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For decades, a college or university’s quality was measured by the size of its library collection. The library was the campus’s crown jewel, a towering building at the institution’s center, symbolizing academic prestige. But as collections shift online and physical books move into remote storage, the library’s purpose is now in question.
Is it just a study hall where students gather to work? A high-tech teaching space? Or merely the physical infrastructure for housing various campus functions, like coffee shops, advising centers or even an honors college?
It’s no secret that the circulation of printed books has plummeted, driven by the transformation of scholarly research and the rise of digital resources. Dan Cohen, founding director of the Digital Public Library of America and now dean of the library at Northeastern University, illustrates this shift: “In 2005–06, the average Canadian research library circulated 30 books per student, which dropped to 25 by 2008–09; by 2016–17, that number was just 5.” Similarly, at the University of Virginia, book circulation fell from 1,085,000 in 1999–2000 to just 207,000 in 2016–17.
Graduate students and faculty have also reduced their use of print books. Over a decade, circulation by UVA graduate students dropped 61 percent, while faculty checkouts fell by 41 percent.
“In-house” use of library collections—browsing, skimming or reading without checking books out—has also seen a sharp decline. A 2016 study reported a steep drop in the use of all books, but especially printed reference materials.
The reasons are clear: The shift to ebooks, digitized articles and online reference works. But as Cohen points out, there’s another factor: The nature of scholarly reading itself has radically changed. Digital searches are far more efficient than manually sifting through print journal indexes, and in many fields, preprints and digitized articles have replaced monographs as the primary focus of study. The growing use of AI to summarize and synthesize literature will likely speed the shift away from traditional academic publications.
The impact on publishers is significant: Library consortia often purchase only a single print copy of many monographs, and fewer instructors assign them. The era when undergraduates were expected to read a book a week in their humanities courses is long over.
It’s not just that the era of peak books on campus has passed—peak reading itself appears to be in decline, a trend intensified by the shift from humanities majors to business and STEM fields.
This raises two deeply interconnected concerns: The decline of deep reading and the uncertain future of the library as an intellectual hub.
The university library stands at a critical crossroads. As research resources increasingly shift online, libraries must reinvent themselves and librarians must take on new, evolving roles to stay relevant. The question is whether these institutions will adapt to remain vital to academic life or fade into mere study spaces and student centers.
For libraries to maintain their central place within the intellectual life of universities, they must become dynamic, multipurpose hubs that not only provide access to a vast array of digital and physical resources but also actively engage in the broader educational and cultural missions of their institutions. Libraries need to embrace technology, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and create spaces that support innovative research and learning. If they do not, they risk becoming obsolete, simply repurposed for ancillary university functions.
On my campus, for instance, the library has undergone a significant redesign. One section has been converted into the university’s welcome center and other parts of the building now house a coffee bar, a presentation practice room, the writing and teaching centers, a media lab, and a STEM tutoring center. These services undoubtedly enhance student life, but they represent a shift away from the library’s traditional role as the heart of research and scholarly inquiry. At the same time, many of the microforms that historians and researchers depend on have been moved to remote storage, making them less accessible and less integrated into the daily fabric of academic life.
This transformation poses a fundamental challenge. If libraries are to remain central to academic life, they must strike a balance between serving as communal spaces for collaboration and retaining their identity as places of deep intellectual engagement. Librarians will need to redefine their roles, becoming more than curators of books and digital resources. They must become facilitators of research, educators on information literacy and experts in helping students and faculty navigate the overwhelming landscape of digital information.
Moreover, libraries should not merely provide access to resources; they should cultivate an intellectual community. This could involve curating unique digital collections; integrating rare books, manuscripts and archives into the curriculum; and hosting scholarly events that bridge disciplines. Libraries can also be places for faculty and students to collaborate on digital humanities projects, engage in public scholarship and experiment with new modes of research dissemination.
However, this vision of the library as an intellectual hub will only succeed if it is coupled with a broader commitment to keeping scholarly resources accessible. Moving critical research materials, like microforms, into remote storage may serve space-saving purposes, but it risks undermining the library’s role in supporting deep research. Libraries must find ways to preserve these materials and make them accessible in ways that align with modern research practices, whether through digitization, on-demand retrieval or innovative uses of technology.
The modern university library can and should be more than just a digital archive or a study space. It must continue to be a place where ideas are born, debated and developed. To achieve this, university libraries must embrace a new model that balances their role as community spaces with their foundational mission to foster intellectual inquiry, making sure that the traditional depth and breadth of academic research is not lost in the process.
In theory, the transition to digital collections was meant to democratize knowledge, vastly expanding access to databases, ebooks and online journals, making resources more accessible to students and faculty regardless of their institution. However, the reality has proven more complex, largely due to the high cost of subscribing to proprietary databases. The access once promised by platforms like JSTOR has been compromised, as journals withdraw from such collections and publishers increasingly place scholarly articles behind paywalls.
