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Internet Searching
LRC@TCC
The Internet is the
world's largest computer network, providing access to a massive
storehouse of information, including millions of pages of text,
images, audio, video, software, and other resources. At first
glance, the Internet appears to be a researcher's dream come true.
You might wonder why anyone bothers going to the library anymore.
- Libraries, however, are more than just information storehouses.
The contents of a library have been selected, catalogued,
indexed, and organized to facilitate the retrieval of information
by library users. Furthermore, libraries are staffed by highly
trained information professionals - librarians - whose job
it is to assist students to find the information they need
for their course assignments and to help students learn to
use the library and its resources.
- Libraries provide access to full text databases. These databases
contain the electronic versions of many familiar printed magazines,
journals, and newspapers. These journals are not freely available
on the Internet. Just like a library pays for subscriptions
to printed journals, libraries also pay for access to electronic
journals.
On the Internet:
- Documents do not undergo any selection process but rather
are placed there at will by anyone with access to a web server
- There is no overall effort, nor any rules or standards,
to organize information to facilitate information retrieval
- The most assistance you will get is from an automated tool
that does not possess the intelligence to know what it is
that you really need.
The Internet can be a valuable research tool when the information
you need is:
- very current, such as today's news or a press release from
government, business or other organization
- brief and not detailed
- published by a government or association
- on an obscure or current subject on which it is unlikely
that there has been very much information published or not
likely to be found in the library.
For more information use the library's subject guide on
searching
the Internet.
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