The reading habits of today's teenagers have changed but does this mean that they are reading less? Recently I conducted an investigation into the online reading habits of our students having observed them accessing and sharing online graphic novel sites within the library during recess and lunch breaks. While some students read alone, reading and sharing ‘good reads’ is an obvious social activity.
We already know that these students are avid readers of hard copy graphic novels, so the purpose of this exercise was to establish what they read for recreation online and how this fits with what we provide as a school library. Do they read online instead of borrowing from the library or is reading online a supplement to their current reading practice? What is the attraction to reading online?
The results of this investigation showed that students do not rely on the school library for their recreational reading and that it is worth taking note of their interests when considering collection development.
In addition to the resources included in this investigation are other graphic novel resources on this site.