the future of reading in a digital age charleston 2012
TRANSCRIPT
The Future of Reading in a Digital Age: What Does it Mean – or not
Mean – for Us?
Tony Horava, University of OttawaCharleston Conference
Nov. 8, 2012
What does this shift mean for us?
Outline
• The act of reading in today’s world• Reading as a lightning rod for a multitude of
issues for libraries• Trends• Ebooks & mobile culture• Implications of the rise of e-reading• Issues and ideas to consider• Various conclusions
"Libraries are not about books; they were, are, and will be about facilitating communication across time and space. Books have been a way to do that historically, but today there are other, often better, ways to accomplish this. Libraries need to become facile at supporting all sorts of media, and they must continue to embrace the new, or face the consequences of losing relevance to the mainstream culture.“
- Mark Sandler, “Collection Development in the Day of Google” Library Resources & Technical Services 50(4): 240
Whatever the media we provide or support, libraries are about reading….
Libraries and reading
Reading as a lightning rod for the role of libraries
• Connecting authors to readers; connecting publishers with readers
• Core values such as intellectual freedom, privacy, literacy and learning, and democracy
• The future of the book/ebook• Collection development• Information literacy & digital literacy• Scholarly communication initiatives• Digital tools• Services to persons with disabilities• Research services
University libraries & the reading tradition: what has changed?
“University libraries, by their sheer physical nature, tell you something about the value of reading. Universities tend to perpetuate the sacred aura of reading in general and of books in particular, and students pick up on that — even if it is an engineering student who never reads much and never intends to read much. Universities are part of the reproduction of the prestige and sacred quality that is associated with reading … . [There is an] ideology of reading. Reading is a sacred activity “
- Wendy Griswold, 2008. Regionalism and the reading class. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
“Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America”National Endowment for the Arts, 2004
Was a large-scale survey, the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, conducted by the Census Bureau in 2002 at the request of the National Endowment for the Arts
17,000 people sampled.
The results were compared with data from similar surveys in 1982 and 1992
The overarching conclusion:
“Literary reading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young. “
Various Trends….
“The average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer”
“30% of those who read e-content say they now spend more time reading, and owners of tablets and e-book readers particularly stand out as reading more now. “
“In a head-to-head competition, people prefer e-books to printed books when they want speedy access and portability, but print wins out when people are reading to children and sharing books with others.” “
“The Rise of e-reading” Pew Internet and American Life Projecthttp://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading
Why do people like to read?
12% of readers of e-books borrowed an e-book from the library in the past year. But a majority of Americans do not know that this service is provided by their local library.
E-book borrowers say they read an average (the mean number) of 29 books in the past year, compared with 23 books for readers who do not borrow e-books from a library.
Perhaps more striking, the median (midpoint) figures for books reportedly read are 20 in the past year by e-book borrowers and 12 by non-borrowers
“Libraries, Patrons, and Ebooks” Pew Internet study, June 22, 2012http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/06/22/libraries-patrons-and-e-books/
46% of those who do not currently borrow e-books from libraries say they would be “very” or “somewhat” likely to borrow an e-reading device that came loaded with a book they wanted to read. Asked where they look first when they are trying to find an e-book, 47% of those who borrow e-books from libraries say they first look at online bookstores and websites and 41% say they start at their public library.
More key findings….
“Aside from a quick lunch hour at their desk, iPad owners are no longer doing the majority of their reading on their computers. They are saving it for their personal prime time, when they can relax comfortably, iPad in hand and burn through the content they found during the day.”
Is Mobile Affecting When We Read? http://readitlaterlist.com/blog/2011/01/is-mobile-affecting-when-we-read/
Time shifted reading (Pocket app)
Four spikes:6am - Early morning, breakfast9am - The morning commute, start of the work day5pm – 6pm - End of the work day and the commute home8pm – 10pm – Couch time, prime time, bed time
Is Mobile Affecting When We Read?http://readitlaterlist.com/blog/2011/01/is-mobile-affecting-when-we-read/
A Facebook Planet• With over 500 million users, Facebook is now used by 1 in every 13 people
on earth, with over 250 million of them (over 50%) who log in every day. The average user still has about 130 friends, but that should expand in 2011.
• 48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up, with 28% doing so before even getting out of bed.
• The 35+ demographic is growing rapidly, now with over 30% of the entire Facebook user base. The core 18-24 year old segment is now growing the fastest at 74% year on year. Almost 72% of all US internet users are on now Facebook, while 70% of the entire user base is located outside of the US.
