Multi-Tasking Technology and the "Need" for Physical Campus Libraries

Think back to your undergraduate years in higher education. How did you research, write, and submit a paper or project to your professors? How did you study for exams? Where did you do so?

I received my Bachelor's degree is May of 2005. That doesn't seem like that long ago to me. Yet, it technology-times, it is another galaxy! I remember how the procedure of research went very clearly. I would sit with a paper and pencil, draw out an outline or idea, then head to the library. I would wait my turn to sit down in front of a library portal computer. These computers didn't have internet explorer or firefox browsers for seemingly infinite search results. They were used to simply search for materials in the physical library. I'd type in keywords, and find journals or books that contained information of interest. Next, I'd write down the series of letters and numbers associated with the work's location, and I would go on my quest. Once locating the physical journal or book, I had two choices. (1) Sit down at a table, take notes and write out citations; or (2) Head to the copy room--loaded with a pouch of dimes. Ten cents a page, and I would copy journal articles one page at a time. The typing was done at my home computer--a large (aka not flatscreen) monitor with tower. The information was saved an a hard 3-4 inch diskette, and printed from this disk back at the library, before turning in this hard copy to a professor. When it came to exams, everything was in "hard copy" form. Hand-written notes, textbooks, and handouts.

Looking back, a lot has changed. That "old way" seems like a lot of work! So, now that I have the ability to write a research paper from my living room or study without a mass of paper in front of me, does that make me lazy, distracted, or ungrateful for my resources on campus?



I came across a recent blog posted in Inside Higher Education titled, "Booting Down." The argument was unpacking whether or not students using a variety of technological devices within their study rituals was distracting, lazy, or ineffective. The author describes a study of 560 students interviewed from a variety of institutions (4-year universities, community colleges, etc.). These students were studying for final exams in their local libraries, and were using technology as a study tool.

The study’s key findings included:

• 85 percent only had 1 or 2 information technology (IT) devices running when interviewed
• 61 percent only had 1 or 2 websites open and in use, most of which were being used for course work
• 81 percent checked for new messages such as email messages or Facebook
• 65 percent said they used social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, to coordinate study sessions or group work.

The author of the cited article within the blog was determined to set the record straight, in reaction to the negative stereotypes associated with this "dumb generation" full of "multi-tasking slackers," and their inappropriate use of technology. It may be an inaccurate assumption of university faculty and staff that students clicking around on a laptop or browsing on a smart phone or using these methods to simply choke out their boredom or fuel their entertainment quick fix. A majority of students interviewed in the study used technology to advance their learning, not to distract themselves from it.

The researcher is quoted saying, “The technologies are so ubiquitous and they are also interruptive and disruptive and convenient … so they have to be managed, and students are doing this in a creative way.”

Whether uploading a YouTube video explaining a difficult concept from class, or using cites such as Google Scholar to locate full-text articles not contained within the walls of their local library, students are using technology to advance the scope of their education.

These ideas got me thinking...these students were interviewed in campus libraries...but did they really need to be there?



This brought me to a place of examining the "need" for campus libraries. In an article titled: "Re-Positioning Libraries: A Consideration of Obstacles," (UNC library database--ProQuest) the author quotes, "Information technology is the friend of libraries! Information technology is the enemy of libraries!" These contradictory statements are supported by noting that technology has immensely increased accessibility to valuable educational materials, yet issues such as copyright "commercialization," and drastic declines in gate counts, circulation, and reference transactions show trends that are beginning to alert stakeholders. Library advocates fear that administrative and government support (including funding) may also decline with the perceived notion that "libraries are a thing of the past and withering."

This article brought new light to my eyes. In the past six years, throughout my MS degree and year and a half in my doctoral program, how often have I "needed" the physical library on campus? Without a doubt, I "need" the online database of scholarly journals and books...but what about the hard copies and physical space a library holds? I've met group members at libraries, used computers to email or print articles, and climbed the stairs to sit in silence to study materials I already had with me. Yet, my actual need to use physical materials within those walls has been very scarce (not entirely non-existent). What does this say about the future of our libraries in higher education?

I'm confident many students, faculty, and staff alike would hate the idea of seeing libraries across campuses disappear. I know I would. I believe this topic brings up unique considerations for technology in higher education. Are we starting to "out-smart" our own cornerstone resources?

Kylie