[WEB4LIB] re: Pew report on college students' use of Internet

[Steve Cramer]

While the Pew studies are usually interesting, I find some of their
underlying assumptions to be unsound. For example:

"Nowadays, the Internet has changed the way students use the library. 
Students tend to use the Internet prior to going to the library to find 
information." (page 13)

But students don't have to go to the library to do library research 
anymore. Have the authors heard of "electronic resources"? Anyway, for some
research needs (like classic "ready reference" questions), a quick search 
of the free web may be a good way to begin.

Also: 

"During direct observations of college students<RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK> use of the Internet in a 
library and in campus computer labs, it was noted that the majority of 
students<RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK> time was not spent using the library resources online. Rather, 
email use, instant messaging and Web-surfing dominated students computer 
activity in the library." (page 13)

Well, why not? Electronic communication is very popular. Before the age of
computer labs and IM, college students spent more time talking than 
doing library research. Besides, some of that emailing may be academic in 
nature.

--Steve

On Wed, 18 Sep 2002 13:14:26 -0700 (PDT) "Smith, Barbara" <BSmith at imls.gov>
wrote:

> The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a new study this week:
The Internet Goes to College: How students are living in the future with 
today's technology. The full report is available at:
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_College_Report.pdf

__________________________________________
Steve Cramer
Business Librarian
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
smcramer at uncg.edu
336-256-0346