LSU Libraries’ electronic book collection will soon triple from 40,000 books to 120,000, eliminating part of the need for students to spend hundreds on books for class. The recent expansion of the electronic book collection is part of an effort to encourage students to use the online databases and resources LSU Libraries has to offer, according to Information Literacy and Outreach Service Librarian Mitch Fontenot
The books are full text online versions that are instantly accessible through the library website. There are no restrictions as to how many students can read the book at one time, and they are free of the responsibility of returning them to Middleton, Fontenot said.
The financing of the new digital books comes from library budget and ends up costing close to a dollar a book when purchased in the thousands, Fontenot said.
Not only does using electronic book databases save students money, but it also better educates University students on how to find information necessary for class research, Fontenot said. Many students do not know the basic steps it takes to accurately search for information on the internet or even in research databases, he said.
“I would love to see students from the beginning [of the semester] use the databases,” Fontenot said.
Fontenot’s section of LIS 1001 is currently full, yet he believes there are many students on campus who lack the knowledge to conduct a successful search.
In addition to the added electronic books, Fontenot said the best thing students can do to better their education in research to take a library and information services course so they can learn the basics skills of searching for useful information in one of the library’s five databases.
The five different databases narrow down searches for books by putting them in general categories. Technology, reference, engineering, and electrical engineering comprise the four main sections, and the fifth, EBSCO, has something for everyone on a wide variety of topics, Fontenot said.
“I would love to see students from the beginning [of the semester] use the databases.”