Reading Assignment #4

This reading talks about the challenges libraries face to get students to use their high tech and sophisticated databases for finding information, instead of getting on Google and finding it within seconds. University and college libraries across the country are facing this problem and it is becoming harder and harder to make young adults “information literate.” The writer of this article proposes a good idea and it goes along with the saying, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” He thinks libraries should “Google-ize” their libraries and make them easier to use for students. Instead of putting together very complex and specific queries to find a journal article, students should be able to type in simple key words and phrases to find what they are looking for. But he argues that by doing so it would be much harder to find credible and reliable sources on the web.

I like the idea this guy proposes to libraries. I know that is one of the main reasons I never really used the library databases for my research papers or projects (unless my professor made me). The library databases were simply too difficult to use if I was doing it on my own. If they were more user-friendly and I could find information a little easier, I would have used them more often. I also like the idea of everyone who is associated with these databases getting together and getting this done. The producers of the databases need to commit to this too. It is obviously a daunting task and one that would take a lot of effort and creativity, but it can be done and judging by this article, I believe it needs to be done.