LIS Graduate Students as Library Users: A Survey Study

Library and information science (LIS) students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, were surveyed to ascertain their patterns of library use and their perceptions of the value of various library services. The data reveals similarities and differences to previously studied general graduate student populations, at both Illinois and other universities. The analysis highlights differences between distance and on-campus students, an important division in LIS professional education. Beyond the utility of the findings for understanding the information needs and behaviors of the target population, the study sheds light on pre-professional LIS students' use of libraries and their attitudes toward services they are being trained to provide.