Srinagar, Nov 20: The extensive use of internet by students in the valley, downloading digital content online for their academic requirements, is making people believe that  reading rooms are losing to IT labs.
 According to the supervisors of reading rooms, rate of students coming there is diminishing day by day due to the students' disinterest in print medium. "Students remain busy with their gadgets connected to internet. They now rarely turn up in the reading rooms," said a supervisor in Kashmir University wishing anonymity.
 “Five years down the line the rooms used to be full of students reading the credible print material thoroughly,” the supervisor said adding the basic reason behind all this disinterest is the lack of perseverance for research in the students.
 Students believe that they are making the best use of information technology. "When we have technology at hand we need not go to that same boring procedure of bothering ourselves with those thick reference books," said a student, Basit Lone.
 "Technology helps me save my time; nothing more," he added.
 On the contrary number of students visiting internet labs has increased. Students, according to another KU supervisor, spend more time on internet surfing the sites of their interest. "The concentration on the internet is not focused. What students usually do is they surf a lot, with WebPages on their monitors constantly changing," he said.
 Students visiting reading rooms said it was out of their passion that they had been using these regardless of the acceptance of any alternative. "I believe what one can get from books is always incredible. Internet content these days is everywhere. Even teachers use it. No doubt it is handy but it is less-informing,” said Zahid Wani.
 On being asked why he was not interested in the online media when the students use it extensively, he said internet had drawbacks. "One of the drawbacks of using internet for reading purposes for longer periods is it affects eyes. That is why I prefer print material," he said.
 The absence of students in the reading rooms, according to the supervisor, is weakening the fundamentals of students. "Relying on internet stuff does not make a strong base," he said.
 Measuring the contours of both reading rooms and internet labs, a noted educationist of the valley said because of the advent of internet, students have lost interest in going to the reading rooms. “Online media has become a part and parcel of students’ lives. They are using it extensively. But internet is a quick fix sort of alternative which cannot be used every time at the cost of reading credible print material,” said Prof AG Madhosh. 
 He said reading rooms would become the most important places of study in the coming time. “The significance and credibility of reading rooms cannot be ignored. In future reading rooms will play an important role in an information society,” Prof Madhosh said adding they (reading rooms) need to be revived. 

Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 IST