Reading #4

Mallory Phillips

October 20, 2009

Reading #4

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

By: Steven Bell

This article mainly focuses on the competition between Google and libraries. Librarians have a hard time getting students to use the databases that the library provides for them. Bell says that the library has lost its position as the campus information gateway, but can return. The reason that students normally choose Google over libraries is that they want fast, easy accessible, full-text documents. However, they do not realize that some things on the Internet are not very accurate. Even if using the library is slower and more inconvenient, at least you are getting reliable information. James Morris coined the term “infobesity,” describing Google as a junk-information diet, consisting of large amounts of bad quality material that is hard to digest. He says that the cure for this is databases known as aggregators, which return better search results. Libraries are contemplating on how to become more like Google; the challenge is getting students to convert from low quality Websites to more accurate information.

Personally, I use Google on a regular basis. I believe that it is much easier than these complicated search engines. There are ways to get reliable information from Google, you just have to make you search pretty specific. While Google is not as reliable as library databases, at least it is easier to use, and more convenient. I feel that someone needs to develop search systems that are easy to use, but also include the sophistication of library catalogs. To resolve this issue, we need to improve students’ information literacy.