But the challenges of digitization go beyond cost. Copyright restrictions remain a significant barrier, with publishers often opposing libraries’ efforts to digitize existing collections—even when institutions promise to restrict access to only one user at a time.
Another significant loss with the shift to digital is the disappearance of serendipity that came with browsing physical bookshelves. This process of stumbling upon unexpected, lesser known works has traditionally been a key part of scholarly discovery. It fosters intellectual curiosity and reminds students that knowledge is interconnected and full of surprises. As more books are digitized or sent to off-site storage, this organic exploration diminishes. While digital search tools are efficient, they often narrow users’ focus, limiting discovery to only what they are specifically looking for.
One of the unique pleasures of a physical library was the opportunity to encounter books by chance—often leading to the discovery of avant-garde, experimental or popular works that have since faded from prominence. This is particularly important for those studying the humanities, where engagement with forgotten or marginalized voices is crucial.
As books move to remote storage or are unavailable in digital formats, students lose access to the diversity of thought, style and experimentation that once defined particular literary periods. This risks perpetuating a more homogenized narrative and impoverishes their understanding of the era.
Ebooks, while convenient, often lack the comprehensive selection of lesser known or experimental works. Older or out-of-print novels may not be available in digital format, leaving gaps in what students can access online. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that digitized materials, especially articles and short-form content, encourage skimming and rapid consumption rather than deep, reflective engagement. Complex texts that require sustained attention can feel overwhelming in an environment where brevity and simplification dominate.
In response to rising textbook costs, universities are increasingly encouraging faculty to assign online articles and open-access materials instead of monographs. While this shift can make education more affordable, it also reduces the emphasis on in-depth engagement with single texts. Monographs, with their comprehensive and nuanced arguments, require students to follow a complex line of reasoning over time, fostering deeper understanding and critical engagement.
Shorter, fragmented readings, though more cost-effective, often encourage a piecemeal approach to learning. Students may engage with isolated ideas but miss the broader thematic and structural arguments that longer texts provide. The result is a more superficial learning experience, where deep inquiry and sustained reflection are sacrificed for convenience.
In this digital age, it is essential to find a balance between accessibility and the preservation of deep, reflective reading. Universities must explore ways to retain the strengths of traditional learning while adapting to the technological realities of modern education.
The shift toward digital reading has fundamentally altered how students engage with texts. Digital platforms often encourage skimming and rapid consumption, making it difficult for students to develop the deep, reflective engagement that close reading requires. Complex texts that demand sustained attention are especially challenging for students accustomed to brief, easily skimmable content.
When students read on screens, studies suggest they are less likely to engage in deep reading practices, which involve slow, reflective and analytical thought. Digital reading encourages a search-and-find approach, in which students scan for key points, making it difficult for them to engage with the subtleties of language, structure and argumentation that are central to humanities disciplines.
This trend toward shorter, more digestible readings is reinforced by universities’ efforts to reduce the cost of books. Faculty are increasingly assigning online articles and open-access materials in place of full-length monographs. While this reduces financial barriers, it also diminishes the immersive experience of engaging with a comprehensive, nuanced argument that unfolds over the course of an entire book.
Short, fragmented readings promote a piecemeal approach to learning, where students engage with isolated ideas but miss the broader thematic connections that longer texts provide. This results in a more superficial understanding of the material, limiting the depth of thought and critical engagement that sustained reading fosters.
This trend has significant consequences for students’ intellectual development. When they no longer read full-length works, they lose the ability to follow sustained arguments, appreciate nuanced storytelling or wrestle with layered concepts. The immersive experience of reading a complex text from beginning to end, which builds critical thinking, patience and the capacity for deep analysis, is diminished.
In the humanities especially, this shift is particularly damaging. Fields such as literature, history, philosophy and the arts have traditionally relied on the extensive reading of primary texts to cultivate critical thinking and foster intellectual curiosity. By reducing the breadth and depth of reading, students miss out on opportunities to engage in meaningful debate, interpret texts independently and confront difficult questions that arise only through sustained reflection.
Moreover, this trend promotes a transactional view of education, where the goal is merely to acquire digestible bits of information rather than to cultivate the skills necessary for deep analysis, creativity and intellectual growth. The focus shifts from understanding a work in its full historical, cultural and intellectual context to simply extracting what is deemed necessary for exams or assignments.
To reverse this decline, universities must resist the push to oversimplify reading assignments and instead encourage students to embrace the challenge of tackling full texts. Faculty can support students in building the reading stamina and critical skills necessary for deeper engagement with materials. By restoring the practice of reading longer, more complex works, universities can help students reclaim the ability to think critically, argue effectively and appreciate the richness of intellectual life.
Anyone who reads a book on a library’s digital platform quickly discovers that their outdated and cumbersome user interfaces lack the flexibility that print books provide, especially in terms of annotation and active engagement.
