11th National Library Technicians Conference

The electronic age in libraries: A mixed blessing for students in the academic library

Phillipa Barlow State Library of New South Wales

Abstract
This paper surveys the impact of the trend towards electronic information provision on a sample range of Nirimba Joint Library clients. Nirimba Joint Library is a dual purpose tertiary library, serving both the University of Western Sydney's Blacktown campus, and Nirimba College of TAFE. The University of Western Sydney libraries restructured into one corporate entity, merged resource management facilities and introduced a new library automated system in 2000. The Voyager software implementation enabled greater emphasis on internet based resource provision for all library clients. As a result, the divergence of student information needs in this electronic environment, and the varying technological aptitude of student groups, have become increasingly evident at Nirimba Joint Library. Students come from a broad range of cultural and educational backgrounds; they are variously acquainted with the tools of the electronic information age, variously motivated, and have varying levels of personal access to home computer equipment. Lack of confidence, lack of skill and limited tuition have restricted student use of the now extensive electronic library.

"The level of support needed by those who may be daunted by the prospect of finding themselves in this alien 'academic' environment should not be underestimated." (Morgan and Atkinson p448)

Introduction
The University of Western Sydney's scattered development across the Western Sydney region has offered a new opportunity to students hitherto unlikely to pursue tertiary education at university level. Previously independent, the three federated members of the University and their constituent seven campuses spanning Sydney's west, from Richmond in the north to Campbelltown in the south, have recently amalgamated to form a sole organisational entity. As one organisation, the University of Western Sydney is now unique amongst metropolitan multi-campus universities in that its campuses are so geographically disparate. A distinctive note in University of Western Sydney policy has been equity and access, particularly for those previously disadvantaged by distance or by lack of success in secondary education despite identifiable academic potential. A range of measures, including alternative entrance requirements, operates to partly offset the academic disadvantage traditionally characteristic of Sydney's greater west.

Within the University of Western Sydney, the Blacktown campus offers unique possibilities for familiarisation and articulation between secondary education, Technical and Further Education and university level study. The Blacktown campus shares Nirimba Education Precinct with two senior secondary schools and Nirimba College of TAFE. Nirimba Joint Library serves students of the Precinct currently enrolled in either University of Western Sydney courses or Nirimba College of TAFE courses. This includes some students from local and surrounding secondary schools who have elected to study TAFE or university subjects as part of their New South Wales Higher School Certificate requirements or as part of junior pre-apprenticeship training. To serve this very varied client base the Nirimba Joint Library collections comprise print and microform materials, plus access through the integrated University of Western Sydney library software to electronic resources, shared databases, open internet resources and shared electronic journal subscriptions.

The print reference collection is a compact reflection of the library collection strengths, with a substantial proportion devoted to law materials. The print collection at Nirimba is designed to support client research as well as courses taught, but is intended as a working collection rather than an exhaustive research level collection. Good currency has been maintained by careful acquisition of recent print material. The emphasis has been on a variety of quality materials rather than multiple copies of texts. Demand on the print collection can therefore be extreme, especially when items are subject to constant four week postgraduate and staff loan. The amalgamation of the seven University of Western Sydney campus libraries into one integrated library system has also resulted in further demand on the print collection of the relatively small Nirimba Joint Library. Students across the University may borrow in person from any campus library, but may also request items delivered for collection at any nominated campus library. This latter service has improved collection availability for students restricted by travel across Sydney's west, but has also reduced availability of high demand items, given transit time plus the item's being held for client collection for up to seven days.

