Ljubljana Reading Manifesto: What Is Its Background?

With smartphones in our pockets, the question of why should we still hold on to books as separate medium – or even as printed objects! - becomes a legitimate one. Simply put, are books relics of a vanished era or, on the contrary, do they open windows to worlds that screen-born media cannot? Are there cognitive differences between reading the same text as a printed book, as an ebook, or listening to it as an audiobook? Last but not least: Is deep, analytical reading of long linear texts an activity that belongs to the media history, or does it have cognitive benefits that no other media activity has? The panel will discuss research-based answers to these dilemmas and the rationale for the Ljubljana Manifesto on Higher Level Reading. The authors will discuss the scientific evidence behind the Manifesto.