| Abstract [eng] |
This paper aims to create an empirically based reading promotion programme evaluation model and analyze results of the reading promotion project “Summer with a Book”. In recent decades, reading promotion programmes have become a very relevant task of education and culture policy, as their popularity grows, so does the research on their outcomes and impact that tries to develop an appropriate methodology for evaluating these programs in order to be able to tell the impact, advantages, drawbacks and to be able to analyze its achieved results. In Lithuania, reading promotion programmes have been organized since 2006, but there was no systematic evaluation of their results and impact. This paper analyses the results of the Lithuanian reading promotion project “Summer with a book”, which is well-known annual initiative reading that started in 2016 and consistently attracts large numbers of participants each year. Naturally, its impact can be significant for reading promotion in Lithuania. The research consists of a qualitative analysis of the documents of the project, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the books read by participants during the project, and a quantitative survey of the participants. The analysis showed that the description of national reading promotion programme in Lithuania emphasizes the need to increase not just the number of readers but the quality of reading culture as well. According to it the project “Summer with a book” is intended to attract individuals who do not read or read very little and encourage them to become avid readers. However research showed that project is primarily popular among people who already read regularly and is more focused on increasing the number of participants rather than improving the quality of reading. The empirically based evaluation model for reading promotion programmes can be considered useful and applicable in practice when assessing program outcomes based on the specified criteria. |