Personal time constraints on students, including travel, business, work and family commitments, plus availability of study materials, are emphasising the potential convenience of access to electronic educational resources. At the University of Western Sydney, the amalgamation of all campus libraries has allowed more efficient access to catalogues, electronic databases and electronic journals. An increasing number of clients now depend on access to electronic resources, rather than print resources, both on site and via remote access, either within Australia or overseas. There is a strong public perception that most, if not all, information needs can be filled through internet access. Whilst information professionals seek to caution students against such optimism, there is an uncritical acceptance by the profession that all young people will be highly motivated to access internet based resources, including the library catalogue, and will be invariably proficient in their use. The University of Western Sydney Voyager software offers an entirely web-based automated library system. It is assumed students will quickly become enthusiastic users the web, if not already, and by extension, enthusiastic users of a range of electronic resources. Given staffing levels in the university library, it is hoped they will practise effective and efficient search strategy with a minimum of guidance. Experience, motivation, confidence and technological literacy is assumed to be high.

This preliminary survey aims to examine these assumptions briefly, so that a more informed picture of the Nirimba Joint Library clientele may be taken into information literacy planning sessions. The survey was administered to a range of student groups during class time and was completed voluntarily by those interested. It was not designed to provide details of skill attainment in information and technological literacy, rather to indicate the affective response of students to the demands of electronic access to educational resources. Do the vast majority of students perceive themselves as experienced and confident users of the technology, and do they prefer the extensive research potential and convenience of electronic access?

Nirimba joint library - the student client
The TAFE students who attend the Nirimba Education Precinct and share Nirimba Joint Library represent a very broad range of student backgrounds, differing markedly between different courses. Building apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship courses attract in the main youths leaving school on or before the mid-secondary qualification, the New South Wales School Certificate. Community Service courses attract a broader enrolment. The Nirimba course has a majority of mature age female students, some from a personal background of disadvantage, disability or first language other than English. Foundation Studies courses address literacy and numeracy needs of a range of students, most Nirimba students coming from a language background other than English, and commencing study with very little facility in written English. Music Technology and Performance courses accept school leavers and those already working in the industry who wish to update or upgrade formal knowledge and qualifications. Child Studies and Business Studies are equally popular course areas and again attract both school leavers and older practitioners.

University of Western Sydney students at Blacktown campus show more consistent prior educational attainment, but come from a broad range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. International students are well represented in both undergraduate and post-graduate courses. The major courses offered on the campus are Building and Construction, Management, Information Technology, Humanities and Midwifery.

Both groups, TAFE and university students, exhibit differing levels of familiarity and confidence when using modern information and communication technology. Difficulties encountered by students, including lack of motivation, appear to affect more than the few with little prior experience and little or no private computer access. The Australian Bureau of Statistics has mapped a growing Australian trend towards computer ownership and internet use, but student response to the technology and electronic resources shows a more complex picture.

Information technology use in the community
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' Population Survey Monitor regularly reports on computer usage across Australia. In November 2000 for example, ABS found "over 3.6 million households (51 per cent) use a computer at home at least once a week. Over 2.4 million households (34.7 per cent) access the internet at home at least once a week" (p3). These figures represented a significant increase over the year as computer usage in February 2000's Population Survey Monitor was 43.3 per cent of households, and internet access only 25.5 per cent of all households (p3). The results do not profile the user or characterise the use, they merely note occurrence of computer use by any member of the household.

A more detailed study of Australia's use of information technology is presented in the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Household use of information technology for 2000, covering the years 1998 to 2000. This report looks not only at household access to computers and the internet, both from home and from work, but also describes usage in terms of family type, location and income level. The report characterises the individual adult user by age, sex, residential location, employment status, occupation and qualifications. Individuals were asked to nominate the purpose of their computer/internet use and the most frequent point of access, if not within the home. The Australian Bureau of Statistics' analysis summarises the changes between 1998 and 2000 by underlining the substantial increase in frequency of internet access, a 52 per cent increase between 1999 and 2000 (p3). The most notable aspect of these findings is the increase in home internet access, rather than an increase in home computer ownership. This increase, proportionally greater than between 1998 and 1999, is expected to continue throughout 2001, when home internet access is expected to reach 77 per cent (p5) of the Australian population. Consistently more frequent access to internet resources represents a major change in Australian use of information technology. Access may be more often motivated by business, leisure and personal interests than educational or academic information need, but popular thought maintains that even commercial web transactions such as shopping, will familiarisation the user with the technology plus encourage the confidence to execute successful basic information searches.