• A form of communication that is shaping how we read…http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/facebook-statistics-stats-facts-2011/
Studies on print reading and screen reading
• Many studies out there• Drawing conclusions on the strengths and weaknesses of
screen vs print reading is a tricky business• Results are mixed; can’t be generalized• Various reasons – methodology & experimental design;
rapidly evolving technology, complexity of reading practices, subject selection and background, technological savvy, etc
• The more important question is, How do we remain sensitive to the range of reading preferences and how this affects our strategies for what we acquire and how we deliver services?
Different reading devices, different modes of reading?JGU Media Convergence Research Unit study on reading devices vs. paper
(20 Oct 2011) http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/14685.php
• “Almost all participants stated that reading from paper was more comfortable than from an e-ink reader despite the fact that the study actually showed that there was no difference in terms of reading performance between reading from paper and from an e-ink reader. “
• “This study provides us with a scientific basis for dispelling the widespread misconception that reading from a screen has negative effects," explains Dr Stephan Füssel. "There is no (reading) culture clash – whether it is analog or digital, reading remains the most important cultural technology.“
• “Tablet PCs actually provide an advantage over e-ink readers and the printed page that is not consciously perceivable: the information is processed more easily when a tablet PC is employed. Furthermore, while there were no differences between the three media employed in terms of rates of reading by the younger participants, the older participants exhibited faster reading times when using the tablet PC.”
Characteristics of older and newer forms of reading
Print reading Screen reading
Typically a private act Can be private or social
Single medium Multiple media
Frequently linear Non-linear/power browsing
Artifact-based Technologically volatile
Self-contained Optimization driven by search algorithms
Attention abundance Attention scarcity (a state of ‘continuous partial attention’)
Static objects Radical impermanence
The fixed page as the unit of experience The user-defined screen as basis for experience: ‘breaking the page’
Autonomous & private act Tracking and surveillance of reading – how will this be used?
Older and newer forms (cont’d)Print reading Screen reading
Materiality of content, ie the work is embedded in the container (the pages)
Immateriality of content, ie the work is detached from the container (a digital file that is invisible and distinct from the device)
Hand-eye interaction focused on page manipulation
Hand-eye interaction is a constant activity, focused on touch screens and keypads and new stimuli
The architecture of the codex book governs the reading process, such as navigating tables of contents, chapter divisions, footnotes or endnotes, index, etc.
The architecture of the web and digital technology governs the reading process. Navigation and orientation is user-driven.
Ebooks & reading• E-books have transformed the experience of reading due
to portability, e-ink technology, expansion of content, mimicking of print reading habits, and new functionality
• Choice of devices, display, use of collaborative tools• Interactive fiction, where readers choose the outcome
of a story• Visual images balancing text to inform the narrative• Embedded links to video or audio files, reference tools,
and instant posting and sharing of thoughts • Highly dynamic, customized experience
Mobile world
• Saturation in rich media as the new normal• Mobile reading: being in control of time and space (e-readers,
smartphones, tablets)• Easy sharing, annotating, reviewing, ranking, saving.• Profound transformation of the reading experience, from
solitary to communal• New reading communities such as Library Thing (600K
members) and Good Reads (1.8M); online book clubs are flourishing
• The app world: making reading more social, more connected, more personal.
New reality of reading*• Intensely interactive; the growing use of social media to share,
review, annotate, etc.• Discontinuous & fragmented: immersive experience is rare• Highly editable and moveable • ‘Squirreling behaviour’ (downloading files aside for future reading…
will it really be read later?)• Text boundaries become porous and blurred• A visual culture: meaning is informed by pictorial input (images,
animations, video) much more than ever before• Steady expectation of new stimuli to punctuate the experience: the
urge to click is irresistible.*Terje Hillesund, “Digital Reading Spaces” First Monday, Volume 15, Number 4 - 5 April 2010
Materiality and reading• The experience of reading is fundamentally dependent on the material
support, eg print book, e-reader device, desktop pc, microfilm viewer, etc.*
• With a print book, the material form embodies the text: the words are tangibly ingrained on the physical page
• Hand-eye relationship and technological manipulation bear upon the experience – think of touch screen interaction versus that of a printed book. Very different relationship.
• With an ebook, the work is disembodied from the material support- an intangibility and a distancing between the work and the platform
• The tactile quality of the interaction is profoundly different
* Anne Mangen, ‘Hypertext fiction reading: Haptics and Immersion’ Journal of Research in Reading 31(4) 2008: 404-19
The iPad – a revolution in the reading experience for the digital age….far beyond the Kindle.
ALA TechSource Webinar ‘The Book as iPad App’ with Nicole Hennig.
http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2012/07/archive-of-our-book-as-ipad-app-webinar.html
The book as iPad App allows for a new & porous reading experience:
Text interacts with video, audio clips, animation, images, special features, links to social media.
