BTW News Briefs

NEA Finds Literary Reading in Dramatic Decline

On Thursday, July 8, the National Endowment for the Arts released the results of a survey that found literary reading among Americans declined 10 percentage points from 1982 to 2002, representing a loss of 20 million potential readers. Fewer than half of American adults are now reading literature, according to the study findings, which were announced by NEA Chairman Dana Gioia during a news conference at the New York Public Library.

The report, "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America" found the steepest decline, 28 percent, occurred in the youngest age groups.

Among the studies other findings:

• The rate of decline in literary reading for the young adults, those aged 18 to 24, was 55 percent greater than that of the total adult population.
• Women read more literature than men, but literary reading by both genders is declining. Only slightly more than one-third of adult males now read literature. Reading among women is also declining significantly, but at a slower rate.
• Among ethnic and racial groups surveyed, literary reading decreased most strongly among Hispanic Americans, dropping by 10 percentage points.

"This report documents a national crisis," Gioia said. "Reading develops a capacity for focused attention and imaginative growth that enriches both private and public life. The decline in reading among every segment of the adult population reflects a general collapse in advanced literacy. To lose this human capacity -- and all the diverse benefits it fosters -- impoverishes both cultural and civic life."

The full report is available at www.arts.gov/news/news04/ReadingAtRisk.html.

ALA to Survey Libraries on Effects of Patriot Act

The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced that it is seeking funding to conduct an in-depth, longitudinal study of Law Enforcement Access to Library Records and Technology. According to an ALA press release, the goal of the study is "to make clear the extent to which a variety of law enforcement tools are used to gather data on individuals through their interaction with public and academic libraries in the wake of the USA Patriot Act."

"This information will be crucial for the U.S. Congress when they begin debate on amending and/or expanding the Patriot Act," said Emily Sheketoff, ALA Washington Office executive director, in the release. "The study should indicate any potential problems caused by law enforcement accessing previously protected reading records and Web sites. We also hope to segue into a more long-term, broad understanding of the impact of weakened privacy protections on the attitudes and actions of people who use libraries and the services that libraries provide."

The ALA is raising $250,000 for the study, which would be conducted by researchers from Florida State University's School of Information Studies and Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, according to the Library Journal.

John Carlo Bertot, director of the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at FSU's School of Information Studies, pointed out that the study would address not only law enforcement visits to libraries but also the overall impact on materials and collections, reported the Library Journal. The study will come in a version for academic libraries and one for public libraries.