Georgetown University: "In Kindle Debut, Library Turns a New Page"

From The Hoya (Georgetown University):

The recent addition of five Kindle e-readers to Lauinger Library may have campus bibliophiles buzzing over a new chapter in education, but not every volume listed on the syllabus may be available in Kindle format.

For the last two months, the devices have been available for student and faculty use through the Gelardin Media Center. The e-readers may be checked out for up to a month at a time, and just one day after announcing the new Kindles, the library had filled their rental slots through October.

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Even as the number of course books available electronically has risen, recent trends show Georgetown students remain print devotees. According to Lauinger’s Stacks Services Coordinator Claire Corbett, the number of printed books being checked out has remained relatively constant over the last few years despite the rise of electronic alternatives.

“When we work with researchers, faculty and graduate students, they almost always prefer to use hard copies of books,” Corbett said. “It seems to only be some undergraduates who prefer electronic research.”

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Filed under: Libraries, Publishing