LETTER: Books still used by students

To the editor:

Following up on the “Student ethics questioned by use of Internet,” feature in the Sept. 24 issue of the Statesman, I want to reassure anyone who worries that USU students don’t read books. I had the pleasure of meeting with about 220 students in a Biology 1010 class yesterday so I could show them how to find reference books for a class assignment. At least 40 students raised their hands when I asked who had used the library catalog to find a book. That anecdotal evidence along with librarians’ contact with students at the Merrill-Cazier Library information desk and our interaction with 10,520 individual Aggies in 1,183 class sessions last year indicate to me that many students are at least aware of books. Many are genuinely interested in them.

Granted, we all appreciate the convenience of the Internet and like finding online articles or other text instantly accessible to read or print, but I believe that students will continue to look for books for at least the near future. (The library offers hundreds of e-books for those into Book 2.0.) As for the temptation to buy or borrow text from the Web for a research paper, I am heartened to hear many professors say that they see very little such activity at USU. Professors can tell when a student’s writing doesn’t sound like their usual voice or match their style. And students know that teachers can easily surf the Internet to find copied text, or they can use plagiarism detection software to identify unfortunate cases of cheating.

Shameless plug: Never hesitate to call, write, visit, or IM reference librarians if you need help finding books or other information sources.

Flora Shrode