Books remain on library shelves as students check out e-content

Students and staff are shunning books in favour of online materials, according to Swansea University’s annual survey of library use.

The survey of 900 students and staff, conducted in March this year, found that 25% accessed library services via a computer several times a day, compared with 8% of users who visited the library several times a day.

This year, for the first time ever, the number of downloads of full-text articles from e-journals was greater than the number of books borrowed at the issue desk.

However, Christopher West, the university’s director of library and information services, pointed out that while the number of books borrowed at the issue desk has fallen, part of the reason is that many library users now renew their books over the internet using the Voyager library system.

West said that borrowing patterns at Swansea were in line with national trends, citing a survey of public library usage by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy which found that loans of books went down 2% last year while use of electronic resources went up 6%.

At Swansea, the entire campus and all university residences are wireless-enabled, making it much easier to access library services online.

The trend towards online usage is creating new challenges for the library service because library users are continuing to use print materials as well.

“When new technology comes along, it’s an expansion of activities rather than a paradigm shift in what we do,” West said.

Swansea has created new, wireless-enabled group learning spaces in the library, where students can work with their laptops.

“People still seem to need learning spaces, but those learning spaces are going to be rather different from the monastic image of university libraries,” West said.

A joint study by the University of Northumbria and the University of Wales at Aberystwyth backs up the Swansea findings. Its survey of students in higher and further education found they were more likely to turn to the internet rather than to books when looking for information.

Like this story? Spread the news by clicking below:

 del.icio.us     Digg this     reddit!