. Librarians were concerned that these restrictions did not allow them to teach information skills to students in the most effective way and gave students a false impression of the reliability of the Internet.
  
• Networks, both formal and informal, were crucial in alerting librarians to resources that might cause problems; helping them decide how to deal with such resources; and providing support in deciding how to handle a complaint.
  

The report recommends increasing the consistency and scope of advertising, improving the library environment and reinvigorating stock selection (including newspapers, magazines and music, as well as new books prominently displayed). It also suggests creating more satellite libraries in supermarket cafes, clinics, primary schools and fitness clubs.

The full report is available at www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets

(MLA press release, January 2006)

More library issues, but fewer schools library services

A 23% drop in professional library staff in schools library services (to 300) over five years is one of the findings in a report on schools and children's services from Loughborough University's research centre Lisu.

However, the picture is mixed with many positive developments too. The report says, "In the public library service to children, the most encouraging sign is an increase in issues in three sectors, and increase in the proportions of books on loan in England."
Children's satisfaction with their local library is also high - in those authorities carrying out the Children's PLUS survey, 97% of respondents thought that public library staff were "OK".

More than half, 56%, of the nation's children aged up to 14 years old remain registered as members of their public library, though only 30% are recorded as active borrowers.

For schools library services, the last decade has seen a number of organisational changes which have fragmented services and altered their funding basis. The survey shows nine services closed between 2000 and 2005. The report says: "Those services which remain are developing new and innovative strategies to support both schools and other groups, with a diverse range of loan and advisory services, and new collaborations being instigated." More than half of all schools library services undertook outreach activity and external collaborations in 2004-05.

The report warned that "the degree of variation observed on a sector-wide scale raises concerns over the longer-term management and strategic planning of both schools library services and the public library services for children".

The full report, A survey of library services to schools and children in the UK 2004-05, is available from www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/lisu/pages/publications

(Library and Information Update, January 2006)

Books are ignored by library internet users

Rising numbers of people who go to public libraries are ignoring the books in favour of surfing the internet.

Nearly ten million fewer readers borrowed books in 2005 than in 2004 - a drop of more than 3%. In the past decade, book borrowing has plunged by 40%. Research indicates that libraries are turning into internet cafes as people flock there to send emails, join chat-rooms or buy and sell over the internet.

The local government accountancy body, CIPFA, revealed that despite the fall in borrowing, the number of visitors to libraries in 2005 had remained virtually unchanged from 2004, at just below 340,000.

Stocks of library books dropped by 2.5% to below 108million. Spending on audio-visual and electronic material - including DVDs, CDs and computer games - was up but stocks fell slightly and the number of such items being borrowed from libraries fell by more than 6% last year.

(Daily Mail, 5 January 2006)

Lending libraries face extinction

The Library and Information Statistics Unit (LISU) has warned that the decline in book loans is so steep that adult lending libraries may be extinct by 2020.

LISU's Annual Library Statistics 2005 reports a 6% decline in book issues in 2003-04 and 40% over the decade to 2004. It said, "There are no signs of a levelling-off of adult book issues and, if the present rate of decline continues, the adult lending library may become a thing of the past within 15 to 20 years." However, the rate of decline in children's books has slowed.

Library lobbyist Tim Coates described the LISU report as, "an endorsement of what I've been saying for years."

In contrast to the drop in issues, opening hours increased by 15% in 2003-04, with the number of UK libraries open 60 hours a week or more rising to 62, out of over 4000. Footfall also rose for the second year running. The report linked the increase to investment in IT facilities, with the number of visitors using computers more than doubling between 2001 and 2003.

Louise de Winter, director of the Museums and Libraries Association, said, "We're trying to understand what people want to use libraries for, but the current usage is pointing away from book borrowing." Coates called for direct action to be led by users and library managers saying, "We need to try and solve the problem instead of trying to redefine libraries."

(Bookseller, 16 December 2005)

Library visits bring 'explosion of ideas'
A 48% jump in library membership at one school was just one result of a partnership-working research project in Staffordshire, which aimed to improve attitudes to reading. The number of children at Springvale primary who thought their local library was 'cool' also rose to more than 64%, compared to 52% before the six-month project began.

The number who enjoyed reading 'very much' jumped by 29% in one of the year groups, and the number of children in the whole school who didn't enjoy reading 'at all' fell by half to 5%.

