Successful students: does the library make a difference?

One of the most important products of the academic endeavour is students’ success in their courses of study. However, despite various attempts over the years, it has seldom been possible to demonstrate conclusively that undergraduate library use significantly contributes to student success. Four studies which document improvement in academic performance as outcome measures of library services are discussed. Research conducted at the University of Cape Town is reported, from which it emerges that students of the humanities who do well in their exams, tend to borrow more books from the library than poor students.