Circulation statistics measure how often printed materials are checked out of the library. For the eighth consecutive year the number of books checked out of the Neil Hellman Library has declined — down 14% in 2006-07.
Of those subject categories with over 500 circulations, the following experienced the largest declines:
- Music: -44%
- Special Education: -30%
- Education: -27%
- British Literature: -22%
- American Literature: -21%
There was, however, a few positive trends in the 500+ subject categories:
- North American History: +24%
- Political Science: +16%
- Sociology: +5%
While the general downward trend is disappointing, it parallels national trends; and given the broad range of resources available to students online, the declining use of books is not surprising. However, books continue to be valuable sources for student research, and in some instances, books are the best source for this research. While accepting the important role of online resources in academic research, we are not ready to simply accept this trend as inevitable. Through a combined effort of collection development and educational initiatives, library staff hope to positively impact this trend.
A table of complete circulation data from 2002 – 2007 is available on the library’s web site.
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