Exploring University Students’ Reading Culture: Practices, Challenges, and Institutional Support

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the practice and challenges of university students’ reading culture and the roles played by their universities in promoting the culture of reading. The study focused on graduating class students of five selected universities, namely, Jimma University, Welkite University, Mettu University, Wollega University, and Ambo University. Data were collected from 198 (Jimma University (59), Welkite University (34), Mettu University (36), Wollega University (19), and Ambo University (50) sociology graduating class students from the five universities. Moreover, data were also collected from 10 key informants (five ELIC coordinators and five library workers). Two instruments, namely a questionnaire and an interview, were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The findings of this study showed that a significant number of the students (49% and 35.35%) read for exam purposes and academic purposes, respectively. This implies that the magnitude of practicing reading different books is low. In order to minimize the hampering factors and to promote the students’ reading culture, some possible solutions were suggested as recommendations.