Reading #4

Reading #4
“The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google”
Steven Bell

Since the creation of Google, more and more students are using the search engine to “research” topics to find information for assignments given in their classrooms. Only a short while back, students were often required to cite their sources used and use specific sources such as three books, two journals, one magazine, and so on. Nowadays, students are concerned with finding information the quickest way possible without regard to how credible it is and the lack of knowledge needed to evaluate such sources. With this new trend, libraries have found themselves competing with Google and search engines and are quickly losing the battle. One major problem is that the databases that libraries subscribe to are very complex and take the right “key words” to find articles on relevant topics. This is not only time consuming but frustrating for many students. ‘Infobesity’ is a term coined by James Morris which describes the numerous and low quality Google results which leads to poor quality papers and education. There is a technology that libraries will need to create to simply their databases to Google style but with the same quality results.

I agree completely that Google has begun to take over the research world and poor quality work is more frequent among college students. It is a sad fact, but one I am sure we are all guilty of. We are all busy and love to have everything come easy but we have forgotten what it means to challenge ourselves academically. While searching databases does take time and effort, don’t you want to put in the time to get better grades than others who only search Google? Since being in the library class, I have already discovered how useful and informative the databases can be that the library offers and in the past few weeks have already used them for research projects. I wish I could have known sooner about them…maybe the class should be required for everyone. Wile I do agree that maybe databases are confusing and complex, I think that people in college need to rise to the occasion and do quality work that in the long run, will benefit them later in life. We need to stop rushing things and asking to be spoon fed. Take a little more time to do your research and produce quality work and it will pay off in the end.