The length of a reading list is greatly influenced by the discipline it embodies. An engineering reading list is on average six books whereas a humanities reading list is on average ten times this size and is likely to include a greater variety of formats (journal articles, A/V material, websites, etc.).

Long reading lists can be daunting to students. However, they can provide greater support (e.g. recommending alternative resources to key texts) and direction for learners.

Where reading lists are over twenty items long you might want to consider splitting the list into smaller sections by using sub-heading. And where reading lists are over two hundred items long you might want to consider breaking the list down into a series of smaller sub-lists.

Splitting up and breaking down long reading lists will not only make the list more manageable for your students but also easier for you to maintain on the system.