Sitting down with a bowl of popcorn to watch "The Golden Compass" on DVD might seem a lot more relaxing than curling up with its 368-page paper counterpart.
One study, however, has shown that leisure reading - an activity on the decline - could lead to an increase in students' grades and test scores.
The study, conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts, reported last year that the percentage of young adults and teens who read for fun has declined drastically over the past 20 years. Partially blaming the rise of Internet use and new forms of media for a decrease in reading, the study showed a correlation between the amount of time spent reading for fun and academic achievement.
To counteract such trends in reading habits, Tisch Library implemented a blog earlier this month that recommends books to students for reading during vacation.
"When the National Endowment for the Arts came out with a report heralding the decline of reading, we wanted to encourage the Tufts community to find time in their busy schedules to read, because there are huge benefits to reading for fun," Affiliate Librarian Abigail Cross said.
Cross said that Tisch has received positive feedback from students in regard to the blog, an all-too-rare occurrence for library projects.
"We have gotten a really good response, which is unusual for a library initiative. Usually we don't hear back much from people, but we've gotten some good feedback," Cross said. "People really like it and they want to be able to comment on the posts. We're excited that it's gotten these responses."
For the first installment of the blog, the librarians used their own recommendations to create a list of seven "Wild 'n' Wooly" reads. The list includes books like "Alaska" by James A. Michener and "Three Bags Full" by Leonie Swann. Cross said that while the current list spans a variety of different genres, future lists might be created based on more specific topics.
"The blog we've just posted has non-fiction, fiction, mystery and autobiography," Cross said. "For the next one, we are hoping to do an all-graphic novel theme."
But despite the library's report of good feedback, students interviewed said that they either hadn't heard of the blog or didn't want to read what was included on it.
"When I got the e-mail, it didn't make me want to read those books," said sophomore Katie Bond, who reads for leisure frequently. "I think it's good that they are trying to promote reading; it's just that those aren't the type of books I would read."
Besides an e-mail sent out before spring break containing the link to the new blog, the library has only alerted students via handouts in Tisch.
"We would like to publicize it more," Cross said. "But the truth is, students don't tend to respond to more than what we've done already, so depending on the responses, we'll see how we can choose to pursue it in the future. People can subscribe to the blog to keep up to date that way."
With the creation of the Tisch book blog and referrals by friends, students do not seem to have a hard time finding books to read; the problem is finding the time to read them.
"I used to [read for fun] a lot, [but] I haven't really gotten time to lately, because I usually keep pretty busy with homework and other activities," sophomore David Bader said. "I've been trying to get back into it, but it's been difficult."
Even students who read regularly say it is difficult to set a designated time for reading, as academic workloads can change from week to week.
"It's not a set thing for me," Bond said. "It's hard to find time. I might have a week or two that is really busy and I won't read anything; then it will calm down, and I can catch up."
Sophomore Caitlin Hart tries to find time to fit reading into her schedule. "If I have a lot of school reading, then I'd rather watch a DVD to relax than read, but I try to read at least 20 minutes before bed or while waiting for a class to start," she said.
While the students who read have not noticed a commensurate increase in their grades, as the study suggests they would, they report that they do feel more relaxed in and outside of class.
"Reading doesn't directly affect my classes," Bond said. "It affects me in a grander scheme, like with creativity. Reading lets me feel balanced and not as burnt out."
Hart said that her tendency to pick up a book during her spare time helps her both emotionally and academically. "[Reading] is an enjoyable thing, a way to relax that is more meditative, and I think healthier, than watching TV," she said. "It has definitely helped with vocabulary and with general cultural things like relating time periods."
