Is student life synonymous with a dissolute lifestyle? Far from it! Right from the very first minute of its opening in 2019, students would like to have a study place in the library's new reading room. This raises the question of why libraries are in such demand despite digitalisation.
To be sure, knowledge in the world is growing exponentially. However, with it comes a growing need to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Andrea Stühn, head of the FH Aachen library, knows the answer: "To be sure, knowledge in the world is growing exponentially. However, with it comes a growing need to sort the wheat from the chaff. Libraries have the task of procuring solid information (i.e. no fake news) and making it accessible to their user groups. They also offer meeting places for focused and collaborative work. If they offer a high quality of stay - like our new reading room does - they can also be a source of identification for the university." Ultimately, proof of the increased demand for libraries is provided by the numbers: From 2008 to 2019, the number of users rose from 9,203 to 15,561. In 1976, the library's collection comprised 71,000 volumes - today it comprises 183,381 volumes. In addition, there are tens of thousands of requests for access to e-books, scientific journals and databases, which are exclusively available to members of FH Aachen. After all, knowledge is not going to become extinct. It is growing.
Translation:
Monika Brinkmann
Photo Credits:
FH Aachen I Arnd Gottschalk