R EADING HABITS IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES IN D IGITAL A GE Ms.Shobha U.Karekar Dr.Mahesh V.Mudhol.

Introduction: Reading is an important and most significant activity in a society. information may appear in many different media. people still to read. increased availability of technology may lead to changes in reading quality and reading habits.

Objectives : To find out reading patterns of the students. To find out the reading resources used by the users. Reasons for the change in the pattern of reading habits of the students. To measure the level of satisfaction of reading in the digital environment. To find the measures to improve reading habits among the students.

Methodology: Information collected through well-designed questionnaires distributed to the undergraduate students of the selected colleges situated in North Goa District. Totally 125 questionnaires distributed to the students 103 questionnaires are answered and got back so the sample size is 103.

Findings: Majority of students visit library every day but to read the newspapers but very less students read the journals. Large percentage of students agree that e-resources very feasible to be referred any where out side the walls of the library. Majority of students said that there is no fixed time for reading in the library because in the digital age the e- resources are accessible beyond the boundary of the library.

Major population of study said that they spent 1-2 hr. more in reading the e-resources which shows that reading habits are not dying but reading pattern is changing. Though half of the population used for study agrees that reading habits are diminishing in the digital age but considerable percentage of the selected population still have the opinion that reading habits are not affected negatively affected in digital age.

Suggestions: 1.Reading habits should ne inculcated since the primary education level by arranging story time library visits etc. 2.Quiz about the library should be arranged during the library time. 3.Library Orientation should be done at the beginning of the academic years for the fresh students. 4.Book collection should be updated regularly. 5.Compulsory reading lecture in the college. 6.Availability of more e-resources in the college library.

Conclusion: Changing reading Habits. Inclination to e-reading culture. prefer e-resources for their nature of feasibility in referring anywhere at any time. e-resources save lot time of the users. digital age in fact increased our reading limits because we can get access to the information at a single click.

Thank You