Reading Response 10/19

The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google

This article, the Infodiet, discussed the unfortunate trend of library obsoletion. It touched on the idea that students have been "Google-ized", so used to using google as their primary source of information that they do not know how to properly research. Libraries have several valuable resources available and a lot of it is available on the computer it is simply a matter of being able to find it. Students, however, are not familiar with these databases and how to properly find what they are looking for so libraries are looking to make these interfaces more usable and student-friendly. A couple of different interfaces have come out to make the databases more approachable and google-like in nature. Students want an easy-access quick information when they search which is definitely not what happens in a database search. Unfortunately, even some professors are unfamiliar with the amount of high quality information that is available to everyone.

I agree with this article completely. It is unfortunate that students have come to rely on these search engines and don’t know how to properly research. I have noticed this simply from attending library class. The databases that we have learned about and the proper ways to search them should be taught to the incoming freshmen. Rather than having a freshman seminar class, or even included in that class, students should be taught how to navigate these databases so that the quality of information gotten from the internet and used for papers and other academic items will be higher.