Isn’t everything on the internet?
Being a librarian means I hear a certain question all the time: “The LIBRARY? But isn’t everything on the internet now?”
With new classes beginning and library instruction in full swing, some of you may have had this thought yourselves: “Isn’t everything on the internet?” (Don’t worry, I’m not asking for a show of hands.)
The simple answer is that, no, it just isn’t. Nothing gets onto the internet by itself, and librarians are actually spending a lot of our time putting information up there. Digitization is expensive and digital storage is more staff-intensive than print storage (because it is less stable). And rather than the internet’s being immune from copyright restrictions, it actually makes sharing copyrighted materials trickier. Many of the best resources, such as ATLA’s databases, require subscription fees. Even most of the best free research sources, like the online Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Israeli Museum, are institutionally supported.
But I think the real question people are asking is, “Why should I do time-consuming library research when the internet is so much faster?”
Using a search engine is a quick way to get an answer to a simple question like, “What is the phone number for my local pizza place?” But the theological questions that students are wrestling with in their classes here don’t have such easy answers. Deep down, you all know this or you wouldn’t be investing your time and money in education! You have to spend time finding the best resources, actually reading them, digesting the ideas you’ve found, and putting them back together with your thoughts and perspective. Your best papers are going to not only demonstrate that you understand the problem, but teach something about it, too.
Where does the library come in?
We evaluate, purchase, and organize some of the best resources that we can find so that you can more easily find and access them—whether online or in other formats. And then we use our expertise to help you build your own finding, evaluating, and organizing skills. The world of knowledge is vast and complicated, but we do everything we can to make your journey easier.
Good luck, and start your research early!
January 24, 2012 at 10:08 am
[...] Catherine pointed out in her last blog post, we’re not even close to everything being on the internet. However, because of the internet, we [...]