Reading, even when silent and individual, is a social phenomenon and has often been studied as such. Complementary to this view, research has begun to explore how reading is embodied beyond simply being 'wired' in the brain. This article brings the social and embodied perspectives together in a very literal sense. Reporting a qualitative study of reading practices across student focus groups from six European countries, it identifies an underexplored factor in reading behaviour and experience. This factor is the sheer physical presence, and concurrent activity, of other people in the environment where one engages in individual silent reading. The primary goal of the study was to explore the role and possible associations of a number of variables (text type, purpose, device) in selecting generic (e.g. indoors vs outdoors) as well as specific (e.g. home vs library) reading environments. Across all six samples included in the study, participants spontaneously attested to varied, and partly surprising, forms of sensitivity to company and social space in their daily efforts to align body with mind for reading. The article reports these emergent trends and discusses their potential implications for research and practice.

We report on research in progress on the e-book phenomenon in Sweden, the aim of which is to explore the impact of the e-book at every stage, from authorship, through publishing, library lending and bookselling to readership. Here two aspects of the research are covered, the attitudes of authors and publishers towards e-books, to demonstrate the ‘early adoption’ stage of the e-book in the Swedish market. Interviews with authors reveal that most regard e-books favourably, although most of those who have a contract with publishers see it as a by-product of print publishing. Most authors do not have much experience in e-book publishing or self-publishing. The survey of publishers reveals ambivalence towards e-books and in their relationships with libraries and booksellers. The main ‘drivers’ in the uptake of e-books are consumers’ demands for portable, convenient formats and the search for more economic solutions to the provision of textbooks.

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Denna receptionsstudie behandlar unga vuxnas reaktioner på emotionellt laddad och moraliskt provocerande fiktion. Unga vuxna befinner sig i den period då personligheten formeras och omvärlden integreras. Vad händer med den personlighetsutvecklande läsning som förknippats med skönlitteratur i dagens internetsamhälle? I ett pågående forskningsprojekt kommer dessa frågor att studeras på empirisk väg. Här redovisas en explorativ studie baserad på grundad teori, som visar att flertalet lä- ser med sig själva i fokus. Exempel på subjektiva lässtrategier funna är existentiell, interaktiv och kreativ läsning.

De skandinaviske lande har endnu ikke oplevet den samme udbredelse af e-bogen og påvirkning af bogmarkedet som det er tilfældet i de engelsksprogede lande. Alligevel er der en voksende interesse i e-bøger, ikke mindst i forsknings- og folkebibliotekerne. Denne artikel giver en oversigt over tre skandinaviske biblioteks- og informationsvidenskabelige skoler og deres forskning og undervisning i e-bøger. De respektive institutioner præsenterer deres aktuelle forskningsinteresser og -perspektiver på e-bøger og digital læsning, og hvorledes e-bøger er integreret i curriculum og uddannelser. Artiklen ender med at fremhæve fire områder, som artiklens forfattere mener, kalder på yderligere forskning inden for bibliotek- og informationsvidenskab:• Deep reading og læseoplevelser på digitale læseenheder • Den fysiske bogkulturs betydning for læsere • Aftalegrundlaget for udlån af e-bøger og ophavsret i biblioteker • E-bogens integration med andre teknologier