In the prototypic college campus, information spaces are strongly divided by format. Computer user rooms are typically decentralized across campus, but the rooms typically contain only computers and printers. Conversely, the collections of printed resources are highly centralized in libraries, where the contents are further subdivided by format (journals, books, microfiche, slides, ...).

An integrated information resources approach seeks to reduce or eliminate these arbitrary format divisions. The popularity of computer workstations within the library is a first manifestation of this integration. A walk through the library computer cluster often shows small piles of books stacked next to each computer -- a testiment to students moving back and forth between books and online.