Adriaan is a book historian specialized in reading. He is an emeritus professor of book science at Leiden University – Centre for Arts in Society. His research interests primarily focus on the digital revolution and its consequences for reading. He has published on this topic, including the book "Changing our textual minds: Towards a digital order of knowledge" (Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2011). Van der Weel is the founder of the European network for reading research, E-READ. His most recent book, co-written with his colleague Ruud Hisgen, "De lezende mens" (Amsterdam, Atlas Contact, 2022), discusses reading as a fundamental skill for every human being.