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The act of reading is an elementary cultural technique which, together with writing, has allowed humans to pass on and access information beyond spatial and temporal limitations. Its importance is evident in the many uses and guises given to the verb ‘to read’. For example, the interpretation of other media is often referred to as reading. This expansion stems from the different aspects of the activity itself as well as its history. Thus, for book and reading historians, reading often includes the interpretation of images or listening to an oral performance. In this article I first reflect on why this conceptual expansion has taken place and how it has been useful to book historians. Given that concepts are never neutral, I also look critically at the ethical ramifications of considering certain modes of communication as ‘reading’. Lastly, I propose the use of a clear distinction between reading practices of the literate from media interpretation practices by illiterate people.

The act of reading is an elementary cultural technique which, together with writing, has allowed humans to pass on and access information beyond spatial and temporal limitations. Its importance is evident in the many uses and guises given to the verb ‘to read’. For example, the interpretation of other media is often referred to as reading. This expansion stems from the different aspects of the activity itself as well as its history. Thus, for book and reading historians, reading often includes the interpretation of images or listening to an oral performance. In this article I first reflect on why this conceptual expansion has taken place and how it has been useful to book historians. Given that concepts are never neutral, I also look critically at the ethical ramifications of considering certain modes of communication as ‘reading’. Lastly, I propose the use of a clear distinction between reading practices of the literate from media interpretation practices by illiterate people.