Olvasás és értékrend.

The study follows up the examinations published in Könyvtári Figyelő in 2006. The sociological survey (with a sample of 3674 persons) conducted by the National Széchényi Library and TÁRKI Social Research Centre in autumn 2005 examining the reading habits of the population over 18 years, shows a significant decrease in reading interest in Hungary. The number of adults reading one book per year has decreased from 60 to 40 per cent. Similar trends can be observed in the content and structure of reading interest: the effect of commercialism, pragmatism and Americanisation is evident The tables of the survey conducted by the National Library and TÁRKI SRC in 2005 show the trends of a moderate, but obvious change: between 1964 and 2000 the demand for (especially American) bestsellers was growing continuously, then till 2005 it sank significantly (from 31 to 21 per cent), but the attractiveness of romantic and classical authors (including Hungarians) grew to some extent. Since the television campaign Big Read was conducted in the same year, its effect can not be denied: it may strengthen but not change existing reading attitudes. The questionnaire was looking for correlations between religiousness, reading habits and library use. The overall picture is seemingly static, though dynamic changes have taken place in the background. The extent of freedom has increased, e.g. many ecclesiastical schools began to operate again, and two new ecclesiastical universities were founded in the last fifteen years. The recent data are very similar to the data got two decades before: the answers of the "religious in a special way" category coincide with the country average results, the indecisive group is laggard, while the self-conscious non-religious and the religious categories are the best library users, and the best and fastidious readers. Examining the books recently read it is evident that classical authors are preferred more in general, while the reserved attitude against bestsellers is more significant for religious people. The cultural distance has grown between reader with a maturity exam (in a secondary school) and with a university degree. Two or three decades before the former ones became in all probability good readers, but this happens no more automatically because of today's mass secondary education. Examining the party voting preferences in relation with reading and library use there seems to exist a little advantage at the side of the conservatives. Age and educational differences may hide behind this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]