Current Status and Future Prospects of Interdisciplinary Literature Reading among University Educators and Students

This study investigates interdisciplinary literature borrowing patterns among educators and students at Nanjing Normal University from 2014 to 2023, utilizing comprehensive borrowing records and advanced analytical techniques. By employing network diagrams created with Gephi, the research visualizes the connections among readers within various academic departments, shedding light on cross-disciplinary interactions and the extent of engaged reading. The study further explores gender differences in borrowing behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic through chi-square tests, revealing disparities across liberal arts and science disciplines. Using factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and K-means clustering, the research identifies key factors influencing borrowing patterns and categorizes books based on demographic trends. Additionally, survival analysis with the Kaplan-Meier estimator provides insights into borrowing timelines, while binary logistic regression highlights significant predictors of category membership. A log-linear analysis delves into the intersections of gender, category, and undergraduate status, enhancing the understanding of diverse reading behaviors. Visual tools, including word cloud maps and co-borrowing network diagrams, enhance the data presentation, illustrating popular themes and repeated borrowing trends. This multifaceted methodological approach contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities of interdisciplinary engagement in literature, offering valuable insights for university libraries to better align their collections with the evolving needs of the academic community.