Role of Academic Discipline in Students’ Reading Preferences Marsha James Pratt Institute mjames5@pratt.edu

1. Role of Academic Discipline in Students’ Reading Preferences Marsha James Pratt Institute mjames5@pratt.edu Introduction Many studies examined undergraduate students’ preference for print vs. digital resources (Mizrachi, 2010, Berg, et. al, 2010). Few studies examined the role of students’ academic discipline on their reading preferences and behavior (Liu, 2006). Methodology In the Fall 2013, eight student researchers collected data on students’ reading behavior via interviews and observations at four (4) prominent New York City universities: Columbia University Teachers College, Brooklyn College, Pratt Institute and Barnard College. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) students Preference: Primarily prefer printresources (textbooks, print articles, class notes). Reasons: Print is easy on the eyes, good for annotating and note taking. Science, Engineering, Industry and Technology (SEIT) students Preference: Prefer print, but use more digital resources than HASS (cellphone to take picture of text, laptop for reading, print articles, online databases and online catalogs). Reasons: Digital is associated with faster access. Print is tangible and reduced eye-strain. • Time Constraints • Students working on long-term projects were more likely to read print. • Students who had shorter study periods and shorter assignment deadlines were likely to utilize digital resources due to faster and easier access. Conclusion: Both HASS and SEIT students preferred print to digital reading media for long-term projects. For shorter and time-sensitive projects, SEIT students preferred digital media. • Acknowledgment Thanks to Dr. Irene Lopatovska for her instruction in her class Information Science Research and my colleagues, Ashley Keller, Peter Otis, Ngozi Okoro, StoreyRadzunas, Deanna Sessions and Elizabeth Willse for their contributions to this research project. • References • Berg, S.A., Hoffman, K., & Dawson. (2010). Not on the same page: Undergraduates’ information retrieval in electronic and print books. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 36(6), 518-525. • Lui, Z. ((2006). Print vs. electronic resources: A study of user perceptions, preferences, and use. Information Processing & Management, 42(2), 583 – 592. • Mizrachi, D. (2010). Undergraduates’ academic information and library behaviors: preliminary results. Reference Services Review, 38(4), 571-580.