Abstract
Are the library needs and expectations of students and faculty at a distance different than those of on-campus students and faculty? This article details and synthesizes the results of two studies conducted to assess Penn State University’s World Campus students and faculty perceptions, expectations and use of Web-based library resources and services. The results provide insight into challenges and issues surrounding service to a virtual academic community. This article will highlight which library resources and services were rated as being the most valuable and important to World Campus users, and how the combined results of the two studies illuminate a widely applicable path for further development of library services to patrons at a distance.

Lesley is Head of Gateway Libraries at Penn State University. She has worked collaboratively with Penn State’s World Campus faculty, administrators, and instructional designers to connect e-learners with library services and resources. She has conducted surveys of distance learning students and faculty to assess their research needs.

Ellysa is Information Literacy Librarian at Penn State University Libraries. She co-authored with Lesley Moyo “Meeting the Needs of Remote Library Users” Library Management, 24 (6/7) 2003, which explored Penn State’s World Campus online distance education students’ use of the library and its resources. At Penn State, she has worked collaboratively with World Campus administrators, instructional designers and online teaching faculty to help connect students at a distance with library resources and services.

Penn State University has 80,124 students.