With the tablets, the medium is indeed becoming the message…
Inkling e-textbooks: a game-changer for the way reading and learning are carried out
https://www.inkling.com/about/
Reading in an attention-challenged society
“In a world influenced by a powerful online culture, we must remain committed to motivating our students to take the time required for in–depth reading. Independent learning, which continues to be based on in–depth reading, will always take time.”
“In addition, learning how to learn is also a process that takes time. …Therefore we may need to remind ourselves of the importance of teaching transferable critical reading skills
- Barry Cull, “Reading Revolutions: Online Digital Text and Implications for Reading in Academe” First Monday, Volume 16, Number 6 - 6 June 2011
‘Every Reader His or Her Ebook: An Ebook Advocacy Statement from the Duke University Libraries’ (Section on Reading)*
• Accommodate personal preferences in research, teaching, and learning by allowing reading of a desired e-book title on the device preferred by the researcher.
• Allow annotating, highlighting, and bookmarking of the text and the downloading or saving of reader annotations in an open format to allow sharing of comments and notes.
• Aid in the sequential reading of a logical argument by providing orientation to the layout of the e-book.
• Provide intuitive navigation to facilitate browsing within an e-book.
*http://library.duke.edu/ebookstrategy/e_book_advocacy.pdf
Duke Ebook advocacy statement (cont’d)
• Allow for easy printing of substantial portions of the e-book, including a reasonably priced POD (Print on Demand) copy.
• Anticipate and provide source-specific and discipline-specific formats; for example, historical sources will be reproduced as an exact copy to simulate interactions with the original object.
• Be downloadable for reading off-line (portable format).
Thinking about ‘critical reading’ in the new era
Some questions to consider:• How does reading in various forms promote learning and
teaching outcomes? How does the interaction of textual, visual, and audio elements affect the reading experience?
• How can we assess public services and collections through the lens of critical reading practices- the richness of the reading experience in different technological environments
• Do vendors incorporate reading research and usability studies into their products?
• How do interfaces incorporate social media into reading?• What are the evolving strengths and challenges in digital
reading?
The gamification of reading (and writing)
• Is becoming more prevalent for children’s literature and popular literature….how will it influence teaching & academic writing?
• Involves game-thinking as a vehicle for reader engagement: using milestones, competition, rewards, and fun as learning approaches.
• We are a game-saturated culture. Digital reading is self-directed, involving multiple pathways and rich in media - fertile ground for learning styles that involve gaming elements
A Publisher’s view“When people hear the term ‘gamification’ they might think I
mean ‘let’s make a space explorer game out of this book. But that’s not it. I mean that we need to take lessons of the game and apply them to other forms, to implement parts of the game framework — such as levels, incentives, and a social network. I’m not asking publishers to become game companies, but to take the finer points and insert them into their models.” Think of a series such as Scholastic’s 39 Clues, and you have one example.
Gabe Zichermann, “Ready Reader One: Why Gamification is Key to Publishing’s Future” http://publishingperspectives.com/2011/09/gamification-key-publishing-
future/
Some conclusions• Reading and readers remain fundamental to the role of libraries and our
core values. As new reading technologies develop, reading needs to become format-agnostic, platform-agnostic, portable, and simpler (eg no DRM) to enable greater success.
• The experience and definition of reading in our culture is being profoundly reinvented. There is a major shift from ‘intensive’ reading (few works) to ‘extensive’ reading (sampling of extremely wide range of works and medias)
• Is this the very long twilight of the codex book? We are rapidly transitioning from a text-based culture to a visual, networked culture. New reading communities are flourishing across digital media.
• The intimacy of reading - The formerly private quality of reading is being transformed into a more mobile, social, interactive experience: how does this impact what we learn and how we learn?
Some conclusions (cont’d)• Reading as enabling conversations to generate new forms of
knowledge (David Lankes)• Paradox of speed and broad connectivity – reading becomes a
power browsing and squirreling activity, while attention becomes scarcer
• The importance of advocating best practices with vendors for reading and usability to enhance the experience
• E-reading becomes a database interaction: a user-constructed path than a pre-determined one. How do the dynamics of this interaction effect us?
• ‘The ways in which the stories are displayed come and go, and what matters are the stories and the storytelling’ (Joseph Janes)
“As electronic literature matures, it develops rhetorics, grammars, and syntaxes unique to digital environments. Learning to speak digital, it calls forth from us new modes of attending --listening, seeing, moving, navigating -- that transform what it means to experience literature ('read' is no longer an adequate term).”
- N. Katherine Hayles, “Deeper into the machine: the future of electronic literature. Culture Machine 5 (2003): http://www.culturemachine.net/index.php/cm/article/viewArticle/245/241
