The November 16, 2001 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education featured a cover story entitled "The Deserted Library." Scott Carlson, a staff reporter for the journal, gathered statistical data, conducted interviews, and provided much anecdota l information to support his premise that fewer students are visiting the library buildings on their campuses for information retrieval, studying, or socializing. Instead, he argues, they are accessing much of their informational needs from desktop computers in their dorm rooms and homes, or from laptop computers from virtually anywhere on campus or off. The students are visiting retail outlets such as Borders and Barnes and Nobles to pursue their recreational reading needs, where they can browse the latest bestseller, listen to a folk band, and sip cappuccino while socializing with other like-minded customers. Carlson supplies three different graphics to support his findings, each from a library in a large system of higher education, representing circulation statistics, expenditures on electronic sources, and gate counts. His conclusion indicates that the once traditional uses of the library are shifting dramatically, and suggests that college space planners build or retrofit their existing libraries to accommodate the "one-stop-shopping" concept of an academic center that offers a place to learn, socialize, and be entertained.
This article caused much discussion among academic librarians,
who questioned the statistics and accompanying evidence gathered
by Carlson in respect to their own institutions. When
reflecting on the fall 2001 semester here at the University
of Scranton, the public service staff could identify with
many of Carlson's comments. But unlike the libraries cited
in the Chronicle article, the Weinberg Library is not
deserted. The Reference Desk on the second floor and
the Circulation Desk in the lobby have not seen a dramatic
decrease in patrons. In fact, public
service staff have
seen an increase in activity, due in part to the complex nature
of the new electronic resources. Although we now
provide our students with remote access to over 125 different
electronic databases and 4,000 electronic journals, we found
more students than ever asking for reference assistance.
Questions range from the very basic (how do I use
the card
catalog?) to extremely complex (where might I find newspaper
articles documenting the sociological trends caused by a specific
demographic shift?).
Although we have a very comprehensive program of library instruction
that introduces students to the
library through the Freshman
Seminar, Computer and Information Literacy and course integrated
instruction, we are still noticing that students need human
intervention in navigating the myriad sources now available
to them in the library and their dorm rooms. Interlibrary
loan requests, database searches, photocopies, microfilm and
microfiche uses have stabilized during t
he past few semesters,
but the Library is busier than ever with questions asking
for help deciphering all the resources available to the student
searcher. Reference librarians receive phone calls from
patrons attempting to search databases remotely or inquiring
about how to retrieve an article through the online databases.
A newly instituted service called "Ask the Librarian" allowing
patrons to query reference staff and receive a response within
24 hours is gaining in popularity. Even though most
commercial databases have multiple help screens to explain
techniques, human intervention is still preferred by our patrons.
Much of the Weinberg Library's popularity is due to the physical
space that is both inviting and welcoming. Each
floor has a different ambiance and meets the needs of our
students' various study habits and noise level tolerance.
Recent upgrades of lighting, the introduction of lap top computers,
and the extremely popular Java City Coffee Bar bring students
inside a building that might otherwise be passed by in favor
of a dorm lounge or apartment living room. Adequate
computer terminals, laser printing, group study rooms and
various types of quiet study space make the Weinberg Library
a desirable location on the University's campus. The
fact that it resides at the center of the campus only emphasizes
its importance
to the University community.
In researching his article, Carlson notes that the libraries
that still attract patrons are the ones that have made similar
accommodations. Although the University has made every
effort to upgrade technology for its student body (demonstrated
by our continual appearance on the Yahoo Most Wired Campus list), the University administration and library staff have
seen the additional need to provide a comfortable, welcoming
environment that offers the traditional library services,
a balanced collection of print and non-print titles, areas
for both quiet and group study and socializing, and a human
presen
ce that accommodates the needs of the patron in using
them.
