Half of the current generation of college students have never experienced a normally functioning academic library and other students have only experienced a pre-COVID academic library for a year or two. How has this impacted the current and future circumstances of academic libraries? This study examines how the library-using behavior of college students has been impacted by the pandemic and the implications for the future.

The study helps its readers to answer questions such as:  which students will likely go back to the library post pandemic? Which missed the traditional library experience the most? Which the least? What do students think of the COVID-control measures taken by academic libraries? What kinds of library services have students learned to tap into online, or forego entirely, during the pandemic? Have they or will they return to use of these services? How safe do students feel in the library? Do they feel unsafe in the library due to fears of COVID or any other reason? If so, to what extent? How should the inevitable changes impact the strategies of academic libraries going forward?

Just a few of this 81-page report’s key finding are that:

• Nearly 17% of respondents said that they missed the library so much that they planned to visit it more post than pre-pandemic.
• 61% of respondents said that they always felt safe in the academic library.
• Students raised abroad were less critical of the library’s COVID control efforts than students raised in the USA
• African American students are also much more likely than others to feel unsafe in the academic library.

Data in the report is broken out by more than 20 personal and institutional variables, so, for example, readers can get specific data on how COVID impacts the library use plans for first year students vs. sophomores, juniors or seniors, or for students in level 1 research universities vs. doctoral institutions, or for male vs. female or vs. transgender students, or for business/economics majors vs fine arts majors, etc., etc.

Breakouts include age, year of school standing, major or intended major, religion, gender, sexual orientation, income level, SAT/ACT scores, college grades, regional origins, race/ethnicity, level of school tuition, size of school of institution attended and many other variables.

A PDF edition of this 81-page report is currently available directly from Primary Research Group for $95.00; a print edition at the same price will be available for shipment on Feburary 28th, 2022 and can be ordered now. Site licenses are also available. For a table of contents, list of participating institutions, the questionnaire and an excerpt – view the product page for this report at:  https://www.primaryresearch.com/AddCart.aspx?ReportID=690

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