For module two of ETL503 - I am going to comment on a recent decision by the UNSW library to reduce it's selection of print resources.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/books-get-the-shove-as-university-students-prefer-to-do-research-online-20110307-1bl8b.html
The argument by the university is simple - the resources are available online and the students prefer getting their material for research online.
However Librarians don't agree with it as they see books and resources of educational value thrown away. In fact they raid the skip bins to save them and the shelves are replaced with tables for students to work on their assignments and socialise.
Even documents of historical nature are thrown away. Once they are gone, they are gone forever even if they are digitised. It brings a sense of authenticenty.
Personally I was astounded by this news. A good researcher is one that uses a wide variety of resources in their study. Print resources have value. While the practical or real world information might be irrelevant, the theory or historical content is still relevant. It will give one the background to understand a concept. I found using old texts provide me the background that I needed to understand and learn. Using that information, I could turn to recent findings to assist using online journals and databases to help. In schools, research projects require that one demonstrate a wide variety of sources. That doesn't just include online resources, but print resources as well. They both go hand in hand with each other.
