Why Do We Still Need Libraries? We Have the Internet.

This interesting tidbit crossed my desk recently: The Google Gap

Your search results are only as good as your query. As any of our Reference staff can tell you, people still need help finding answers to their questions. If anything, the sheer volume of readily accessible information can make searching more difficult. Your answer can be buried deep if you can't refine search results! That's where librarians' skills are invaluable - they not only know where to search, they are experts on how to search.

I have the statistics to prove it: in the last 10 years, reference questions answered at the Library are up 145%, over 54,000 questions last year.

Internet Hoaxes Highlight the Need for Library Services

You may have seen the videos or read the news in an email that spread like wildfire across the world via the Internet:

Michael Jackson is alive - watch the video of him getting out of the coroner's van!

Jeff Goldblum is dead in an accident on the set of his new movie in New Zealand!

Neither is true. Both are recent hoaxes that made their way throughout the virtual world through emails and YouTube and fake news stories.

This is a great example of why libraries are needed! Your local library connects you to information you can trust - information from vetted and juried sources. The databases and resources available through your library are reliable, unlike so many Internet sources that can be posted by anyone with a PC and a little skill in HTML coding. These hoaxes drive home the point that in our technology-savvy world, we cannot take every bit of information that we read or view as fact. There is information beyond the first page of Google hits - information you can trust, information your local library can provide.

Library's Online Collection Astonishes Crowd

At yesterday's Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon and business meeting, Head of Reference and Reader Services Michelle Roubal presented "Strictly Business: Tools You Can Use from the Plainfield Public Library". Many of the attendees were astonished at the breadth and depth of the Library's online offerings. These tools go far beyond what is available free of charge on the Internet. These online tools aren't just for local businesses - they're available to every library cardholder.

Some examples of tools available, using your library card:

MorningStar Investment Research Center, including the Portfolio X-Ray tool you may have seen advertised during financial programs on TV. (Comment from a certified financial planner at the presentation: "That's what I use!")

Records Information System's Public Records database, including felony convictions, DUI arrests, foreclosures, bankruptcies and more. (Comment from a home-based business owner: "I can do my own mini-background check for free!")

Reference USA lists information for millions of businesses and households that can help you research companies or identify leads for direct marketing. (Comment from a small business owner: "I can learn to do that myself? I'm paying someone a lot for that!")

Learning Express Library includes online, self-directed courses in computer skills on software from Adobe Acrobat to Word. Each course is offered for a variety of versions (1997-2007!) from fundamentals to expert level. (Comment from a local banker: "My staff can do that from their desks at their own pace!")

Just look for "Online Resources" on the library's web page. Don't have a computer or Internet access? The Library's got that for you! Need help learning how to use these tools? Call the Library to "Book-a-Librarian" for a one hour session with one of our information professionals!

PS - Thanks, Bill, for the article idea! :-)