Papers presented at a roundtable session on research on reading at the 1985 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference provide an international and historical perspective on reading. They include: (1) "Research on Reading in Czechoslovakia" (H. Kolarova-Palkova, Czechoslovakia), a historical account of the development of reading habits and interests; (2) "Current Research on the Reading Interests of Young People in North America" (Adele M. Fasick, Canada), an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of various methods used to obtain information about young people's reading interests; (3) "IFLA's Round Table on Research in Reading: An Introduction" (Paul Kaegbein, West Germany), a description of the establishment of this IFLA Round Table, its aims and goals, and the results of its first meeting in the spring of 1985; and (4) "The Adolescent Reading Transition: Towards the Definition of a Problem" (Bryan Luckham, United Kingdom), an exploration of issues which might form the basis of an IFLA-sponsored comparative international research investigation into the reading habits of young people. (THC)