Sustaining the Culture of the Book: The Role of Enrichment Reading and Critical Thinking in the Undergraduate Curriculum.

OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE EDUCATIONAL community has focused on the importance of developing reasoning and analytic skills in the learner at all levels, with a particular emphasis on a critical thinking curriculum for postsecondary students. The role of language-whether speaking, reading, or writing-may be virtually inseparable from the development of higher order reasoning ability. Academic libraries have served not only as traditional repositories of written knowledge but also increasingly as essential partners in undergraduate education. Bibliographic instruction itself has emphasized the importance of curriculum integration and the incorporation of critical thinking in teaching. Simultaneously, most academic libraries evidence a belief in the role of libraries in promoting and encouraging student reading. As part of a culture moving increasingly from a print to image and electronic forms of communication, libraries need to reexamine their role and explore what sustaining the "culture," if not the form, of the book might mean.