Product of Simmons College GSLIS

The Internet for Information Professionals
As an information professional, you will be expected to evaluate sources on the Web. You will also use the internet to network and communicate with your peers in the field.
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Web Truths

A few things to keep in mind while you are searching the internet...

Information on the Web is NOT organized: unless you learn and apply good searching skills, you can waste a tremendous amount of valuable time. Remember that anyone can publish anything. Learn to evaluate your information. In some cases, there might be better resources in print. When in doubt, check with a faculty member or GSLIS librarian. Finally, don't confuse web-based database searching with web searching: these are two very different things.

Website evaluation

When evaluating a website, it is important to consider the author. Do they have legitimate authority, credentials, and/or expertise on the subject? How are their affiliated with the institution hosting the site? Likewise, it helps to understand who is publishing the site. What is the purpose and reliability of the page's contents? You can start by looking at the domain: .com (commercial/companies), .edu (educational), .gov (government), .org (organizations).

Then consider the information itself. Is it fact or biased opinion? Can you verify its accuracy? Does the site attempt to inform, explain or persuade? And finally, look at its currency. When was the site mounted? How often is it updated? When was it last updated? All of these questions can help you determine whether the information on a site is valuable or not.


Search Engines

Search engines, like Google and Yahoo!, allow you to do keyword searches for information on the internet. No single search engine searches the entire Web. Many engines retrieve different types and quality of information, so try several. There are such things as "Meta Engines", which will search multiple engines at once. However, these are generally not recommended because their limitations outweigh the benefits.

Of all the search engines available to information professionals, Google.com and Alltheweb.com are the largest and most current. Ask.com and AltaVista.com are also good.

Search engines can vary

Several factors affect the value of information retrieved by a search engine, including:

  • How they look for information, (in the URL, in the title, full-text, meta tages, etc)
  • Currency of the database
  • Overall number of URLs in the database
  • Advanced searching capabilities, (ie, proximity or Boolean operators, truncation, phrase searching, etc.) - or the lack thereof

Useful search engine websites:

  • Search Engine Watch, http://searchenginewatch.com/, is the ultimate search engine information source. It was created by Danny Sullivan, and includes everything you need to know.
  • Scout Project, http://scout.wisc.edu/, is one of the internet's longest running weekly publications. It provides readers with the newest and most interesting websites.
  • Search Engine Showdown, http://notess.com/search, was created and is maintained by Greg Notess. It includes news and review of search engines.

General search tips

When using a search engine, think about the terms you are entering. Consider using synonyms or specific terminology to target a key concept. Also, try the engine's Advanced features, if they are available. You might find useful information in their "Tips" or "Help" section. If you feel like skipping the search engine entirely, don't be afraid to guess at URLs. A few safe bets are:

  • www.organizationname.org
  • www.universityname.edu
  • www.companyname.com
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Other Ways to Locate Information on the Web

Directories

Some search engines are better called "Directories" or "Subject Guides", because they were compiled by experts who organized lists and categories so that searches target relevant webpages. Yahoo.com and Librarians' Index are good examples.

Metasites

Metasites are comprehensive websites that gather other links and resources on specific topics, such as reference, cataloging, library careers, school libraries, acquisitions, etc. A couple of good examples are Digital Librarian: Librariana and Internet Library for Librarians.

Subject-specific Sites

Some sites act as gateways to subject-specific websites. Here are a few that focus on library science: Refdesk.com, Cataloguer's Toolbox, LISJobs.com, and Acqweb.org.

Useful website for beginning GSLIS students


Professional Networking on the Web

Joining and actively participating in professional associations is a great way for students to learn more about the library profession, and to develop professional networks. Many organizations have local chapters and reduced students membership rates. Professional association websites often provide job listings, job banks, and career information. Many sites also provide full-text access to journals, conference proceedings, policy and position documents, and organization activities and events.

Professional association sites

For a more comprehensive list, consult the http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/orgs.htm webpage for School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University.

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Keeping Up with Librarian Blogs

Many librarians write blogs (short for weblogs), and reading them can be a great way to keep abreast of current library buzz. A few good ones include:


Quiz time!

Congratulations! You have finished the readings for Part 2. At this point you have read all of the materials that will prepare you for Assessment 5: Internet for Information Professionals. Login to eLearning, go into the Part 2 folder, and take Assessment 5. You may choose to complete this assessment (or any others) at a later time - just make sure that Assessments 1-5 are completed by March 1st.

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