| Since personal workstations (microcomputers) are increasingly familiar as accessories on scholars' desks and are very suited for accessing electronically available information, this study was designed to discover how remote access through a workstation to an academic library changes patrons' use of and attitudes toward the library.;Questionnaires were mailed to 1169 microcomputer buffs with access to Penn State University's Library Information Access System (LIAS). Of 343 respondents, eighty-five percent were male and forty-three percent were in the sciences or engineering. Fifty-seven percent (191) access LIAS through their workstation. After LIAS served as an introduction to online information access, about half of the 191 quickly sought other sources of online information; the rest were content to use LIAS only. There is no demographic distinction between the two populations.;Three-quarters of the 191 kept a personal information management system (PIMS). After using remote access, some stopped keeping a PIMS, others started. The biggest change was the transfer of established PIMS with manual catalogs to computer-based systems. With the availability of computer-based management, the rigor with which PIMS are tended increased.;Typical respondents go to the library about as frequently as they did before they had remote access, but with remote access, they verify the existence of material, its availability, and its exact location before they go. The workstation also provides an efficient "last minute" check of bibliographic citations.;There was no change of attitude about the library itself, but attitudinal/behavioral changes were evident in regard to library research. Though the 191 go to the library with unchanged frequency, they are use it less as a workplace, use professional help less, browse less. They report that they work with greater persistence and efficiency; literature reviews cover more sources. The implications of these changes are discussed as they relate to individual scholars, particular disciplines, and academic libraries. |