(Library and Information Update, November 2005)

In its response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's report on public libraries, published in July 2005, MLA is calling on local authorities and other funding bodies to back its improvement programme for libraries by:

• extending opening hours, particularly at evenings and weekends
• diversifying both the library workforce and the services on offer and involving the community in service development programmes sustaining free internet access in all public libraries co-ordinating book procurement
• reducing overheads and increasing the range of resources available to users.
• establishing a major investment programme to renovate and sustain public library buildings.
  
  

In 2002 MLA oversaw the introduction of computers and internet access in all 3000 public libraries in England. That year, for the first time in a decade, library visits increased - by 5 million. Last year they shot up by a further 14 million. MLA chair Mark Wood said: "We are calling on local authorities to capitalise on the success of the introduction of internet access by extending library opening times, improving book stock and modernising other aspects of public libraries.

The response came on the same day as an independent report from consultants PKF on public library efficiency measures. Welcoming the findings of the report Mark Wood said: "One of the great strengths of libraries is that they reflect local circumstance and need. But at the moment libraries are purchasing stock separately, using separate barcoding and stock management systems, and issuing separate library cards. This is simply not an efficient use of public money. By streamlining procurement and stock management we could get far more books for our bucks and invest millions of pounds in savings back into frontline services. We are calling on local authorities to start implementing the recommendations of this report, and have already developed an action plan jointly with DCMS to help them to do so."

(MLA press release, 28 July 2005)

Select committee response and criticisms

The books versus new media debate has long polorised the public libraries community and the government appraisal in June 2005's House of Commons Select Committee report elicited some predictable reactions. Chris Batt, chief executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives council (MLA), hailed the Government's response as reasoned. "It reflects much of the sentiment of the Select Committee by highlighting concerns, but places them in the context of a broader agenda," he says.

His chief opponent, library critic and former Waterstone's MD Tim Coates, panned the document as disappointing and unconvincing. "The Select Committee report provided a great opportunity for the MLA and the DCMS to show some clear leadership, but the response will have been of no help to library authroities who have been looking for some clear guidance as to what they should do." He urges senior government officials to "demand a revised response" - a call echoed by Shadow Minister for Culture, Conservative MP Hugo Swire.

The Government response sidestepped Select Committee claims that just 9% of the libraries budget is spent on books, with the news that 13% is spent on "books and other materials", and that "around two-thirds" of library authorities have increased spending on acquisitions since 2004.

(Bookseller, 29 July 2005)

Measuring Up: public libraries do make an impact

"Public Libraries can and do have a vital impact on communities" is the conclusion of a highly-regarded investigation and report conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published by the Laser Foundation in July 2005.

The investigation followed the work of seven pilot public libraries across the Country and took into account four of the CPA (Comprehensive Performance Assessment) areas set by government. The conclusive findings were that public libraries impact on cross-cutting priorities and agendas, such as learning, health, social inclusion and community cohesion. The focus of the report was on exploring both harder edged data and qualitative information that demonstrates libraries' impact in a robust way. The report has provided evidence of how the pilot libraries have impacted on health and quality of life for children, young people, families and older people. There was also confirmation that public library services boost educational attainment and support lifelong learning.

The report doesn't merely champion public libraries, but aims to develop widely applicable methods for the libraries themselves to develop appropriate and robust measures to demonstrate their fundamental contribution to communities. The work adds value by supporting local authorities as they develop local measures in line with likely Audit Commission requirements. It sets out issues and approaches that should help authorities collect the evidence required from the Government as it develops a national blueprint for local services.

Copies of the full document can be obtained from the Laser Foundation site at www.bl.uk/about/cooperation/laser-pubs.html or by emailing Sandra Horgan at s.horgan@btopenworld.com.

(Laser Foundation press release, July 2005)

A new report into Britain's public library service claims they are facing terminal decline. The Libri report, by Tim Coates, claims that the number of visitors to libraries has halved since 1984 and could slump to a terminal decline within two decades.

The report says that inefficiency and lack of focus in the library system mean that it is failing to promote an adequate range of reading, had presided over a halving in levels of book lending since 1984 and that municipal bureaucracy was failing to deliver value for money.

The report drew on an examination of the Hampshire Council library service and Audit Commission data. It suggested that while UK library funding had increased by 25% in the past five years, spending on books had fallen to 9% of the total budget and that books had become a low priority for library managers.

