Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Once upon a time, virtually all students came to the university library to use its books and journals and to study.   Faculty members came to browse journals in their field or conduct their research.   As databases replaced printed indexes, the nature of library use changed, and as the libraries’ resources began to be delivered over the Internet, some of that use could be done remotely at home or in the dorm or office. Many libraries saw the number of physical visitors drop as the number of online or virtual visitors skyrocketed.   Some observers gazed into their crystal balls and foresaw a future that would be almost entirely virtual, and a few libraries became almost paperless. Nevertheless, at UNCG and some other university libraries, the number of physical visitors to the libraries grew, surpassing one million each of the last two years.   Why did that happen?   What still causes people to visit libraries in person in the Internet age?   Has the wa...