BOOK READING
PURPOSE
To collect information about the book-reading habits of Australians.
DESCRIPTION
The Book Reading collection was conducted as part of a study of book buying and borrowing in Australia that took place in November 1994 and also included the Book buyers Survey and the Library users Survey. Questions relating to Book Reading were included on the questionnaire for that month's Population Survey Monitor (PSM) collection. Interviewers conducted a total of about 2,460 interviews Australia-wide. The questions asked referred to the reading, purchasing and borrowing of books during various time periods immediately preceding interview. The PSM covered all usual residents aged 18 years and over in private dwellings in both urban and rural areas of all States and Territories of Australia. However, persons living in remote and sparsely settled areas were excluded from the collection. All persons living in non-private dwellings were also excluded. Usually coverage was limited to persons aged 18 years and over. However, for the Book Reading collection, this was extended to also include persons aged 15 to 17 years.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Irregular
DATA ITEMS
Population aged 15 years and over
The number of persons in Australia aged 15 years and over.
Type of material read during the previous week
Records the categories of reading material a person read during the previous week. The categories are:
Books
Magazines
Newspapers
Journals
Book reading status
Indicates whether a person read books during the previous week.
Reasons for reading
Records the reasons for a person reading books during the previous week. The reasons are:
Work
Pleasure
Formal study
General information
Other reasons
Source from which book obtained
Records the sources from which a person obtained the book(s) which they read during the previous week. The sources are:
Recent purchase
Recent gift
Borrowed from another household
Borrowed from library
Long term possession
Other
Book procurement status
Indicates whether a book procured by a person was purchased or borrowed.
Time of last book procurement
Records the time frame in which a person last procured a book. The time frames are:
Last week
Last month (but not last week)
Last six months (but not last month)
Over six months ago
Never
Can't remember or don't know
Can't read
Reasons for not reading
Records the reasons which persons who never purchase or borrow books give for not reading. The reasons are:
No time available
Prefer other activities
Difficult getting to a library
Books are too expensive
TV is more relaxing
No local book store
Difficulty reading
Other
Don't know
Number of books procured
The number of books a person procured during the previous week.
Type of book procured
Records the types of book a person procured during the previous week. The types of book are:
Adult fiction
Poetry and plays
Children's books
Biographies and autobiographies
History books
Self-help books
Text books
Other non-fiction
Australian origin status
Indicates whether a book was of Australian origin; i.e. was published in Australia, was written by an Australian or had significant Australian content.
General reasons for procuring books
Records the general reasons for procuring books during the previous week. The reasons are:
Relaxation, etc. for self
Relaxation, etc. for family
Needed for work by self
Needed for work by family
Formal study for self
Formal study for family member
Christmas gift
Other gift
Other purpose
Reasons for procuring particular books
Records the reasons for procuring particular books during the previous week. The reasons are:
Recommended by family or friend
Required for study purpose
Saw or heard book review
Saw or heard book advertised
Books on sale at a reduced price
Following a particular author or series
Browsing and attracted by flyleaf/cover
Interested by this type of book/subject
Other reason
Source from which book purchased
Records the sources from which books were purchased by persons aged 18 years and over. The sources are:
Department stores
Book stores
Newsagents
Book Clubs
Mail order distributors
Book fair, fete or market
Source from which book borrowed
Indicates whether a book, borrowed by a person aged 18 years and over, was obtained from a friend or a library.
Frequency of book procurement
Records the range of frequency with which a person, aged 18 years and over, procured books. The frequency ranges are:
Every week
Once or twice a month
Every one to three months
Every four to six months
Less often than every six months
Never
Don't know
Attitudes to book prices
Records the attitudes of book procurers to the price of books as compared to the price of selected other forms of entertainment. The categories of attitude are:
Reasonable
Unreasonable
Don't know
This data item is used to classify attitudes to the price of books as compared to the price of:
Cinema admission
Video hire
Compact disc purchase
Australian book reader status
Indicates whether a person read, in the last six months, Australian books in the categories of Adult fiction, Poetry and plays, Children's or Biography.
Opinions of books
Records the opinions which readers have about Australian books in the categories of Adult fiction, Poetry and plays, Children's or Biography, which they read in the last six months. The categories of opinion are:
Interesting
Enjoyable
Exciting
Just OK
Humdrum
Hopeless
Stimulating
Not worth reading
Disappointing
Boring
Don't know
Comparison with overseas books
Records the opinions readers have with regard to how Australian books compare with overseas books. The categories of opinion are:
Better
Same
Worse
Don't know
Frequency of reading aloud to children
Records the frequency with which persons with children under ten years old read aloud to them. The categories of frequency are:
Every day
A few times a week
Once a week
Once a month
Less than once a month
Hard to say/don't know
Don't read to children
Geographic area
Data are available for Australia only.
Demographic characteristics
Demographic characteristics for which information is available include:
Age
Sex
Country of birth
Household size
Age group of any children
Socioeconomic characteristics
Socioeconomic characteristics for which information is available include:
Labour force status (employed, unemployed or not in the labour force)
Main activity of those not employed in the labour force
Educational attainment
Occupation (1-digit ASCO)
Household income
Other topics of interest
Other topics about which data were collected as part of the Population Survey Monitor in November 1994 were:
Attendance at botanic gardens
Children’s participation in sport and physical activities
Health risk factors
Participation in gambling
Spectator sports
HISTORICAL DATA
Similar data were collected by the Australia Council in 1978 and 1989.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australia Council for the Arts 1995, Books: Who's Reading Them Now? - A study of book buying and borrowing in Australia, Australia Council, Sydney. Price on application.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 1995, Population Survey Monitor, Australia, November 1994, Cat. no. 4103.0, ABS, Canberra. Price $10.00.
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Manager
National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2272
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Telephone: Adelaide 08 8237 7326
Facsimile: Adelaide 08 8237 7366
Email: nccrs@abs.gov.au
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