Based on the results of this project, which also include the cataloging of each image, CIDC staff created and maintain databases that both support the museum's management of their collections and also provide campuswide networked access to the images and cataloging for classroom and research use. With the advent of digital technologies, the Cornell libraries have seen a 62 percent increase in the use of network resources and a 9 percent decrease in the traditional use of hard copy materials since 1998. Overall, Hickerson said, there is a 5.5 percent increase in the use of library resources during this same period. And if they did, they might not be able to get to the reserve book they wanted until someone else finished with it. With more materials online, some students can access study and course materials any time of the day without having to brave the elements.
Faculty find a combination of the traditional and the digital goes a long way.
Kathleen Long is an associate professor of Romance studies who specializes in Renaissance France. In her courses, Long uses traditional sources in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Created by John Anzalone, a visiting scholar working in collaboration with staff of the CIDC, the site's arcane and intriguing images are drawn from the library's rare book collection. CIDC staff develop shared digital collections of visual and textual resources drawn from across the campus, as well as enhancing those resources for classroom instruction. CIDC staff provide a unique combination of curatorial, instructional, research, and managerial assistance.