Exploring Reading Habits in the School of Life Sciences Before and After COVID-19
Abstract:
This study examines reader borrowing records from Nanjing Normal University library (2014-2023), analyzing 36,557 records from 2,122 readers. It focuses on extracting book titles in MARC format, performing word segmentation, and visualizing keyword frequency through a word cloud map. A chi-square test evaluates gender differences in borrowing patterns across liberal arts and science categories. Factor analysis applies KMO and Bartlett’s tests for multivariate suitability and identifies common factors via maximum variance rotation. A structural equation model investigates correlations among latent variables, enhancing understanding of borrowing trends and demographics in academic libraries. The study shows differences in the reading preferences of male and female borrowers before and after the pandemic. There was a consistent gender imbalance in borrowing frequency, with females outnumbering males, but in the five years following the outbreak, men’s borrowing rate exceeded that of women. Four main factors—Humanities, Rationality, Health, and Security—were found to significantly affect book choices, with Security showing the most robust linkage to Humanities.
