Shift to digital libraries Library

interior of bibliotheca alexandrina, alexandria, egypt, showing both stacks , computer terminals

in 21st century, there has been increasing use of internet gather , retrieve data. shift digital libraries has impacted way people use physical libraries. between 2002 , 2004, average american academic library saw overall number of transactions decline approximately 2.2%. libraries trying keep digital world , new generation of students used having information 1 click away. example, university of california library system saw 54% decline in circulation between 1991 , 2001 of 8,377,000 books 3,832,000.

these facts might consequence of increased availability of e-resources. in 1999–2000, 105 arl university libraries spent $100 million on electronic resources, increase of $23 million previous year. 2003 report open e-book forum found close million e-books had been sold in 2002, generating $8 million in revenue. example of shift digital libraries can seen in cushing academy’s decision dispense library of printed books—more 20,000 volumes in all—and switch on entirely digital media resources.

stacks of josé vasconcelos library in mexico city

one claim why there decrease in usage of libraries stems observation of research habits of undergraduate students enrolled in colleges , universities. there have been claims college undergraduates have become more used retrieving information internet traditional library. each generation becomes more in tune internet, desire retrieve information , possible has increased. finding information searching internet easier , faster reading entire book. in survey conducted netlibrary, 93% of undergraduate students claimed finding information online makes more sense them going library. also, 75% of students surveyed claimed did not have enough time go library , liked convenience of internet. while retrieving information internet may efficient , time saving visiting traditional library, research has shown undergraduates searching .03% of entire web. information finding might easy retrieve , more readily available, may not in depth information other resources such books available @ physical library.

in mid-2000s, swedish company distec invented library book vending machine known golibrary, offers library books people there no branch, limited hours, or high traffic locations such el cerrito del norte bart station in california.