Students prefer online resources and databases to traditional print sources in libraries, according to an article in Educause Review. This switch to online sources has led libraries to change the services they offer to meet students' more high-tech needs.
Acting University Librarian Diana Vogelsong said students generally prefer the online resources at the library because of the quick and near limitless access to items such as periodicals.
"Students now have access to unique online materials that are contained in online repertoires and library archives across the world," Vogelsong said.
Lynn Scott Cochrane, director of libraries at Denison University, said if online databases continue to gain popularity, they could replace the traditional functions of a library. This could save money by cutting off funding to the library, Cochrane said in the Educause Review.
Vogelsong said that while this may sound appealing, the library should be kept because it serves as more than just a source for information.
"The library forms a collaborative place for the community to gather academically," she said.
Vogelsong also said each student and faculty member would have to pay for their own journal subscriptions, which would not help students save money in the long run.
In a 2005 report by the Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 79 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States reported that their library usage has either increased or stayed the same. Only 23 percent reported a decrease.
When asked about their library usage since receiving the Internet, 43 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds reported a decrease in their library use, according to the Online Computer Library Center, Inc.'s report.
Many AU students, however, still said there is a need for the traditional academic library.
"I couldn't imagine going to a school without a library," Bryan Leone, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said. "It's a good place for resources and work."
Nicole Howard, a freshman in the School of Communication, said she doesn't want to risk having to go off campus to a public library.
"Even though any [cut in student costs] would be nice, the library is too convenient," Howard said.
Students may prefer to read materials online in the form of e-books, according to the Educause Review article. However, Vogelsong said library books are special in their own way and can't be replaced by online materials.
"Holding a book in one's hand and browsing the shelves is an experience that isn't matched online," she said.
