1. Reading Interests of Adults
Image credit: Victor GAD
Marija Dalbello
Reading Interests of Adults
Introduction
Rutgers
School of Communication and Information

2. Welcome and overview _______________________________________
Course philosophy (foundational assumptions and methods)
Match student assumptions with course focus
Course objectives
Organization and content
Assignments

4. A readerly introduction _______________________________________
Starting with self-reflection:
Reading histories are autobiographical
Reading histories are embedded in time-life events
Reading histories note emblematic books, places, states
and our relating to others …

5. Other observations on reading _______________________________________
Readers encounter texts within a “horizon of expectation”
Experience of reading is cumulative and individualized
Genres are structured, ensure predictability
And yet readers are quite unpredictable
And serving readers is challenging

6. Reading and imagination _______________________________________

7. Established so far _______________________________________
Reading does have politics
Reading is personal and difficult to study
Studying reading is not about texts but people
Approaches: psychoanalytical, cultural analytical, …
Libraries need to be reading and information institutions
Librarians need to explore reading from readers’ point of view

8. Back to course pragmatics
_______________________________________
Course website main content index
Check weekly introductions for to do’s (e-college)
Readings, discussion, virtual office, etc. in e-college shell
At course website - syllabus, lectures, schedule, assignments

9. Course website http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/course/online/585_home.htm

10. Quick course overview _______________________________________
Fit reading and readers
in broader context of society culture institutions
institutions such as libraries
commercial enterprises such as publishing
society and culture as shapers of readers’ fantasies
Understand how readers’ interests are met by institutions
How librarians can better serve readers
Understand structure of genres
Examine popular genres

12. Course organization _______________________________________
Module I (Weeks 1-5, 15)
Cultural Production, the Society, and the Consumption of Texts
popular culture, history of reading
Term Paper (historical analysis), Discussions
Module II (Weeks 6-14)
Reading Genres and Genre Readers
genre theory, genres: detective, SF, romance, western, horror, new age … Term paper (study of readers), Discussions
Module III (Weeks 6-14)
Programming and Collection Development
RA tools: genre guides, online, interviewing
Discussions, observation & field research

14. Assignments _______________________________________
Course website for instructions, due dates and schedule
This week’s to do’s:
study class materials to understand course requirements Personal Reading Profile and Theme of Emphasis due
read, discuss, journal, complete survey
order textbooks online

15. Reading is
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16. I look forward to the course … Marija Dalbello
_______________________________________
I look forward to the course …
Marija Dalbello