Reading Response #4

“The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google” is an interesting look at how libraries as are first method of finding information is not yet dead. Yes today we want our information now, not ten minutes after we have looked up a subject and found a book and call number. Today libraries still have a place in society you have librarians to help you find reliable information from reliable sources. Yes you many be able to find information faster online and you don’t have to leave the comfort of your computer desk, but you still have to question the information as far as its validity, and reliability. At least in the library you have that personal support to help you and you are not depending solely on the technology you have on hand. Libraries have been used to store our information for centuries, why rock the boat now. My favorite quote of the article was “Working together, librarians, professors, and developers can show students that research, like reading and classroom discussions, requires careful reflection. supersized search engines that imitate Google, producing piles of full-text articles, may initially be as satisfying as a candy bar. But empty calories — or citations — are not what the educated consumer wants.” We want access to valid and solidly supported information, libraries are still the best way to access this information, while still not taking years to find the information you need. This article brought up some interesting points regarding the ongoing war between libraries and the internet, but there really isn’t a war when you think about it, they are two very different entities that both have pros and cons and both have their individual uses. However when those uses converge, we as students have to decide which one will be most effective to find the information we need.

Reading #3 Summary

The reading begins describing how without libraries most of the legendary artist, scientist, Leonardo DaVinci’s work would have been lost. In the Middle Ages books were to expensive, so they were precious and kept locked up, with the invention of the Gutenberg’s printing press books became more and more accessible. Later on from 1883-1929 the affluent business man Andrew Carnegie funded the building of 2,509 libraries all over the world. However the actual purpose of libraries and need for them is changing. Information is now more than ever available at the fingertips of most people via the internet. People are moving faster, multi-tasking everyday. They watch television and surf the web at the same time, eat lunch on the run and the demand for increasingly faster access to information and communication is growing. Books need to become more than a product; they need to become an experience in order to keep up in this new world. Libraries are no longer needed for information, we have the internet for that, they will become the center of culture, like museums, in order to survive. This article was very interesting because it really makes some good points. In the past libraries were essential, they managed to preserve our history and save it for today, when we can now access it online. In this new age of instant, free, access to information from any computer with internet access, the actual need for a library is fading. The libraries need to adapt and embrace the new technologies that are taking over and not fight back, because if they don’t they will disappear.