Based on an ethnographic approach, this study analyzes the changes in children in rural areas' perceptions of the library and in their attitudes towards reading following their experiencing of the local library. To this end, the following research que...
Based on an ethnographic approach, this study analyzes the changes in children in rural areas' perceptions of the library and in their attitudes towards reading following their experiencing of the local library. To this end, the following research questions were established.
1) What are children in rural areas perceptions of the local library?
2) What impact can experiences at the local library provide in terms of the reading habits of children in rural areas?
The experimental group consisted of 7 children from a kindergarten which was attached to H Elementary School in J town, Masan City. The research was carried out over 32 weeks, or from the first week of April to the third week of December 2009. The children implemented the experiential activities during visits to the public library and the library within the local elementary school. The research materials were collected through interviews with the children, an observation log, journals, and object representation. The materials were then analyzed using a triangulation method.
The results of this study can be summarized as follows:
First, it was revealed that the pleasant experiences at the local library helped the children to perceive the library as a space where various experiences could be had. In this regard, the library was perceived as a new space, a reading space, and a cultural space.
Second, the reading activities conducted at the local library helped to strengthen children's motivation to read. This greatly influenced the formation of their reading habits. Pleasant experiences at the local library helped the children to develop creativity through various reading activities, and to make it a habit of spontaneously and regularly reading as part of their everyday lives.