US survey gauges students' opinions on campus libraries

Students are satisfied overall with the role their campus libraries play in their lives, but more than a third do not consider the libraries crucial to their academic success, according to a new US survey. Gathering data from 2,516 students at 2- and 4-year colleges, the survey found that 55% of students typically find what they are looking for on a typical visit to either libraries or library portals. At the same time students seemed indifferent to the role of the library in their lives. More than 30% of respondents said they would be unlikely or only somewhat likely to use the library again, and just one-quarter "strongly" agreed that their library meets their expectations. "Of notable concern is the decrease in assurance that the academic library helps students understand what is being learned in class and offers unique support," the researchers say. Inside Higher Ed