Page 143 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

In Cordón’s opinion, this very fast growth is related to changes in content consumption practices in which oral communication is again
of paramount importance, the development of multitasking and the involvement of the time factor in today’s society. The adaptability of all kinds of reading material to the user’s particular case, the possibility of calculating consumption times, and their user friendliness have led them to spread even among population sectors that are not very inclined to reading. We will come back to audiobooks later on in the chapter on develop- ing key skills, including the ability to listen.
They key lies in surrounding oneself with good books. Selecting carefully: What should we look
out for? What should we value?
We are surrounded by new products that complement written and audiovisual formats and together make up a hybrid and intercon- nected offering. However, the key to promoting fondness for reading and reading habits before and now continues to be the same: surround yourself with good books. And for this purpose it is essential to realise that choosing a book is a process that entails analysing, reflecting and making decisions.
Selection as a decision-making process
A process that builds on:
• Defining specific objectives and functions.
• Knowledge of potential readers and of special groups among them.
A process that begins with:
• Identifying readers’ needs.
• Agreement on which reading material is most appropriate based on readers and their needs.
A process that is based on:
• A pattern that will establish the guidelines to be followed in the process.
• Agreement on which aspects of reading are to be valued, and the importance attached to each one.
• Establishment of criteria and indicators to be applied to assess the suitability of read- ing materials, according to a scale of values that will enable them to be judged.
A process that involves:
• Starting up assessment mechanisms and working procedures shared by all the staff of the team in question.
• Analysing reading materials from the same angle and gathering descriptions and assess- ments to enable their content and formal aspects to be subsequently judged.
• Assessing reading materials in themselves and in accordance with their intended use and suitability for readers.
A process that seeks as a result:
• To issue judgements based on reasoning that lend consistency to the decision and make it more than a subjective consideration.
• To provide value judgements needed to make the decision to choose one reading material over another.
The idea is thus to encourage a process which:
•
•
Stems from a sound belief in the need to establish good quality standards on which to base choices.
Establishes quality standards that will be taken into account in all actions designed
AC/E DIGITAL CULTURE ANNUAL REPORT 2018
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Readers in the digital age