Opening hours were a reflection of a failure to keep up with the times with only a small number open 50 hours a week. Mr Coates laid the blame on management systems for libraries, which are left to councillors who have failed to focus on the decline.

Among the recommendations of the report are a 30% increase in spending on books between now and 2008-09 and empowerment of local library users.

Who's in charge? Responsibility for the public library service can be downloaded from www.libri.org.uk.

Children more confident readers, but enjoy it less

Children have become more confident readers, following the government's emphasis on improving literacy. But research also suggests that children are enjoying reading less than they did five years ago when the literacy strategy was introduced. The findings are from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which has examined attitudes to reading among primary pupils. Boys in particular have shown a decline in interest in reading for pleasure.

The survey looked at how nine and 11 year olds felt about reading - and compared this to similar questions asked at the outset of the literacy strategy in 1998. In response to concerns about declining standards of literacy among pupils, the Government made an improvement in reading and writing a centrepiece of its efforts in primary schools. This has now been running for five years - and the NFER's research suggests there has been a "significant improvement" in children's confidence and independence as readers. It observes that primary pupils in England now have reading skills which compare well with pupils in other developed countries.

But there have been complaints from teachers who have claimed that the focus on literacy has been at the expense of creativity and more imaginative learning. And the research says that there has been a decline in the number of children enjoying reading - with boys showing the sharpest drop in interest. Fewer children read at home to an adult than five years ago, there are fewer trips to the library and more watching of television. Although putting the "decline" in interest into context, the research says there is still a substantial majority of pupils who like to read stories.

The NFER's principal researcher, Marian Sainsbury, says that the survey gives a chance to look at the changes in pupils' attitudes since the introduction of the literacy strategy. And although it was not possible to make direct connections, there had been a contrasting picture of increased ability and reduced enthusiasm. "We know from national results and international studies that primary school children in England are good at reading, and their increased levels of confidence and independence are probably a direct reflection of this," said Dr Sainsbury.

"On the other hand, enjoyment levels have declined. We have no direct evidence from this survey of the reasons fro the change, and they may relate to broader shifts in children's interest over the last five years. But it is possible that this is also related to the drive to improve standards. Children are learning skills, reading material that has usually been chosen by the teacher rather than the children themselves. There may have been less emphasis on the on the sheer pleasure to be gained from books. Current guidance to teachers places great stress on fostering this enthusiasm and enjoyment and we are planning to repeat this survey every two years from now on, to track any changes in the future."

(BBC News UK Edition, 2.12.03)

Boys read better, but not for pleasure

The proportion of 10-year-old-boys who read books at home nearly halved during the first five years of the national literacy strategy.

Statisitics published in October 2003 show show that the percentage of Year 6 boys who read during dinner time, play-time, or in the evening has dropped from 29% in 1997 to 17% in 2002.

The plunge in interest in reading comes despite a dramatic increase in the proportion leaving school able to read or write well since the mid-1990s - a success the Government says is linked to the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy in 1998.

However, boys lag behind girls in reading and ministers have set up a series of projects to tackle the problem. The new statistics on reading come from an annual survey of 10 to 15-year-olds by the Schools Health Education Unit in Exeter.

Dr David Regis, the unit's research manager, said a connection could be made between the drop in boy readers and the literacy strategy. The strategy came under fire in 2003 from authors including Philip Pullman who say it has stopped children taking pleasure in books.

However, Dr Regis said that other data from the survey showed that many leisure interests were competing for children's time and that reading still remained popular with girls. Boys listed their favourite leisure activities as watching television, playing computer games, meeting with friends and playing sport.

(TES, 10 October 2003)

A research study from Oxford Brookes University reveals that despite the rise in 11-year-olds' national test scores, reading and reasoning tests set by the National Foundation for Educational Research suggest that standards have remained unchanged.

The Study of more than 5,000 pupils between 1998 and 2001 compared their results in English, maths and science national tests with those in standardised NFER tests taken soon after they began secondary school.

The NFER tests showed no change in pupils' achievements during that time.

(TES, 9 May 2003)

Primary pupils in England are better at reading than those in almost any other country, but are less confident about their ability and do not enjoy it, according to a study conducted in 2001. England came third in the study of reading achievements of 140,000 10-year-olds in 35 countries, beaten by Sweden and the Netherlands. Scotland was 14th, Wales did not take part.

