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"If you began to think of all the information that you consume the way you think of food, what would you do differently?"

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How do we consume data? At TED@SXSWi, technologist JP Rangaswami muses on our relationship to information, and offers a surprising and sharp insight: we treat it like food.

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How Technology is Changing the Future of Libraries

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How Technology is Changing the Future of Libraries

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Continuing from our previous blog post ' we look in more depth at the changes you may see in your academic library. 'What Will Libraries of the Future Look Like?

Technology continues to evolve, and as it does it is becoming more and more integrated with society.. Smart appliances and voice controlled assistants are just two examples of how technology is evolving to make people's lives easier. As technology changes the way we manage our lives, will it also affect the way libraries are managed?

Spurring innovation in the library

One of the major changes we expect to see in academic libraries is the use of new innovating technologies. The NMC Horizon Report Summary 2017 Library Edition suggests that in the very near future we will be seeing "libraries adapting to accommodate new applications of technology for learning, research, and information". This is certainly not something new for academic libraries - they have had to be adaptive and flexible with new innovations in learning and research for some time now - but the report specifically references new applications of technology.

Adopting these new applications will allow institutions to "unite across international borders and work towards common goals". This means we could be seeing further collaboration across the globe, enabling libraries in providing improved access to scholarly material and resources. These innovations could also "help libraries to more effectively preserve and mine their collections online", therebyimproving and redefining access for researchers.

This growing focus on the accessibility of digital resources will undoubtedly impact the role of library professionals. Librarians will be challenged to "learn new skills to be able to implement the new technologies for learning, research and information for their patrons". This could lead to an increased focus on learning and development within libraries, a shift in what is taught in Library & Information Science courses or perhaps simply an expectation of librarians to extend their professional development.

Innovations will also lead to advancements in digital data management that will result in more accurate subject search results and citations while enabling libraries to more effectively curate and display relevant resources.

These new innovations will significantly improve the way patrons discovercontent, making it more accessible and relevant for them.

Re-thinking library spaces

The Horizon Report also identifies a shift in how students now use their libraries.

It explains that "students are relying less on libraries as the sole source for accessing information and more for finding a place to be productive". Students now expect to be able to learn and work everywhere, with continuousaccess to learning materials and oneanother for collaborative learning. Their changing expectations, likelydue to the always accessible Internet,, places more demand on the library. Students seek out immediate and constant access to materials and libraries are having to explore new ways of accommodating this.

This demand for collaborative learning will also challenge institutional leaders to reflect on how the design of library spaces can better facilitate the face-to-face interactions that take place there. As a result, we are beginning to see the architecture of libraries change significantly. As we move forward, we may begin to see libraries implement new and innovative technology that allows room for active learning spaces, media productions, virtual meeting spaces and other areas conducive to collaborative and hands-on work. For some institutions this may mean a complete overhaul of the library space, while others may explore less costly solutions that work with their existing space.

What is clear, with technology innovations and the evolution of library spaces, is that if we see these changes in academic libraries they will change the way libraries are used forever. Libraries are adapting to fit with a world that is increasingly digital and although we can explore trends, as with the Horizon report, there is no guarantee as tohow this will evolve. In 10, 20 or even 30 years from now we could see libraries with completely paperless reading areas, touchscreen information portals and robotic assistants as guides. The real innovations remain to be seen.

What changes have you seen in the library already? Let us know in the comments below.

Image Source: Pexels.com/George Becker

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industry news - professional development

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How Technology Is Changing the Future of Libraries

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Continuing from our previous blog post ' we look in more depth at the changes you may see in your academic library. 'What Will Libraries of the Future Look Like? Technology continues to evolve, and as it does it is becoming more and more integrated with society..

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As an academic librarian, news about studies such as the recently reported ERIAL (Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries) project always pique my curiosity. When I read brief summaries about this kind of report, I want to know more details. For example: where did the observations take place? At what time of the semester were the observations done? How was the data analyzed?

For more traditional surveys, I usually want to know more about the context of the questions and the larger issues - what measures of quality apply? After visiting the website, I eagerly await the publication of the book about the project (College Libraries and Student Culture: What We Now Know) and the insights it provides.

