Many in academia are concerned about this trend. Increasingly, students are accessing electronic information resources from a distance. Librarians have less face to face interaction with students in the Libraries at a time when the information landscape has become more complex and difficult to consult efficiently and effectively. Library user education will be more and more important. More collaboration and teamwork is required in the work place.
More courses require students to collaborate on group projects as part of their coursework.
The library has become an important place for these students to meet and work collaboratively. Pullman offers limited employment opportunities so there is very little turnover in staff positions within the WSU Libraries. The profile of future students will reflect an increasing diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. More and more students will experience higher education at a distance. Librarianship Trends Demographic studies of librarians indicate that the profession is aging rapidly and large numbers of librarians will retire in the next 5-10 years.