Leisure Reading in Academic Libraries

Traditionally, academic libraries have focused their efforts on direct support of the curriculum. However, since publication of the NEA reports "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America" (2004) and "To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence" (2007), leisure reading is increasingly viewed as an opportunity to promote broader academic library use, as well as providing indirect curricular support. In the first book of its kind, academic librarians can now decide for themselves whether, and how, to proceed. An examination of the rationale for leisure reading collections and programs in academic libraries comes with practical tried-and-true guidance for developing, maintaining, assessing, and supporting them. At the end of the road, academic libraries will not only be actively engaged in extracurricular campus culture: addressing student skills and activities as tested in national student surveys; finding ways to collaborate with departments across campus and with public library peers; and, possibly most important, maintaining relevance with today's students.