Contacting Academic Librarians

There are several reasons why you might want to find an academic library near you, physically or virtually. An academic librarian with expertise in your subject area can help you:

Find the full text of an article you have only bits and pieces of

See who is writing about a particular subject

Find news coverage of an event from historic times to today

Find content that isn't given away for free - resources libraries pay for so that you may use them

Find a brief overview or in-depth scholarship about a subject

Look at historic manuscripts, maps, writings, and images or footage, or find audio

Identify legislation, hearings, or other government publications about a subject

Plot and visualize data

Find background information about a company or institution before your job interview

Produce a well-researched business plan, and identify useful market research resources

Follow a chain of research - conversations building on past research, and expanding it into the future.

Librarians at Syracuse University are available to meet with you and help you find resources to support your scholarly, creative, professional, and course-related assignments. We provide one on one consultations, as well as meet with small groups or classes. Here's a list of subject librarians who can help.

Online tutorials like the Productive Researcher and email/IM help options are available, too. In addition to providing online search assistance, we increasingly offer collections online, giving you access to journal articles, ebooks, music and more, available on and off-campus.

The Perks of Academic Libraries

For those who are on campus, an academic library offers laptops, work stations, multimedia stations, study space, collections, an environment for study and collaboration, and in Bird Library, a place to get a cup of coffee.

Academic libraries offer the same services to faculty, students, staff, or to anyone facing new terrain and to those who are unfamiliar with how the system works at an academic library. If you are teaching a class and wonder which databases are available for class projects, or need an update on new resources - or if you are embarking on a new research project - please do get in touch.

Many academic librarians have created helpful guides for classes or general fields of study. Academic librarians may also be involved in data use and management. We welcome hearing about your scholarly and teaching needs, and your collection suggestions.

An Environment of Learning

Finding articles and searching for information is one part of learning about the world of learning, and part of the experience of coming to a college or university. We learn from and with others during our four (or more years) of connectedness with an institution. We learn about the research process from instructors, peers, and the recorded and preserved work of others, much of which is available in libraries. We are all part of a larger environment that promotes learning, now and in the future - and we work together on this.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, I usually have questions about studies (who wrote/created the study, why and when) - but I am also eager to see solutions. What is the impact of this study? What can we apply in our own settings? How can we enhance our work together? What conversations need to occur in order to ensure that students are prepared for coursework and for lifelong learning? What additional research can support our work? I welcome continuing dialog on this topic.
Natasha Cooper is a subject specialist and bibliographer at the Syracuse University Library. To contact Natasha with suggestions or questions, email her at nacoop01@syr.edu.

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The Importance of Academic Libraries - Information Space

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On a philosophical note, finding articles and searching for information is one part of learning about the world of learning, and part of the experience of coming to a college or university. We learn from and with others during our four (or more years) of connectedness with an institution.

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Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System |

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The mission of the Buffalo and Erie County Library is connecting our diverse community with library resources that enrich, enlighten and entertain.

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

If you are having trouble locating a specific resource please visit the search page or the Site Map. The Citation Chart provides a detailed overview of MLA Style, APA Style, and Chicago Manual of Style source documentation by category.

These OWL resources will help you conduct research using primary source methods, such as interviews and observations, and secondary source methods, such as books, journals, and the Internet. This area also includes materials on evaluating research sources.

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

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In a previous post, we noted that a portion of college students opt not to use the college library and its resources as the starting point for their research projects. But under what circumstances do students choose to use resources available to them?

To better understand their reasoning, we recently asked thousands of college students: "What do you like about using library resources to do your research?" Below, we've summarized the top reasons that they choose to use library resources for assignments.

Seven reasons college students choose to use their library's resources for research and other assignments

1. They can access a vast array of resources at (or through) the library.
As we read students' responses, one thing became immediately and eminently clear: students know that, if they head to the library, they'll be able to find and use a wide range of books, journals, databases, and other resources that will support and be of benefit to their academic efforts. As one student said it: "almost anything I am looking for can be found or referenced there."

Some students sung the praises of print materials ("you can actually hold a book in your hand"), while others stated their preference for online resources ("I enjoy finding articles in databases"). Still others, like this student, expressed their appreciation for the library as a whole: "I enjoy using library resources to conduct research in a course. I have the opportunity to read books, articles, and/or journals about a topic I'm uncertain about. Information available to me through the library's resources helps me to achieve academic success."

