Author(s)

Ying Fu ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China

Corresponding Author

Ying Fu

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to explore the reading behaviors, information needs, and library service demands of college students in the digital era, providing empirical support for optimizing campus reading ecology and library services. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 376 undergraduates and postgraduates from Hubei University of Technology, and data were analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and correlation analysis. Results showed a "dual-track" reading pattern of print and digital materials; nearly half of the students read 0-3 print books annually, while 21.81% read over 16 e-books/articles; print books and e-book platforms were the most used carriers (25.60% each); dormitories (35.31%) and libraries (21.98%) were core reading scenes; personal interests (32.20%) and academic needs (19.88%) drove reading choices; 66.75% used AI tools for auxiliary reading; and top library demands included more study seats (20.35%) and expanded print collections (16.93%). It is concluded that universities should integrate online-offline resources, optimize reading spaces and services, and build personalized support systems to address fragmented reading challenges.

KEYWORDS

University Students, Reading Behaviors, Digital Reading, Library Services, Information Needs

CITE THIS PAPER

Ying Fu. Digital Era College Students' Reading Behaviors, Information Needs, and Library Service Optimization: An Empirical Study Based on Hubei University of Technology. Information and Knowledge Management (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 9-17. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/infkm.2026.070102.

REFERENCES

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