Prior to 2000, internet access was most frequent from the workplace, or a number of other venues, for example from a neighbour or friend's house, a public library or tertiary institution. As might be expected, both computer and internet access outside of the home was less common amongst potentially less mobile and less confident older adults (p18), and most common amongst the 18 to 24 age group. Not unexpectedly either, those adults on a personal income of $39 000 per annum or less, more commonly accessed computer and internet resources outside the home, frequently from a tertiary institution. In general access outside the home was more likely to be through a neighbour or friend's computer, but such usage was more heavily influenced by factors of age group, employment status and qualification level than income level alone.

Of those Australian households not owning a computer, now less than half of all Australian households, most reported either no need or no interest as the deciding factor. The cost of computer equipment proved to be a less frequent reason for non-purchase (p8). Where children under 18 formed part of the household, ownership was significantly more prevalent. Of those households owning computer equipment, use varies markedly with the individual's formal qualification level and occupation. Not surprisingly, the more 'professional' the occupation and the higher the level of formal qualifications of the individual user, the more computer and internet use was directed towards work related purposes, followed by learning or study activities, and finally games and leisure pursuits. The younger the individual, the more equal use of the technology for learning or study and games.

Information literacy programming
Characteristics of the Nirimba Joint Library student clientele closely correspond with the Australian Bureau of Statistics' findings on students in Australia published as the 'Beyond compulsory schooling' report in the ABS Australian social trends 2000. The most notable changes identified by the Australian Bureau of Statistics were the trend towards increased participation of women in TAFE courses, a particular increase in TAFE participation of students over 25, and an increase in TAFE participation of students already holding a qualification at Bachelor's level or higher. The student population shows a general trend towards acquiring multiple qualifications, updating qualifications, and more direct articulation between senior secondary, TAFE and higher education institutions. The latter characteristic is particularly evident as secondary schools include TAFE and university level components as part of the senior curriculum, and TAFE colleges include courses which qualify continuing students for advance standing in relevant university courses.

"The boundaries between the schools, higher education and VET [including TAFE] sectors have become blurred over recent years" (ABS Australian social trends 2000, p96)

As distinctions between student bodies blur, so it is appropriate that the diverse TAFE, university and secondary school clientele of Nirimba Joint Library share not only access to print and electronic library collections, but also access to effective information literacy programs. The differences between some student groups remain marked, however, and even within the one sector, differences are notable. Students surveyed within one course grouping showed definite variation in familiarity, interest and aptitude for information technology, and in particular exhibited very varying levels of confidence when confronted with the educational necessity of information technology skills. Developing and delivering information literacy skills courses, where student success depends on confident and knowledgeable use of information technology, necessitates detailed planning.

Information literacy courses delivered by University of Western Sydney library staff are currently under review. The amalgamation of all seven campuses has highlighted the need for consistent information literacy and technology literacy tuition across the wider university. Tuition offered by Nirimba Joint Library staff to date has concentrated on generic catalogue, database and internet skills classes. Where individual lecturers have placed more importance on this grounding, students in particular disciplines have been required to attend at least one subject specific session of one hour's duration for basic collection familiarisation and subject resource tuition. Alternately, classes lasting several hours may be required for a more detailed introduction to resources. Students commencing law subjects, for example, fall into this latter category.

Whilst this approach has been judged a productive introduction for students to the more pertinent electronic resources in their subject area, the majority of students attending are commencing students. They do not have a broad understanding of their subject area, and can only relate the relevancy of resources presented to current information needs. Commencing students vary in their reception of knowledge that may seem out of context, irrelevant to current assignments or difficult to follow. Where electronic resources and methods of interrogating databases are unfamiliar to the majority of students, practice with the technology, practice with interrogation strategies and follow-up sessions as subject knowledge broadens would more surely facilitate individual attainment of effective electronic research skills. However, students and academic staff find it difficult to set aside time for update sessions in information literacy skills and information technology skills. Some students are reluctant to allocate time to any activity that is not compulsory and does not carry marks.