2. They can trust the quality of the library's resources.
Hundreds of the surveyed college students mentioned that they opt for library resources because of those resources' accuracy and reliability-factors that are critical to their successful completion of the research projects they're assigned in their various courses. They know that the library's materials are trustworthy and of academic quality: "I find more information that I can cite as a reference. I can rely on the information instead of hoping that the posting individual is true with facts and not opinion." One student enthusiastically said: "I can find unbiased work from many sources!" Overall, many students would echo this individual's statement: "I like using the library because I know it is a trusted source and it has a lot of great tools to help me succeed in my course."

Of course, students do use the Internet as they work on their assignments (as one student put it: "I don't usually use library resources. I use web resources"); however, when it comes to academic work, many others still opt to use their library's research resources over what they'd find on the web:

"They've been vetted for quality as opposed to so many Internet sources."

"They are very reliable, unlike the Internet, which can contain a plethora of false information."

"I can use search engines that have more credible information that what most of the open web puts out so it makes my research papers strong and gives some good points of view from leading experts."

"I feel like they have more accurate information and sources. Using things such as Wikipedia and online sources sometimes can be challenging."

"I get information straight from the source, instead of sifting through hundreds (if not thousands) of websites online."

3. It's easy and convenient for students to find what they need at the library.
One student succinctly summarized a common sentiment: "Everything is in one place. And it's free!" Per students, it's "faster to find quality college-level references" at the college library, and they like that they "don't have to travel from place to place to find information."

Whatever their schedule, or wherever they are, students can find and access what they need: "I like the fact that I can check out movies and books online for research and pick them up at the school at my convenience."

And it's not simply the information itself that students find valuable; one student said: "I like hard copy books, but I also use the PC's and that makes things super fast and easy when I am not home on my own PC."

Libraries' online resources add another layer of convenience and utility. "A lot of the resources can be accessed online, so I don't even have to find it on the shelves at school." They also appreciate what instructors make available through the library. "I am able to find information easily since information for classes are already placed in the online library."

These online resources make it simpler for students to find the accurate, reliable information they need. As one said, "If I am using the school's online library, then I can quickly locate relevant entries about what I am researching. It makes the process much simpler"; another wrote: "I like being able to narrow my sources by using Boolean logic. I also like that all of the sources are informative and scholarly."

4. They want (and need) the assistance of librarians and library staff.
Students like knowing that there's a "real person" at the library who can answer their questions and direct them to the materials that are appropriate to their projects. Many comments fell along the lines of the following:

"I like being able to relax, knowing there are librarians available to assist me in finding reliable sources."

"I like to converse with the librarian about what she or he knows on the subject."

"The people there are so friendly and helpful."

"I can ask somebody a series of questions, unlike [I could with] a textbook or a computer search."

"A live person can help you find what you need, instead of spending forever trying to look for something."

"If I need information that I can't seem to understand, I can go and ask for assistance, and they can lead me to proper material/resources."

5. The library offers an environment conducive to study and research.
Students praised the "atmosphere" of the library environment itself, noting its "relative quiet" and "soothing and calming environment." One student stated: "The library can be a good place to get inspired and start the research process." As another student wrote: "A library offers a wealth of resources, space to study, and a world of books to discover and borrow. For FREE. They are also places that encourage scholarship and offer a quiet, peaceful place of study, which is tough to find." And, as yet another: "The library is a safe haven. If I use library resources I will go to the library to get away from life and place all my attention on my study."

6. Library resources help students use and cite materials accurately.
Students know that, when they head to the library or log in to its online resources, they can readily find and keep track of the types of materials their instructors want and require them to use for their assignments. When searching for articles, they like that they are "able to use options to find studies and reports," and that "you can select 'peer reviewed,' so you don't waste time on non-pertinent resources." Students also noted that, when using the library's online resources, "you can email or save searched items"-a great help to students who want to keep track of the information they've found!

Importantly, those resources also help students use and cite their material both quickly and accurately. A student said: "I like the fact that the information for citing a page is easy access. It's right there to copy and paste. Also, I know the instructor will accept the source."

7. The library offers computers and Internet service, which make it possible for them to complete their assignments.
Many of the students who answered our survey head to the library to use the computers; they know that "if I need a computer they are available." "Using the wifi" is another reason students head in to the library: one student appreciates "being able to get online, being that I don't have that much access to the internet at home."

Why do students visit your college library? How do you encourage them to use library resources on their projects? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Why College Students Choose to Use Library Resources

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In a previous post, we noted that a portion of college students opt not to use the college library and its resources as the starting point for their research projects. But under what circumstances do students choose to use resources available to them?