Literature review
2. Introduction
2.2 Preference for print compared with electronic resources
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availability. Both groups disliked user authentication and accessing electronic journals by Internet Protocol (IP) address. On the future of electronic journals, the responses were varied. Both groups thought electronic journals would co-exist with print journals, followed by the response that electronic journals would mostly replace print journals. Lastly,
respondents indicated that electronic journals would supplement print journals.
In light ofPullinger's (1999) study, it could be said that factors indicated in the respondents' dislikes of electronic journals contributed to the use of print journals in one way or another.
The main reason was access to electronic journals, which was controlled by the use of user authentication andJPaddress. This implied lack of remote access outside the library or university campuses. In addition to this, Bodomo,Lamand Lee (2003) found that users were not familiar with copyright issues concerning electronic resources.
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Another study of preferences was done by Bodomo, Lam and Lee (2003). They conducted a survey on preferences of students for print and electronic resources at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). A questionnaire survey was carried out among 35 students. Eight respondents
involved in the questionnaire survey were also interviewed. Two staff members ofthe HKU library were interviewed.
The study had interesting results. More than half of the students who were not confident about their levels of computer competency preferred to use print resources, rather than electronic ones. Reasons for their preferences included their habit or familiarity with print resources, as indicated in other studies, portability of books and health reasons. Some indicated that reading print resourceswas better for their eyes (Bodomo, Lam and Lee 2003:
42).
Students who were interviewed expressed fears about the preservation of electronic resources, computer viruses that would hinder accesstoelectronic resources if the digital library system, Internet server or their computers were attacked (Bodomo, Lam andLee 2003: 43). They were not familiar with copyright issues concerning electronic resources and access was another factor that hindered use of electronic resources. Some respondents did not have a computer and others did not have any knowledge of computer usage at all.
From December 2003 toFebruary 2004, a survey was conducted among students by the University of North Carolina (UNC) Library Services (Evalued 2004). The aim wasto investigate the students' opinions regarding access to the UNC Library's electronic
information sources. The survey was marketed by sending e-mail tostudents with active e- mail addresses and a link to the survey on the UNC Library's home page. Questionnaires were sent through e-mailtothose students who offered their e-mail addresses. The total number of respondents was599.
On the issue of preference for print versus electronic resources, itwas found that the majority of the respondents (63%) preferred electronic resources, compared to 36% of the respondents who indicated that they preferred print resources (Evalued 2004). The main reasons given
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for preference for electronic resources included speed of access to information, convenience, i.e. students could access information from home, and currency of information. Some students indicated that electronic resources contained up-to-date information. On the other hand, those who preferred print resources indicated so for the following reasons: lack of a computer, password problems and lack of knowledge and skills to use a computer and retrieve electronic information.
Pather (2004) found that, although the majority of academic staff and students used print resources, more than half of the respondents indicated that they preferred electronic resources. Given a choice between print and electronic journals, the majority preferred electronic journals (55% and 56% of the academic staff and postgraduate students,
respectively). Thirteen per cent of the academic staff and 6% of the postgraduate students preferred print journals, while the rest were uncertain. The study showed that though most of the respondents used print journals, they preferred electronic journals.
The studies show that users who are comfortable with using electronic resources prefer them over print resources. Those that are comfortable with using print resources prefer them over electronic resources. For instance, Bodomo, Lam and Lee (2003: 36) question the
acceptability of the use of electronic resources for [people] who have been trained with print books. Previous orientation in the use of information resources has a bearing on one's preconceptions ofthe best format and use. Tenopir (2003b), in her assessment of user studies, concluded that in an academic environment, both faculty and students use and like electronic resources and they adopt them ifthe sources are seen to be convenient.
In relation to this, the question of age having an influencewastouched on in some of the studies (Friedlander 2002). Users' willingnesstouse electronic information may be inhibited by their lack of information retrieval skills to access these resources. This may result in users' preference for print resources. Lack of basic computer and information retrieval skills determine the usage of technological facilities and satisfaction that the user gets from them.
Older people would not have had the opportunity to gain these skills and thus prefer to use print resources.