Students commonly noted in the survey that they required more tuition in catalogue and database use, yet a number of these students admitted to attending "nil" library training. Introductory training in using the web based library catalogue forms a part of even the most basic library introduction. Joint and Law (2000), in their discussion of student concerns with the electronic library, cite the example of Glasgow University where "a compulsory, examined and certificated IT Induction Programme ... [has been introduced] ... for all undergraduates" (p433). Reservations are expressed by the authors with regard to this program's exclusive emphasis on information technology in the library. A similar qualification in information management has not been proposed to date. Information literacy in the electronic environment, defined by recognition of information need, ability to access technology and identify information relevant to that need, remains much more than an adequate knowledge of information technology, much more than technological literacy. In the context of students’ hesitant response to the electronic library, however, a prerequisite enrolment course in information technology skills would at least ensure an overall level of basic computer knowledge and an increased level of confidence in managing electronic resources.

Even when students attend library tuition, the large number of sessions required of a limited number of staff mean that session time is limited to a minimal half-hour introduction or a more detailed one hour introduction. Guided practice and supervised exploration of introduced resources can be afforded little or no time. Beisse (1999), discussing training for computer users, concludes that "in general, information retention and learning performance improves with activity and repetition" (p155). Listening and observing lead to lesser levels of retention, and tutorials based primarily on these student behaviours cannot be designed to cater for an adequate variety of individual learning styles. Activity based learning, not simply visual and verbal learning must be included. Although training outcomes are planned and stated, little session time is available for testing. Survey responses suggest that outcomes may not always be met. It is important that agreed performance objectives should be measurable and attainable within the time allowed. Beisse (1999) stresses:

"avoid training objectives that begin with the word understand, because understanding can be more difficult to evaluate. Be as specific as possible about the tasks learners will be able to perform as a result of the training." (p151)

Distribution of support material, summarising and highlighting useful resources, suggesting further avenues of exploration and offering guided exercises, may increase training success. As web-based training is an increasingly popular educational tool, it is also appropriate that subject specific training material should be added to faculty intranet pages or to library web pages. Web catalogue tutorials are commonly included, but less often, guidelines for subject search strategies. As student responses to the survey indicated regular use of faculty intranet pages, subject resource training would logically enhance subject resource summaries included in library pages or faculty pages. Use of faculty pages, however, would preclude TAFE student access. It is self-evident that electronic tutorials will only be identified and used if access points are prominently displayed. Survey answers critical of the current library catalogue highlighted the access difficulties experienced by more than a few users. Much expert time can be spent on preparing an effective interface for public access to electronic resources, but without sufficient client input usability may still be compromised.

As students are more pressed for time and more interested in off-site electronic access, web tutorials offer appropriate follow-up teaching to encourage expertise in capable students. Joint and Law (2000) rightly contend that:

"If the electronic library is to reach out to new, diverse and dispersed user groups, we will need networked courseware packages to deliver such training at the point of execution of an information seeking task and at a time when it is needed, rather than in a face to face information skills class at a time determined by timetabling practicalities" (p432).

For those students lacking home computer access or technological aptitude, or who make significant learning gains from the social learning provided by a class situation, web-based tutorials will not improve skills. Web-based learning should not be considered a replacement for personal contact classes where an experienced tutor can promote confident learning. It is simply an additional option for the electronic library. Arguably, both approaches are necessary to consolidate independent user skills and promote user confidence.

