Influencing Factors of Behavioral Intention in Higher Education Reading Promotion for Chinese Community Residents

Background and Aim: Higher education libraries should fulfill their social service functions and supplement the reading resources for the general public. Carrying out reading promotion activities is one of the effective means. This study aims to: (1) identify factors influencing residents' behavioral intention to participate in reading promotion activities; (2) analyze the relationships between these factors. Materials and Methods: Based on the VAM and UTAUT2 theories and relevant literature, 10 hypotheses were proposed, and a structural model was developed. A total of 402 valid responses were obtained through questionnaire collection in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 21.0, including tests for reliability, validity, model fit, and mediation effects. Results: The results indicate that (1) perceived benefits and social influence of community readers had a direct positive influence on perceived value and behavioral intention. (2) Perceived costs showed no significant effect on perceived value or behavioral intention. (3) Perceived value mediated the relationships between benefits and behavioral intention, and between social influence and behavioral intention. Conclusion: This study found that benefits and social influence not only directly affect behavioral intention but also mediate behavioral intention through perceived value. Higher education institutions should focus on (1) emphasizing and enhancing social influence to foster positive sharing. (2) Focus on leisure reading to increase perceived benefits. (3) emphasizing the establishment and improvement of readers' perceived value.