THE LIBRARY IS NOT DEAD—AT LEAST AT ONE UNIVERSITY

In an article titled, Will Web resources be the death of the Library? (by Polina Aksamentova, Pipe Dream, 14 November 2006), Susan Currie, associate director of the library at Binghamton University [Binghamton, New York, USA], said, “Ever since 1988 the death of the library has been predicted [and] greatly exaggerated.” BU is actually seeing a resurgence in the use of library facilities, Currie added. Last year alone there was a 15 percent increase in the number of questions asked at the reference desk. “A lot of people who end up using electronic resources are not aware that the library has funded [them]. Currie said. “Every time someone uses electronic journals, comes to a database [or] our Web site—that’s using the library."

Students agree: “People will continue coming here because of the environment,” said Ingie Lee, a senior nursing major. “People are too loud in the dorms.” Joseph Jones, a senior political science and English major, said that libraries will not become extinct because professors prefer peer-review articles and books.

URL: http://www.bupipedream.com/pipeline_web/display_article.php?id=3461