Conclusion
The main purpose of this preliminary survey was to gauge students' affective response to the increasing emphasis on electronic access in the academic library. Whilst access to print resources poses problems of availability, of negotiating catalogues and indexes and scanning for relevancy, students in the academic library still seem more comfortable with the process. Students nominated "library books" as their chief source of assignment information. Very few found "useful information" more than "sometimes", if ever, in electronic databases or electronic journals, yet electronic resources offer an increasing wealth of course and research information. Students are obliged by course requirements and by library collection constraints to access what many see as an "uncontrolled world of electronic networked information" (Joint and Law p430). Ironically, several students dismissed database and e-journal research as "too time consuming". The majority of students surveyed merely felt "happy to try" when confronted with electronic resources; few felt "confident" and more than a few felt "helpless". Despite this uncertain attitude, most students preferred to work independently, or work with friends. Few preferred to enlist the help of library staff when working with electronic resources. Respondents did comment, however, on the lack of available staff to assist with search strategy and technology difficulties.

Information professionals encourage students to access the electronic library, the databases, e-journals and internet resources. Students come apprehensively, but with high expectations:

"no less than the free and affordable delivery of files of genuinely significant academic information to ...[their] ... desktop." (Joint and Law p430).

This expectation is quickly tempered by experience. Ineffective search strategy, disappointment when sources identified are not full-text, and not infrequent technology failure combine with lack of confidence to undermine enthusiasm for the electronic library. Having promoted this “alien academic environment” (Morgan and Atkinson p448), it falls to the library to promote client confidence, adequate skill levels and satisfactory access. Library support must include effective user training, useable interfaces, sound infrastructure and an emphasis on full-text sources to maximise benefits for the academic library user.

Bibliography
ABS (2000) Household use of information technology, ABS Catalogue number 8146.0

ABS (2000) Population survey monitor, February, May, August and November 2000, ABS Catalogue number 4103.0

ABS (2000) Australian social trends, ABS Catalogue number 4102.0

Beisse, F. (1999) A guide to computer user support. Cambridge, Mass.: Course Technology.

Borgman, C. (2000) From Gutenberg to the global information structure: access to information in the networked world. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Bruce, C. (1997) The seven faces of information literacy . Adelaide: Auslib Press.

Ellison, J. (2000) Distance learning for today's librarian, Library Review, 49(5): 240-242.

Goetsch, L.(ed.) (1999) Information technology planning. London: Haworth.

Joint, N. and Law, D. (2000) The electronic library: a review, Library Review, 49(9): 428-435.

Luke, C. (1997) Technological literacy. Melbourne: Adult Literacy Research Network, Language Australia.

Martin, L. (ed.) (1997) The challenge of internet literacy: the instruction-web convergence. N.Y.: Haworth.

Montanelli, D. and Stenstrom, P.(eds) (1999) People come first: user-centered academic library service. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.

Morgan, S. and Atkinson, J. (2000) Academic libraries, Library Review, 49(9): 448-453.

Sapsford, R. (1999) Survey research. London: Sage.

Suskie, L. (1996) Questionnaire survey research: what works. Tallahassee, Fla.: Association for Institutional Research.

Author
Since May 2001, I have been employed as a Senior Library Technician, Reading Rooms, State Library of New South Wales. Prior to this, I worked for the University of Western Sydney, as loans co-ordinator, also participating in the information services team for Nirimba Joint Library on the Blacktown Campus. I was fortunate to work in a variety of positions for the University of Western Sydney, on several different campuses. Experience in cataloguing and acquisitions have been invaluable in client services work. Previous library employment included public library client services work for the Blue Mountains City Council, and client services and technical services support in the special tertiary library of the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School.

I am studying towards the M.App.Sci.(LIS) through Charles Sturt University.

Appendices
Survey response
The intention of this preliminary survey was to gain a measure of students' response to accessing electronic resources in Nirimba Joint Library. Student, and often staff comment, stressed feelings of disappointment and frustration when attempting access both on and off-site. Is this a vocal minority, or indication of widespread difficulty?

