Reading Report 10/20

Megan Beverly
10/20/09


Reading Report
Bell, Steven J.
The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google" by Steven Bell. Chronicle of Higher Education (2/20/2004).

Students throughout the country have turned from libraries to now using quick methods of searching such as Google. The funny thing about this is because most people use Google for its ease of finding information. But, as the article states people who actually use library search devices spend far less time, because they are not rummaging through irrelevant data that sources like Google provide. Also, the ease of Google takes precedent to people doing research over the sometimes very complicated search one must do through a library resource. The complexity of using library resources turns many users off so they often do not take advantage of the information available. So, libraries are trying to “Googlize” some of their resources, making a more simple search available with high quality results provided. Also, many libraries are trying to make searches more simple for users, but not dumb down the information in any way. It is an effort that software institutes, teachers and institutions will all have to work together to make happen.
I think that this issue is a big one, especially on college campuses. I personally would much rather just use something simple like Google rather than using library resources. It is just something that I have gotten used to over the years, and I feel much more comfortable using it. I think that if teachers required us to use the library and scholarly sources more often in our research, we would all get a better understanding of exactly how it works. I think that we do need to get away from using search engines like Google all the time.

Reading Report "The Future of Libraries"

Megan Beverly
LIB 103
10/8/09
Reading Report “The Future of Libraries” by: Thomas Frey
In the past libraries where one of the only places where one could find a book, they were valued possessions that most could not afford to own. They were the housing for information, and one of the only ways that the past could be documented and remembered for future generations to read. It was one of the only places that someone could go to get information. The printing press was a huge invention that helped to put more and more books into circulation, adding to the amount of information that libraries could make public. Andrew Carnegie was a huge influence in making libraries available to the mass, building 2,509 libraries between 1883 and 1929.
This idea of libraries being places that provides those who do not or cannot afford to own books for themselves is changing. Now, this information that was only available in libraries is now readily available on line many times for free, so many people do not visit libraries anymore. There are now ten trends that are thought to be affecting the new generation of libraries. Trend one talks about how new forms of communication are always being found and developed and trend one is that all technology eventually gets replaced by another. Some other trends include finding the smallest way to store information and spreading information globally. The issue is that libraries need to be able to keep up with the changes in society and the way that information is changing.
I see the reason that libraries have changed over the years, and it really does come down to the way we’ve embraced technology and it has changed. I think that the suggestions that they’ve given to help libraries embrace these changes and keep up are good. The suggestions included evaluating the role of libraries, preserve the memories of the community, embrace new information technology and experiment with new creative spaces for the library. I think that libraries will always be around, but they will continue to change as we as humans change.