Why library databases are helpful

From Library Instruction Wiki

(Context: 50 minute library sessions/ Beginning composition classes/ Mostly new undergrads)

I was having a lot of trouble talking about this issue without sounding like I was just listing reasons why they shouldn't use the Internet. Then one day I read an article that argued that the "Millenials" don't think of the Internet as a resource, but as a way to get to resources AND I had an illuminating conversation with Jane Scott (MHCC) about metaphors that describe the Internet and the two things just clicked.

So now, I don't talk about using "the Internet" as something different than library databases. Instead, I say that most of the research they will do for school will start on the Internet; whether they use free sources, search engines or library tools, they'll be on the Internet. And I tell them that they need to think about which tool will get them to the information they need the quickest. So instead of contrasting "Internet" and "Library," I end up drawing a comparison between broad, kitchen-sink type search engines like Google (http://www.google.com) or Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com) and specialized or targeted tools (which might be free on the Internet, or paid for by a library).

I start out asking them where they would go to find out when X movie is playing in Corvallis, mentioning that they could find that out from a search engine. Sometimes, one or two students say that they would go to Google or some such to do that, but most of the class says Yahoo! Movies (http://movies.yahoo.com/), or Fandango (http://www.fandango.com). If there's time, I ask more questions like that. Then I show them some databases that are freely available on the Internet (like IMDB (http://www.imdb.com), or Baseball-Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/)) and how those databases will answer certain questions more efficiently than a search engine will.

When they're on board with that - I switch over to Academic Search Premier, and tell them that this is a research tool designed specifically for students writing the kinds of papers they're going to be writing in their composition class. I point out the "power tools" features - like limiting to scholarly articles or the like - that apply to their assignment. I also point out the cost savings, etc. These are a lot of the same factors I was mentioning before, but by contrasting them with Google/Yahoo's features, instead of "the Internet" it just makes more sense. And because it makes more sense to me I can present it more effectively.

--amd 17:16, 29 Jul 2005 (America/Los_angeles)