Rows of desks, stacks of books and middle-aged librarians insisting on quiet: The image of a library is not necessarily the most appealing.
But Penn Libraries, the University's umbrella group for all 15 libraries at Penn, may have a solution.
Launched at the end of October, Learn to Fish - the official name of a new Penn Libraries campaign - features quirky photographs of students in an assortment of costumes, ranging from preppy attire to a military uniform.
Most of the pamphlet is written in white on black paper, and some library resources - words like independent study and technology - are written in bright fonts.
"We wanted it to be visually provocative to get a little face time," Director of Planning and Communications Joseph Zucca said.
Officially published this September, the guide is targeted at undergraduates and aims to inform students about the different resources available in the library and when to use them.
A lack of understanding about the libraries' resources has become a troubling issue for universities in recent years, particularly as a result of the development of the Internet: With the ever-increasing spread of Google, college libraries around the country are finding themselves up against stiff competition.
"One [difficulty] is keeping up with the changing needs of our users," said Patricia Renfro, deputy university librarian at Columbia University.
In the meantime, librarians are adamant about one thing - students shouldn't be giving up books for blogs.
"The library allows students to access [electronic] materials that just aren't available on Google," Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Carton Rogers said. "Some of the most important materials are not available on Google."
Furthermore, Associate Director of Public Servces Marjorie Hassen said "technology is a tool. It's our job to be creative with it."
Beyond research papers, assignments now often involve projects that require audio, video and digital technology. At Penn, there has been a 25 percent increase in circulation of videos since 2005.
Penn has addressed this growing need with the creation of digital media labs in Weingarten Information Commons, which is gaining popularity with students.
Though the medical community has seen a sharp drop in the use of print material, departments in the social sciences and humanities still rely heavily on books.
"I don't think the books are going away anytime soon," Rogers said.
And it seems like the library isn't either.
