a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oAvailable online xxxx A comparison of 10th graders' reading of a narrative, literary text on a Sony e-reader and in print showed that preferences for reading devices are related to gender and to general reading habits. One hundred forty-three students participated in the study. In a school setting, students were asked to begin reading a novel on one device and then continue reading the same novel on the other device. A survey was administered before and after the reading session, measuring reading habits in general, device preferences, and experiences with screen and paper reading. Results showed that, overall, most students preferred reading on the e-reader. This preference was particularly strong among boys and reluctant readers, whereas avid readers were more in favor of print. Implications of these findings to library policies and priorities are discussed.

This study investigates the reading and library habits among teenagers in Oslo, Norway using qualitative interviews and a survey. Interviews with four girls demonstrate individual variation in their literary tastes and in the roles of reading they take on. The survey gives an overview of teenagers' library use and their literature preferences, and detects that girls and boys differ in preferences of reading media. Differences in literary tastes are also shown as gender-based. The survey indicates different patterns in reading frequency and reading materials in the sense that students from the schools with the closest connection to the public library read more, as well as in a broader range of reading materials than students from schools with no such connection.

No abstract

Fictional works about libraries and their different roles have been published over the centuries and read with delight among librarians as well as among the broader audience. Still, literary descriptions of libraries seem to be of marginal interest when it comes to Library and Information research, in spite of the rich material at hand. This article takes a step into the rather empty space of research in this field, combining theories of information behavior with literary analysis of a fictional heroine; Roald Dahl's Matilda.

Artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i et fortellerkurs for ungdom i et norsk folkebibliotek, og undersøker gjennom observasjon og intervjuer hvordan kurset fungerte som litteraturformidlende aktivitet. Kursdeltakerne var utelukkende jenter, og fire av disse stilte opp til intervju. Kurset analyseres ved hjelp av to modeller; en hentet fra performanceteorien og en hentet fra bibliotek- og informasjonsvitenskapen. Analysene viser at fortellerkurset på biblioteket fungerte som lesestimulering, men også i høy grad som arena for kreativitet og læring, som sosial arena der vennskap ble knyttet, og som ”empowerment” for deltakerne. For jentene på kurset var det sentrale i alle disse funksjonene aspektet av underholdning og opplevelse. Med tekster som utgangspunkt for et kurs som gav et mangfold av positive virkninger, kan man hevde at fortelleraktivitet for unge brukere er en naturlig måte å utvikle bibliotekets formidlingsarbeid på.