Why the move from traditional information-seeking to the elctronic library is not straightforward for academic users : some surprising findings

There is an underlying assumption in the library and information science world that the move to the electronic library is desirable for academics. The Information Access project (funded by the British Library Research and Development Department) has been qualitatively exploring take-up of the desktop electronic library among 17 social science and science academies at King's College London since 1992. The following common assumptions need to be looked at more closely : (1) access to wider and more diverse sources of information is beneficial ; (2) information technology provides a more efficient way to access information ; (3) academies automatically avail themselves of all support that is offered ; (4) academics are interested in finding out what information technology has to offer ; (5) academies will make time to learn to use IT tools ; (6) document delivery is a very important aspect of the use of IT by academies ; (7) global electronic communication is desirable. We have found support for some of these assumptions. However, in all seven cases we have found evidence which does not support them. This has led us to identify a number of critical issues such as : (1) information overload ; (2) constraints on creativity ; (3) intrusive and impoverished communication ; and (4) limited use of support services. We provide a framework based on a user focus (interpreted in terms of the total research environment of the user) with which to consider these issues and their relationships.