The gap between the highest and lowest attaining children tended to be wider in English-speaking countries such as England and New Zealand, than in other nations. Researchers said one factor might be the irregular nature of English.

The 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that 13% of children in England disliked reading, compared to an international average of 6%. Children spent more time watching television or playing computer games than those in other countries.

When asked how good they were at reading, only a third of pupils in England were highly confident, compared to the international average of 40%. The National Foundation for Educational Research, which conducted the study, carried out earlier research showing that 12 years ago, before the national Literacy Strategy was introduced, English pupils had average scores.

Two test papers were taken by each of 140,000 10-year-olds. The papers were divided into short stories and non-fiction pieces, each 400-700 words long. Children were either given one of each type, or two of the same type.

Papers consisted of a mix of multiple choice questions and questions which required written answers. Many countries performed significantly better in one type of reading. English-speaking countries scored more highly on reading stories, whereas France did better at factual reading.

Even in Canada, this was true, with the English-speaking province of Ontario doing significantly better reading fiction than fact, a pattern reversed in French-speaking Quebec. But the highest performing nations, Sweden and Holland, did equally well at both.

Professor Sig Prais, of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said that the 3,156 English pupils in the study were relatively able.

Researchers looked at pupils' performance in the 2002 key 2 stage tests. They found the PIRLS sample included 5% of pupils in the lowest ability range for reading, compared to a national average of 7%. This is a statistically significant but slight difference.

Dr Marian Sainsbury, of the NFER team which carried out the study, said: "The sampling has been carried out and approved by Statistics Canada. It is of crucial importance to test national samples which are comparable."

The gender gap was an international phenomenon with girls out-performing boys in all participating countries.

The full report, Reading all over the world, can be downloaded from www.dfes.gov.uk/research. More information, including details of how to buy a hard copy, are at www.nfer.ac.uk

(TES, 11 April 2003)

An analysis by Margaret M. Clark of the PIRLS survey and the conclusions drawn as a result was published in Education Journal, Issue 75, 2004. You can download this article below.

How much can we learn from international studies of reading such as PIRLS? A cautionary tale

A love of reading is more important for children's academic success than their family's wealth and class according to research carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Children from deprived backgrounds performed better in tests than those from more affluent homes if they enjoyed reading books, newspapers and comics in their spare time. The study, which covered 31 countries, found encouraging children to read for pleasure could compensate for social problems that would usually affect their academic performance.

"Being more enthusiastic about reading and a frequent reader was more of an advantage, on its own, than having well-educated parents in good jobs," the study's report said. The researchers analysed the results of an international study in 2001 which ranked industrialised nations according to the performance of 15-year-olds in tests. Britain emerged as one of the best performing countries in reading, coming seventh out of 31.

The OECD study found that 15-year-olds from impoverished backgrounds who enjoyed reading scored higher in literacy tests than those of well-off professionals who had little interest in reading. The poorer youngsters attained 540 points in the tests compared with 491 for the affluent children.

"Fifteen-year-old students who are highly engaged readers and whose parents have the lowest occupational status achieve significantly higher average reading scores than students whose parents have the highest occupational status but who are poorly engaged in reading," the report said.

"All the students who are highly engaged in reading achieve reading literacy scores that are significantly above the international mean, whatever their family background. Conversely, students who are poorly engaged in reading achieve scores below the international mean, regardless of their parents' occupational status.

"These findings are of paramount importance from an educational perspective... It is reassuring to know that while socio-economic background plays a role, it is not a dominant factor." The study found that availability of books in the home also played a key role. "Students who have access to a larger number of books have a tendency to be more interested in reading a broader range of materials."

There was also some evidence that reading newspapers, magazines and comics could be just as effective as reading books. Parents who discussed books, magazine articles, politics and current affairs with their children also helped boost their literacy skills.

(Daily Mail, 21 November 2002)

Research summary from the Literacy and Social Inclusion project

Libraries need to market themselves more aggressively to children if they are going to compete with TV, videos and computer games according to a report published in October 2002.  With children as young as seven succumbing to the appeal of popular culture, libraries need to shed their stuffy image to attract a more materialistic, consumerist youth.

That means improving libraries'  activities, displays, exhibitions and publicity, according to Start with the Child, a report from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. This report presents the findings of its working group on provision for children and young people. The working group aimed to examine the changing library needs of children and young people and the extent to which they are being met by existing library services; review the relationship between libraries, reading, literacy and learning and assess its impact on library services; and recommend improvements and how to bring them about.

