Electronic Media and Leisure-Time Reading: Responses of School Librarians

Abstract

This study investigated how electronic media impact youth’s leisure-time reading at different academic levels. One hundred two school librarians participated in an online survey. These respondents reported that playing computer games, watching TV, and surfing the Internet compete with reading. Primary school librarians mainly agreed with the impact of TV and computer games, but not with that of the Internet; at the middle school level, the perceived influence of the Internet increases, but it is still less important than computer games and TV; high school librarians agreed with the perceived effects of TV, the Internet, and computer games on leisure-time reading.