What is the use of libraries to university students?

Question

How does the School Library aid university students?

Answer 1

While much material is online, many items are still not available electronically. Academic libraries store this material. At present there is also still a difficulty with reading entire books online. Some people claim not to mind reading books on a computer screen, and there are new products that are trying to make reading electronic books easier and more enjoyable. So far, however, these products have met with lukewarm reviews.

Having said all that, perhaps the most important resources one will find in libraries are the librarians. Most university librarians not only have masters degrees in library science, but also have graduate degrees in other subjects (e.g. history, business, science, etc.). So, these people have experience in doing research themselves, and they often have extensive knowledge in one or more subject areas. Perhaps more important, reference librarians spend a lot of time using library resources--both hard copy and electronic--so they often have an idea which is the best database or book to consult for particular information, and the often know the intricacies of using these materials. In short, librarians can often point a person to the best materials in the shortest time. More than once, I have answered a reference question in a couple of minutes, and the student who I helped said he/she had been looking for the information for hours before coming to me.

Finally, browsing library materials on a shelf can be enlightening in itself. Sometimes, just seeing the titles of books on a shelf and being able to pull a volume and check the index or table of contents can help a researcher adjust his/her thinking about a subject. Yes, to a certain extent, this can be done online, and it should become easier as we make more materials available electronically, but there is something almost magical about have a volume actually in hand.

Answer 2

The first answer is librarians. Librarians are specially trained to help students find information and have been trained in finding information electronically as well. The Internet can be used only so much--you can get peer-reviewed scholarly information from the Internet, but there is a lot of "junk" to sort through. Another item that cannot be replicated is actually having books to look at and thumb through. Some of the texts offered in university libraries could never be found on the Internet. As we become technologically more advanced, I fear that we will lose some appreciation for things like libraries.

Answer 3

Ummm, everything, especially if you go to graduate school. You get sources there that you could get somewhere else (scholarly journals, books, very old newspapers/magazines, etc.) but they would cost you a fortune elsewhere (even for scholarly journals online, you often need a subscription). Besides, how can you write a paper of any quality without information? Plust most internet sources are just about worthless. They often contain bias information that is influenced by the pre-existing opinions of the people who composed them, which means the information may not contain all the relevant information or may be outright wrong. The library also contains professional individuals who can help you find anything you need. You can also order books/articles from the library at no cost if that library doesn't have it. It's also a quiet place to study individually or in groups. I understand as an freshman or sophomor, there isn't often much studying required. You can usually coast, but you'll be thankful for this in a couple of years.

Answer 4

It is a place to study, where you have all the necessary materials. Public library's may not have some of the advanced materials that are needed.