The working group included librarians, literacy bodies, authors, publishers and government representatives. Among other issues, it looked back at Investing in Children, the respected 1995 report by the Library and Information Services Council. The group found that many of the key issues then remain the same today, such as the failure to publicise services and the lack of collaboration between school and public libraries.

It says recent successful promotions such as the Summer Reading Challenge which now involves half a million children a year, have shown what can be done.

Children surveyed said they preferred TV and video to books, but they also showed a positive attitude to reading. Libraries should therefore use information technology in a more creative way, says the report.

Librarians called for closer partnerships between libraries, schools and youth services and said further education needed special help to cater for the growing number of 14 to 16-year-olds who divide their time between schools and colleges.

The report also urges simpler joining procedures and "a more liberal and enlightened approach" to the payment of fines and charges for damage.

Start with the Child is available at www.cilip.org.uk/advocacy/startwiththechild/

(TES, 25 October 2002 & CILIP update November 2002)

Reading our future
Evaluation of the DCMS/Wolfson public libraries challenge fund 2000-2001
Margaret Wallis, Nick Moore and Audrey Marshall for Resource: the council for museums, libraries and archives, May 2002, ISBN 1902394712

The DCMS/Wolfson public libraries challenge fund aims to enhance public libraries' strength in reader development activities, through awards to innovative library projects around the country. In 2000-2001,  the fund made 33 awards, totalling almost £2 million.
The authors found that the fund was "resoundingly successful" in stimulating short-term reader development initiatives, with a great deal of activity taking place as a result. Over 70 public library authorities have been involved in at least one project, along with other partner organisations. The extent to which projects were able to embed reader development into mainstream public library practice was found to be much more mixed, primarily because the one-year timescale was too short to demonstrate effective long-term outcomes. There was also a "low level of transferability" across the programme as a whole, with few opportunities to share experiences, exchange resources and raise awareness. Nonetheless, projects addressed a wide range of target audiences, many from socially excluded groups. The task was not always easy, however, and evidence showed that good knowledge of the local community and solid preparatory work helped to break down barriers and build good relationships with target groups. In most cases, being awarded funds provided a significant morale boost to library staff, and an opportunity to try out innovative approaches, although negative attitudes among some established staff were a barrier. The authors conclude that maintaining the momentum the fund has created remains an ongoing challenge.

The impact of school libraries on reading attainment

Until recently, there was no evidence to support the supposition that school libraries have a positive impact on educational achievement. An American study undertaken in 1992 has demonstrated that school libraries do affect reading scores.

The Colorado Study, led by Keith Curry Lance and funded by the US Office of Education, was based on a "value-added" survey in the state schools in Colorado. The researcher examined a small sample of schools from all stages in both urban and rural areas using standardised tests. Although the sample was small, the study reflected distribution in the US as a whole.  (Keith Curry Lance, 1993)

The study found that:

• School investment in libraries affect educational attainment. Students at schools with better funded school libraries tend to achieve higher than average test scores regardless of whether the schools or communities are rich or poor, or whether adults in the community are well or poorly educated.
• The size of the library staff and the size and variety of the collection are also relevant. The overall level of funding is significant, but only with regard to expenditure on staffing and resources.
• Students whose school librarian plays an instructional role tend to achieve higher than average test scores. This is also dependent on collaboration between school librarians and teachers and the inclusion of the library materials in the curriculum.

Recommended reading:

United Kingdom:

Graham Small, "School Libraries DO Make a Difference: A summary of the Colorado Study," School Librarian, vol. 45, no. 4, 1999.
D. Streatfield and S. Markless, Invisible learning? The contribution of school libraries to teaching and learning. Report to the British Library Research and Development Department on the "Effective School Library" research project, London: British Library Report, 1994.

United States:

D. Barron, "School Library Media in the Literature and Research: 1997-1998," School Library Media Activities Monthly, vol. 15, no. 6, Feb. 1999.

Pamela Farris and R. Marjorie Hancock, "Library Use and Reading Achievement of Rural Sixth Graders," School Library Media Annual, vol. 9, 1991.

Keith Curry Lance, The Impact of school library media centers on academic achievement. Castle Rock: Hi Willow Research & Publishing, 1993.

Websites:

MLA - www.mla.gov.uk

Family Reading Matters magazine