Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Department of Geography and urban planning, Faculty of Geography and environmental planning, University of sistan and baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.
Abstract
Highlights
Student visits to university libraries are low across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels.
Students’ field of study significantly affects the frequency of library visits.
The functional necessity of precise library location (neighborhood/district/city) is diminishing.
University libraries are rapidly adapting their operations to the demands of cyberspace and digital services.
Fixed, limited opening hours are decreasingly relevant for library service delivery.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The accelerating diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has transformed how scientific and cultural products are produced, disseminated, and consumed. In the early decades of the twenty-first century—marked by the proliferation of broadband connectivity, social networks, and cloud platforms—individuals and institutions increasingly create and circulate digital content independently of traditional publishers. For urban planners, this raises a critical question: do university libraries—longstanding place-based urban uses—face functional decline similar to once-ubiquitous facilities such as public baths or caravanserais?
The emerging practice of “research without visiting the library,” enabled by online databases and virtual services, challenges the historic coupling of library functions with specific locations, radii of influence, and time-bound service windows. This study examines these shifts through a case analysis of three major universities in Zahedan, probing how cyberspace is reconfiguring the spatial and temporal logics of university library use.
Theoretical Framework
Advances in cyberinfrastructure—high-performance computing, broadband networks, and mass data storage—have catalyzed the rise of digital and smart libraries. These technologies enable accelerated resource discovery, remote access to collections, and user-centered service personalization. In this framework, library management transitions from a primarily place-anchored, schedule-bound model to a platform-based service regime that privileges ubiquitous access, immediacy, and interoperability with research workflows. Consequently, the value proposition of libraries shifts from where services are delivered to how they are integrated into the digital research ecosystem.
Methodology
This applied study employs a descriptive–analytical design. A two-stage random sampling strategy produced a sample of 480 students (undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral) from the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, and Islamic Azad University of Zahedan. Data were collected via a researcher-developed questionnaire. Content validity was established through expert review by university faculty; reliability was confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.752.
Data analysis combined distributional checks and non-parametric inference: Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests assessed normality; given non-normal distributions, the study used Mann–Whitney U, Kendall’s tau-c, Cramér’s V, Kruskal–Wallis (H test), the Sign test, Chi-square, and crosstab analyses to test hypotheses regarding visit frequency, education level and field, device ownership, and access to scientific databases.
Results and Discussion
Findings indicate a marked erosion of the traditional, place-dependent model of university libraries:
Low visitation rates: 58% of students reported never or rarely visiting the library. Moreover, 44% perceived the role and position of libraries as “much decreased” or “decreasing substantially.”
Digital access and perceived decline: There is an inverse, significant relationship between students’ access to scientific databases (e.g., Scopus, SID, ScienceDirect) and their perception of the library’s standing—greater database access corresponds with stronger perceptions of decline.
Devices and home infrastructure: Ownership/access to desktop or laptop computers, printers, modems, and smartphones is inversely associated with perceived library centrality. Notably, 39% of students reported having none of these devices; conversely, among those with complete equipment, 75% rated the library’s position as declining—suggesting that digital readiness amplifies functional substitution away from physical facilities.
Internet use for academic work: The intensity of Internet use correlates positively with the perception of a diminishing library role (Cramér’s V, p = 0.002): only 35% of students with very low Internet use perceived decline, compared with 69% among heavy users.
Education level and visits: Contrary to expectation, higher education level did not translate into more frequent visits. The second hypothesis—linking visit frequency to degree level—was rejected (Kendall’s tau-c, p = 0.16).
Field of study effects: The Kruskal–Wallis test confirmed significant differences in visit frequency across fields and faculties, indicating disciplinary variation in the necessity of in-person library use.
Overall trend: A Sign test (error level 0.033) supports the conclusion that the position of the library is decreasing as a place-based urban use within the studied university context.
Taken together, these results depict a system-level transition: the radius of influence and population thresholds that historically defined library catchments are becoming less predictive of use. Instead, digital access, platform literacy, and disciplinary norms drive engagement patterns, with cyberspace services substituting for on-site visits.
Conclusion
Traditionally, libraries have been defined by three attributes: (1) a population threshold, (2) a spatial radius of influence, and (3) limited, specific service hours. The cyber revolution decouples all three. University libraries can now deliver core functions independent of place and time, offering 24/7/365 access across effectively unlimited service radii. Evidence from the three Zahedan universities shows that as students’ digital equipment and database access improve, their reliance on physical library spaces declines—and their perception of the library’s centrality diminishes accordingly.
These dynamics reframe libraries from location-based land uses into platform-based service providers, a shift likely to intensify with the diffusion of artificial intelligence into discovery, summarization, and recommendation workflows. For urban planners and university library managers alike, the implication is clear: planning, investment, and service design should prioritize hybrid models—robust digital infrastructures complemented by targeted, high-value in-person services (e.g., makerspaces, data labs, scholarly communication support, quiet study environments).
Future research should extend the analysis to public libraries and broader citizen populations to assess the generalizability of these findings beyond the university setting and to inform city-wide cultural and educational planning.
Keywords
- Performance of Libraries
- Location-Based Land Use
- University Library
- Zahedan
- Artificial Intelligence
- Internet
Main Subjects
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