Predictable and Unpredictable Patterns: Adoption, Avoidance and Alteration in Danish Research Libraries.

It is often assumed that improved access to Internet resources is likely to affect user information behaviour in predictable ways. Thus, the access to online resources in Danish research libraries has caused a significant, but expected, increase in downloads through the last 2-3 years. In general the growth from 2002 to 2005 was 318 percent. The distribution between loans of printed materials - books and articles - and downloads has also been radically changed. It seems that downloans are going to substitute the loan of physical materials. These mechanisms were likely to happen. However, it was also expected that the exploded demand for electronic articles would also work through concerning e-books. However, towards other e-media - such as e-books - users have, in general, reacted far more hesitant than expected. It was also expected that improved electronic access to library resources would influence the use of other library services, for example, the number of physical visits. Indeed, from 2004 to 2005 the number of visits fell by 2,9 percent. In some cases, the user reactions seem to been rather unexpected. One example is the use of the reading room facilities of larger research libraries. In spite of most students having access to a variety of electronic resources from home address Internet connections, use of library reading rooms have been increased during the last years. Many larger research libraries now experience that reading room facilities are utilized the whole day and apparently much more than in the '70es and '80es. What kind of sociological or cultural mechanism are available to explain such an rather unexpected pattern. Indeed, it seems reasonable to make a distinction between three types of user information behaviour changes influenced by the availability of net resources. One is adoption, illustrated by increased use of downloans. Another is avoidance, where users seem to avoid certain library e-resources such as e-books. Finally, we have alteration which is the most unpredictable pattern since users seem to react in an unexpected way towards more easy access to information resources. Here, the apparent popularity of traditional library reading rooms could be an illustrative example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]