Reading #5

Information Navigation 101
By ANDREA L. FOSTER


The article discusses how college students rely on technology a lot. They use text message, email, chat rooms and even ipods. But the area of technology they are lacking knowledge in is academic research. This may affect the next generation and they may not be very tech savvy. The author talks about when he was in college libraries were the only place available for research- not anymore! Students have a reputation of using Google and Microsoft for research, so scholars are trying to get students to use academic databases. These databases are filled with good quality information especially for research and college students. Providing students with the tools to use these databases, and being able to access full-text articles is one way promote using the databases. This form of information being provided to students is called information literacy, and libraries are beginning to be focused around this. The article talks about the history of information literacy, and what the future may hold for it.

I think that students are geared toward Google a lot more than the databases, but being able to research these databases is very important. Graduate schools, and PhD programs will require this. It is one thing to know how to use databases, choose not too and use Google. But if the student has no idea how to use these databases, or what they even are, that’s a problem. It’s time to grow up and do some real research. But on the other hand, Google is a great tool on the Internet and is so easy/convenient for anyone to use. I just think this will be a constant battle between professors, libraries and students. Students have so many other things going on, if Google will save time and energy and get the same results as a database- why not use it??? It’ll be interesting to see what the future predicts, and how the next generation will be regarding technology.