may11ff.indd


C&RL News May 2011  312

Gary Pattillo is reference librarian at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, e-mail: pattillo@email.
unc.edu

G a r y  P a t t i l l o

The state of higher education
• Number of college students in the United States: 20,427,711.1

• Percentage of four-year college graduates leaving with debt: 66 percent.
• Average debt: $20,000 or more.
• Average number of credit cards per student: 4.6.
• Percentage of community college students who drop out before sophomore 
year: 50 percent.
• Percentage of college students taught by adjuncts or graduate students: 73 
percent.2
1. Digest of Education Statistics, Table 197. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by attendance status, 
sex of student, and control of institution: Selected years, 1947 through 2009. National Center for Education Statistics, 
nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_197.asp (retrieved April 11, 2011).
2. Professor X, In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: Confessions of an Accidental Academic (New York: Viking, 2011).

Usability.gov
Usability.gov is a one-stop source for Web designers to learn how to make Web 
sites more usable, useful, and accessible. The site addresses a broad range of 
factors that go into Web design and development. Its guidelines, templates, and 
discussion of best practices provide information on how to enhance Web sites 
for all users, including those with disabilities. It provides a systematic visual 
plan to guide you through a user-centered design process.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, usability.gov (retrieved April 8, 2011).

How much data is that?
When we discuss quantities of data, we tend to use measurements many do 
not truly understand or firmly grasp: 100 megabytes, ten gigabytes, etc. A brief 
but handy chart (cited) provides approximate example measurements to help 
put these numbers into context. For example, a telegram is about 100 bytes; a 
small novel is about one megabyte. Some measurements are still beyond ordi-
nary comprehension: one yottabyte is approximately equal to one quadrillion 
gigabytes. Now you know.
“How much data is that?” Focus editors, www.focus.com/fyi/information-technology/how-much-data (retrieved April 
11, 2011).

Value of UK libraries
A jointly commissioned report by the British Research Information Network and 
Research Libraries UK presents qualitative value findings that may also be of use to 
American libraries promoting their collections and services at research institutions. The 
study identifies characteristics of library provision that support research in successful 
UK universities and departments. The study found that good libraries help institutions 
to recruit and retain top researchers. Libraries help researchers win research grants 
and contracts. Libraries promote and exploit new technologies and new models of 
scholarly communication. Repositories increase the visibility of institutions and raise 
their research profile. Outward-facing libraries contribute to institution-wide initia-
tives. Specialist staff work in partnership with academic departments. Libraries are a 
physical manifestation of the values of the academy and of scholarship. Easy access 
to high-quality content is a key foundation for good research. 
“The Value of Libraries for Research and Researchers.” Research Information Network and Research Libraries UK, www.rin.ac.uk 
/our-work/using-and-accessing-information-resources/value-libraries-research-and-researchers (retrieved March 24, 2011).