New Study: What Librarians are Saying About Varied Content

According to academic librarians, more researchers rely on a variety of content types to support their work

In 2018, ProQuest surveyed faculty and students about the broadening scope of content they rely on, including video, primary sources and ebooks. This year, we partnered with Library Journal to gain a different perspective – we asked librarians about the information needs and challenges facing researchers.

Now, you can see the results in a new research paper. Here are a few insights from “The Librarian’s Point of View on the Need for Varied Content Types,” jointly published in 2019 by Library Journal and ProQuest:

94% of librarians think students should seek a variety of viewpoints to build critical thinking skills

Research must go beyond the traditional journal, and different assignments require different content formats

Students should seek a variety of viewpoints but struggle with which ones to trust

Unifying access to content simplifies the administration of library resources

Multi-disciplinary and multi-format databases help users discover and use the most relevant and reliable content

Take a deep dive into this multi-faceted issue to learn how academic librarians perceive the impact of varied content when building collections for their students and faculty. Download the full report.