Walk into Starbucks in the Commons on any given day and you are sure to find an abundance of seats taken by studying, latte-drinking students like Alexis Machelor.
Machelor, a sophomore psychology major, said she hardly ever utilizes the university libraries, but does research and class-related work online several times per month. She goes to Starbucks to study nearly every day.
"It's just easier to study at home than it is at the library. I do more at home or by other means. Unless you don't want to print something out there is no point in using the [computers] here," said Machelor. "It's easier to just get it online."
This attitude is not uncommon among students who have turned away from the libraries in recent years in favor of accessing online materials from their homes.
"It's very clear that since the early to mid-'90s, our (circulation) numbers have been going down rather than up," said Karen Senglaup, director of access service for the arts and sciences libraries. "We're trying to lure people back in. What seems to appeal to many students is a friendly, companionable environment."
Senglaup said the university libraries saw their peak circulation during the 1993-94 school year. She noted, however, that decreasing circulation numbers do not necessarily mean that the libraries are becoming obsolete. Senglaup said that for every book checked out of the library, one is used in the library.
According to Senglaup, library administrators have been trying to gauge what would draw students back to the libraries and have determined that students want an aesthetically pleasing, safe, well-lit setting. This assessment led to the revamping of the first floor of the Undergraduate Library to add more table space and better lighting.
"We want people to view the library as the intellectual hub of the university," said Senglaup. She added that she wants the libraries to meet the needs of students as much as possible, including in between classes.
But a well-lit study area is not going to draw as many students as the library would like.
Online resources have also proliferated as a result of a three-year SUNY agreement under which UB has access to the online publication databases of other SUNY centers such as Binghamton and Stonybrook, according to Sharon Schiffhauer, finance resource manager for UB's libraries.
"It actually increased access to publications beyond even what SUNY Buffalo subscribes to," said Schiffhauer.
Schiffhauer also said that as more publications offer online versions in addition to print editions, the online database of resources grows without additional cost.
Also, the Metro Caf?(c), a venture several years ago in the UGL, proved fruitless since it did not generate enough business to remain afloat.
Senglaup called the project "a nice experiment" that is being kept in mind, noting that if resurrected, the caf?(c) would compete with other food establishments on campus and may not be economically viable.
Students, though, seem to like the idea of studying in a caf?(c).
"The environment is comfortable to me, sometimes I come (to Starbucks) to relax while I have a coffee and read," said Yuki Tanituchi, a linguistics junior.
The more practical attempts to entice students back to the libraries, though, have harnessed students' desire to get their information online.
A partnership between the university libraries and Computing and Information Technology has restored the Cybraries so that more students can go to the libraries to type papers.
"I think that it's safe to say that the numbers had gone down until we brought the Cybraries back in," said Senglaup.
The recent shift from browsing the shelves for books to online researching has left many wondering how students get by without consulting actual texts.
Senglaup said that since there are more periodicals online than books, she can only guess that professors are requiring students to cite fewer books when writing papers.
But not all students have given up on the dusty shelves of Lockwood and the UGL.
Amanda Lott, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering, still relies on the libraries for information despite the trend toward Web-based research.
"People still need to go to the library. They still need books to hold on to. They actually need to hold onto the material rather than just read it."
