An Emerging Picture of Mathematicians' Use of Electronic Resources

ABSTRACT

This study presents the results of an e-mail survey of mathematics faculty, instructors and graduate students concerning the effect of the withdrawal of print volumes of core mathematics journals from the University of Arizona Science-Engineering Library that are available through JSTOR. Reported use and preferences for access of these core mathematics journals are given. Comments are included from those mathematicians who reported being affected by the removal of print journals from the library in the context of assumptions about how mathematicians locate and use information. Results of this study reiterate the results of the previous studies on the preferences and usage of electronic resources. In this regard, the responses of the University of Arizona mathematics community is typical of mathematicians elsewhere, especially at research institutions.

Key Words:

• Mathematicians
• electronic journals
• JSTOR
• user preferences