As campuses becoming increasingly digitized, the role of campus libraries becomes more complex—and more important. A new infographic released at Educause 2013 by Jones eGlobal Library, a provider of online library solutions, draws on a variety of research from sources such as Pew and the College Board to paint a clearer picture of the important role librarians play in their institutions.

Students are bombarded with more information than ever, and librarians play a critical role in helping them to become better consumers of that information. After all, no instructor wants a research paper sourced from Wikipedia.

According to eGlobal Library President Joseph G. Gregg, the challenge is presenting a library that can accommodate a wide range of clients who want anything from a sophisticated search engine to a simple search box.

Among research presented on the infographic is the stat that 23% use the Web site of their institution’s library before anything else when accessing scholarly journals, and 68% of college students feel they have the best chance of succeeding when they work with a research librarian.

“I think librarians are critical. You’re actually seeing, in some places, the role of the librarian is adjunct faculty, or instructional design support, in a way,” says Gregg. “The whole world of librarians is going way beyond what somebody who got an MLIS even 10 years ago is dealing with right now. So we’re trying to make sure that the people in the services we provide focus on that.”

Click on the image below for a better look at the new infographic.

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