Strict copyright protections, which place limits on highlighting, bookmarking, note-taking and copying content, make it difficult to extract key information without manually transcribing it. Readers are often forced to view sections one at a time, preventing them from flipping through pages or referencing specific parts easily. In addition, university ebooks may have limited access periods due to licensing agreements, logging users out after extended use or restricting off-line access, which further interrupts the reading process.
These limitations significantly undermine the depth of engagement that students and scholars typically achieve with print copies. While the goal of protecting authors’ rights is valid, the restrictions on academic ebooks create barriers to effective learning and research, especially for those who depend on in-depth reading and annotation.
To address these challenges, universities need to collaborate with publishers to develop better digital platforms that allow students to annotate, highlight and bookmark ebooks easily. By improving these tools, students can better cultivate close reading skills and foster deeper intellectual engagement, even in a digital environment.
In our brave new digitized world, librarians are more essential than ever. As we face an overwhelming influx of digital information, the need for skilled professionals who can help students and faculty navigate, evaluate and effectively use this data is critical. Librarians today are not just custodians of books; they are educators, research consultants and digital literacy specialists. Their expertise in helping users critically assess sources, employ research tools and manage vast amounts of information has made them key players in the academic ecosystem.
However, what I am witnessing is the unfortunate proletarianization of the library profession, with access to tenure increasingly restricted and librarians being treated as peripheral to the academic mission. Too often, librarians are seen as support staff rather than as integral contributors to scholarship and education.
We can and should envision a different role for librarians—one that fully recognizes their intellectual and educational contributions. Universities should prioritize training campus specialists who are skilled not only in information management but also in areas like data science, digital humanities and open-access publishing. These specialists would be equipped to support faculty and students in navigating statistical databases, managing digital archives and contributing to new modes of research dissemination.
In addition, we must better integrate rare books, manuscripts, archives and special collections into the university curriculum. These unique resources are not simply relics of the past but are invaluable materials for research and scholarship in fields like the humanities, history and cultural studies. Librarians can play a crucial role in connecting students with these resources, guiding them through hands-on research that brings history and culture alive. This type of engagement not only enhances students’ research skills but also gives them the opportunity to produce original scholarship and create new knowledge, fostering a deeper connection to their studies.
By reimagining the role of librarians as central figures in academic research and teaching, universities can better serve their students and faculty, ensuring that they are well prepared to thrive in an increasingly complex information landscape.
To ensure that libraries continue to cultivate a reading culture on campus, I suggest the following strategies:
- Host book clubs and reading groups (both online and in person) that focus on various genres or social themes to engage a diverse array of students.
- Create peer-led reading circles, allowing students to organize their own groups, share book recommendations and discuss literature they’re passionate about.
- Sponsor book swaps, where students can exchange books they’ve read for new ones, encouraging a vibrant, shared reading community.
- Encourage faculty and staff to share reading recommendations through university websites, newsletters, bulletin boards or in person, fostering informal discussions around books.
- Host literary events and author readings, featuring question-and-answer sessions where authors discuss their creative process and works.
- Organize campuswide literary festivals that include panel discussions, workshops and book signings, drawing attention to the richness of literary culture.
- Plan a book festival with storytelling sessions, spoken-word performances, author talks and themed discussions, bringing literature to life for the campus community.
- Integrate rare books, manuscripts, archives and special collections more deeply into the curriculum, offering students unique opportunities for research and intellectual exploration.
I used to assign students to find a newspaper or magazine from their birthday and analyze what they found. This exercise helped students assess not only the news but also the cultural and social climate revealed in advertisements, illustrations and editorial choices. However, due to changes in how university libraries handle printed media, this assignment is now impossible.
With space constraints and a growing focus on digital resources, libraries have deaccessioned or pulped their physical collections of popular magazines and newspapers. While digital archives make certain content more accessible, they often exclude key elements like ads, illustrations and layout design that are essential for understanding the full cultural context of the time. Advertisements, in particular, provide valuable insights into consumer trends, social values and economic conditions. Without these, it becomes harder for students to fully reconstruct the world in which the original publication appeared.
Many digital archives, found in university libraries, prioritize searchable text over preserving the full visual experience of the original publications. This means the interaction between news and commercial culture, easily observed in print editions, is lost in digital formats. Online databases frequently divide publications into individual articles, stripping them of their original layout and flow. As a result, students lose the experience of reading through an entire issue, where the juxtaposition of articles, ads and images reveals how stories were framed and prioritized alongside commercial interests.
The absence of ads, comics and illustrations deprives students of a crucial historical resource that reflects societal norms, emerging technologies, fashion and economic conditions, making it harder to form a complete picture of everyday life during specific periods. Although some materials have been digitized, this process often leaves out popular or ephemeral content that was once central to understanding the cultural context of an era.
While digitization has expanded access to information, it risks eroding the deeper intellectual traditions that libraries once fostered. Universities must resist the temptation to reduce the library to a digital archive and study space and ensure that these structures remain spaces for rigorous research, critical reading, intellectual discovery and knowledge creation, rather than just digital repositories or study halls.
