Contributions of Chicago School to the study of reading

Abstract

　While the study of reading in American librarianship before the establishment of the Graduate Library School at the University of Chicago was confined to the study of library circulation, the development of this study in education in 1920' was remarkable. The Reading Interests and Habits of Adults, by Prof. W. S. Gray, University of Chicago, is a successful summary of those studies in education.
　John Dewey of the same University exerted a great influence upon the development of the study of reading by his interest theory. The professors of sociology of that institution, such as Louis Wirth and W. F. Ogburn, gave also no less impulse to that study.
　“First year activities of the G.L.S，Univ. of Chic.” by D. Waples mentioned some studies on this theme; he reported studies on adult reading and children's reading in 1928-30.
　In their What People Want to Read About, Waples and R. Tyler studied the relationship between the social groups and their reading, interests. Using a “list of social group—subject interests relations,” a librarian can foresee the interested social groups for a certain book, and prepare reading materials of much interest for a certain reader.
　Waples studied also the relationship between the reading interest and actual reading statistically, and found that the reading interest moves into actual reading only when the Readability and Accessibility of reading materials are adequate. By the similar study Leon Carnovsky indicated the importance of Advertising in this relationship.
　The content analysis put forward by Waples, Berelson and Bradshaw describes and evaluates a book by its effects on the reader, such as instrumental, prestige, reinforcement, aesthetic and respite effects.