Reevaluating Remote Library Storage in the Digital Age: A Comparative Study

Abstract:Despite the popularity of mobile and digital technologies, physical collections still have high user demand in academic libraries and grow continuously. With renovation projects providing more studying and collaboration space, efforts to relocate materials to storage facilities are necessary for major libraries. With the change in student information needs and preferences, it is essential to reinvestigate their behavior and preferences for the use of physical resources and remote storage items. An online survey was conducted in a major international comprehensive university in Hong Kong, China, to explore these questions. Statistical tests were also performed to compare the difference between undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as those with versus those without experience requesting items from storage.