Reading and Activity #4

I have only written one formal research paper while I’ve been in college, in the spring semester of 2012 for my Asian religions class. That was when I was first introduced to scholarly journals. Before then I had no idea what they were. With previous reports that required sources, I just used Google. From now on, I intend on using only the library resources. While I enjoy the simplicity of using Google, I no longer see it as a credible source after enrolling in LIB 103. Searching for the information you need is difficult on library interfaces, especially for those who are entirely unfamiliar with and have not been introduced to them. That is where LIB 103 comes in. I have been able to greatly improve my searching abilities as result of this course. It is still difficult at times, but constant use of the library’s website makes it easier for me to become accustomed to it. As Steven Bell, author of the article “The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google” suggests, I understand why people would prefer to have access to a library interface similar to Google’s; students have fairly heavy workloads and occasionally it may be too time-consuming to navigate the library’s resources to find what they are looking for, or even start looking. The fact that research databases such as ProQuest and RedLightGreen are making changes to their interfaces is a progressive change for the convenience of students.

The article “Truth Be Told: How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age” by Dr. Alison Head and Michael Eisenberg discusses student research methods and their evaluation of the information they find and use, as the title suggests. One of the topics that stood out to me is the idea of asking librarians for help. I feel that many students don’t even consider the idea because they are unaware that one of librarians’ main roles is to help with research. Many people have no idea what it is librarians do.