2008 Woodie Awards
University students relying more on electronic research than ever before
Lindsay Lorenz
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
04/11/08 - In this technologically savvy society, students seem to be relying more on electronic resources and less on books when it comes to research.
According to circulation statistics, from July 2006 to June 2007, University of Rhode Island students and faculty members checked out 53,227 books. Twenty years ago, students alone checked out more than twice that amount. In fact, students were checking out more and more books each decade until the mid-1990s when the use of the Internet became more widespread.
The decrease, according to David Maslyn, dean of University Libraries, can be attributed to the convenience and wide scope of electronic resources available. URI subscribes to more than 100 electronic databases that allow students access to almost unlimited topics.
This is quite a change from January 1892 when John Washburn requested $1,000 for books in the university's annual Report of the Principal: "We, like all new universities, are in need of books. If we could have $1,000 a year to be divided among the different departments for their special books it would satisfy an urgent need, and would form the nucleus of a good library."
Five years later, a summary in the annual report stated: "The library has grown. We have already an excellent selection of reference books, but are sorely in need of many more, and I hope during the coming year to make further additions."
But these days, it seems books are on their way out and electronic information is here to stay, according to Maslyn. "More of our budget is being spent on electronic resources as well as media," he said.
Maslyn has worked at University Libraries for 33 years now and has seen firsthand how the Internet and online databases affect circulation.
"Before students would come in and sit down with a book and read chapters," he said. "The students are continuing to do research but they are relying more on immediate electronic research."
The library, however, still purchases books. In certain years, more books were purchased than in others, but one thing remains constant. Each year the library has purchased between 6,000 and 8,000 books, spending about $400,000 each year.
According to circulation statistics, from July 2006 to June 2007, University of Rhode Island students and faculty members checked out 53,227 books. Twenty years ago, students alone checked out more than twice that amount. In fact, students were checking out more and more books each decade until the mid-1990s when the use of the Internet became more widespread.
The decrease, according to David Maslyn, dean of University Libraries, can be attributed to the convenience and wide scope of electronic resources available. URI subscribes to more than 100 electronic databases that allow students access to almost unlimited topics.
This is quite a change from January 1892 when John Washburn requested $1,000 for books in the university's annual Report of the Principal: "We, like all new universities, are in need of books. If we could have $1,000 a year to be divided among the different departments for their special books it would satisfy an urgent need, and would form the nucleus of a good library."
Five years later, a summary in the annual report stated: "The library has grown. We have already an excellent selection of reference books, but are sorely in need of many more, and I hope during the coming year to make further additions."
But these days, it seems books are on their way out and electronic information is here to stay, according to Maslyn. "More of our budget is being spent on electronic resources as well as media," he said.
Maslyn has worked at University Libraries for 33 years now and has seen firsthand how the Internet and online databases affect circulation.
"Before students would come in and sit down with a book and read chapters," he said. "The students are continuing to do research but they are relying more on immediate electronic research."
The library, however, still purchases books. In certain years, more books were purchased than in others, but one thing remains constant. Each year the library has purchased between 6,000 and 8,000 books, spending about $400,000 each year.