I've used Library databases, e-books and e-journals to a limited extent at work. I'm not a subject librarian, so expertise in this field isn't a requirement. In order to complete my assignments, I'm relying heavily on them at the moment and I have to say: I've been underwhelmed.
I've been working against the clock during this time away: we attend lectures from 8.30-4 and we have the evening to work on assignments. When you're in a rush, the last thing you want is:
1. ... for the off-campus login to the Library databases to not work. Because you know that no one will be at work at this hour to fix it, so you'll have to wait for the next day.
2. ...for the web interface to be clunky: you need to find what you're looking for without having to scratch around and click on random links, hoping they'll take you to where you want to be.
3. ...for the e-journal platform to be down. See point 1 above.
4. ...for the publisher site of the journal article you've finally managed to find to be down. Argh.
5. ...to find out that, just to read an e-book, you have to go through 20 steps and produce a DNA sample.
5. ...to download an e-reader, save an e-book to your bookshelf and then, when you want to read it the next day, get a message saying that the installation of the reader doesn't work.
It's a valuable experience being a student: I've taken off my librarian-goggles and I'm seeing things through my clients' eyes probably for the first time.
Yesterday, on my Twitter feed, I read a tweet that said something along the lines of: "I'm tired of people saying today's students are lazier. We use Google because it works."
I think we can't afford to dismiss statements like these. We need web sites and online interfaces that just work when students need them.
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