Page 93 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.45, 2019

092 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.11, 2019

In summary, hybrid reading young adults are better than traditional reading young adults in
reading interest, reading time and reading frequency, and they perform best with high-engaged
hybrid readers. On this basis, we can think that hybrid reading should have a positive effect
on young adults’ reading attitude. Digital reading is often utilitarian (Z.Liu, 2013), but hybrid
reading digs out a variety of reading value, enhances the driving force of reading, which will
have a positive effect on the cultivation of young adults’ reading interest, the cultivation of
reading habits and the increase of reading frequency. It can be seen as the self-healing of the
negative problems of digital reading for mankind, which is the evolution of reading behavior in
the omnimedia era.

6 Conclusions and implications

6.1 Research findings

First of all, this study shows that hybrid reading in the omnimedia environment has become the
mainstream choice of young adults, and the transition of young adults from traditional reading
behavior to hybrid reading behavior has become a reality. Data suggest that most young adults in
the omnimedia environment show their love for both electronic and paper reading carriers; the
omnimedia environment promotes social connection among young readers; most young adults
have obvious social tendencies in the reading process; and a considerable number of young adults
have joined the reading community. The omnimedia environment makes the youth use various new
methods and new channels to carry out all kinds of reading activities before and after reading. And
the value of reading behavior at all stages is fully demonstrated and promoted by each other. In a
word, more than 3/4 of the young adults achieved media compound, behavior compound and value
compound, showing clearer hybrid reading characteristics.
Secondly, this study finds that there are differences in the effect of changes in media environment
on young adults. According to the degree of hybrid reading behavior, young adults can be divided
into traditional readers, passive hybrid readers, standard hybrid readers, high-engaged hybrid
readers. These four classifications have different reading patterns. In general, traditional readers
only focus on paper books, and generally do not spend too much energy in the pre-reading
decision-making process. Besides, they are not active enough in post-reading stage. Standard
hybrid readers have complete reading process, and they have no obvious preference for paper
books and e-books. But their social tendencies and social behavior is not very rich, which is still
tapping potential. More than one-half of young adults are now highly engaged in hybrid reading,
compared with only a quarter of traditional readers.
Third, compared with the traditional readers, the hybrid readers show a more positive reading
attitude. This study shows that compared with the traditional readers, hybrid readers’ attitude about
“like reading” is more positive. They read more frequently, and read longer in a single reading