The survey responses were designed to be simple, convenient and quick, demanding generally less than five minutes of participants' attention. Like all surveys, trust has been placed in the honesty and accurate self-assessment of the respondents. Questions were not replicated within the survey in a deliberate attempt to limit length. Students were asked whether confidence levels had been improved by library training and/or independent practice. They were asked to approximate their confidence and skill level accessing electronic resources, and to state their perceived skill level using computer technology and associated study applications. Although participation was presented to lecturers as purely voluntary, TAFE students in the classes approached were given the survey as a "compulsory" exercise. For Community Services students studying the research module, it served as an exercise in sampling and survey technique. The purely voluntary fill rate in university classes varied between 30 per cent and 50 per cent, which is acceptable but disappointing. The fill rate was further reduced by a high absentee rate just prior to student examinations.

As the survey administered was identical for all student groups, a few optional responses were ambiguous or irrelevant for some student groups. Students were invited to choose as many responses as they felt appropriate to the question, and to add comments wherever desired. Of those received, most pointed to student frustration with technology failure and non-availability of staff assistance when needed.

Course expectations with regard to electronic research:

• Post-graduate midwifery course includes a core research subject, otherwise extensive research is not expected;
• Undergraduate management/humanities/IT/building and construction students are expected to complete introductory research tasks and develop facility searching relevant electronic resources;
• TAFE community services course includes a compulsory one semester research skills component, which Diploma students are expected to complete at a level comparable to undergraduate study;
• TAFE building and construction students complete apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship courses; students articulate to UWS for post trade studies. Although TAFE students are expected to use the library for assignments from 1st year, they do not complete an 'introduction to computers' until 3rd year. Not only students, but also many TAFE building staff at Nirimba generally respond negatively to computer use and electronic communications.

Student survey administered - the electronic library
Thankyou for taking the time to complete this preliminary survey. The information you provide will help library staff gain a better understanding of student training needs. Computer literacy skills, internet skills and electronic database search skills are very important for success in many tertiary courses. Library training intends to assist wherever possible.

Please circle the appropriate answer or answers. All comments welcome.

Your age? [ under 18 ] [ 18 - 24 ] [ 24 - 30 ] [ 30+ ]

Previous study? [ School ] [ TAFE ] [ University ]

How many years ago? [ Less than 1 ] [ 2 - 5 ] [ 6 - 10 ] [ 10+ ]

Current studies

Current course? _______________________________________________

Years completed [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ]

Are you attending? [ Full-time ] [ Part-time ]

Computer skills:

Your keyboard/mouse skills? [ Poor ] [ Good ] [ Excellent ]

Your word processing skills? [ Poor ] [ Good ] [ Excellent ]

If you have a computer at home, do you have Internet access? [ Poor ] [ Good ] [ Excellent ]

Do you use computers mostly for? [ Poor ] [ Good ] [ Excellent ]

Previous computer training? [ Poor ] [ Good ] [ Excellent ]

If you have a computer at home, do you have Internet access? [ Yes ] [ No ]

Do you use computers mostly for? [ Games ] [ Study ]

Previous computer training? [ Self-taught ] [ School ] [ TAFE ]

Study needs

For your current studies, do you use?[ Word-processing ] [ E-mail ] [ Library catalogue ] [ Internet search ] [ Online UWS student pages ] [ Electronic journals ] [ Electronic databases ]

Are any difficult for you to use? ________________________________________________

If difficult, why? [ No interest ] [ No knowledge ] [ No training ] [ Nowhere to practise ] [ No time ] [ Need more training ]

What library training have you attended during your course? [ Nil ] [ Catalogue ] [ Database search ] [ Internet search ]

Before this training, how did you feel doing computer searches? [ Helpless] [ Confused ] [ Happy to try ] [ Confident ]

After training, did you feel? [ Same ] [ More confident ]

After some practice, how do you feel? [ Same ] [ More confident ]

Do you usually try to? [ Search for information by yourself ] [ Work with friends ] [ Prefer to ask the library staff ]

Which resources do you use most for your assignments? [ Library books ] [ Print journals ] [ Internet ] [ Electronic databases ] [ Electronic journals ]

For your assignments, do you find useful information on the Internet? [ Never ] [ Sometimes ] [ Always ]

Do you find useful information in the electronic databases and electronic journals? [ Never ] [ Sometimes ] [ Always ]