Reading and Activity #4

Normally, when I am searching for information for an assigned research paper, I automatically begin my searching with Google. I usually attempt to use library resources, like databases, but for the most part, I have trouble finding the full text articles. I should ask for help, but usually I do not see anyone around to help. Also, I feel like finding help will put me behind because I usually procrastinate with research papers. Being a student, both readings related to me. I found them to be very true and I felt like they were writing about me. Also, the report was very on track with what students are thinking, feeling, and struggling with when it comes to the research process.  

Steven Bell’s article “The Infodiet: How Libraries Can Offer an Appetizing Alternative to Google” discusses the overwhelming use of Google over academic libraries. Students are choosing to use Google to find information for research papers rather than taking the time to find information from academic libraries. Bell compares the quality of academic library information to the quality of Google information by relating academic libraries to food “carving stations” and Google to “greasy burgers and fries”. Then stating, “Too many students are bringing a ‘supersize it’ mentality to research, in effect asking librarians, ‘Can you Google-ize that for me?’” Bell’s point is that students prefer Google because it produces fast and easily accessible information with little thinking involved. The article then introduces James Morris, dean of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, who has named this problem “infobesity.” Bell goes on to argue that the information on Google is like a “junk-food diet” and leads to low- quality research papers. Hopefully solving this problem will be aggregators that offer Boolean searching and more advanced features that will find more precise, “nutritious” information as long as students are willing to take to the time to understand a more complex search process. The obstacle will be to get students to choose the “healthier” option over the “unhealthy” one: Google. Bell is noticing that database producers and librarians are beginning to morph to be more like Google in offering easily accessible, full text works. The problem seems to be that these databases are filling up with journals that are full text—convenient—, but do not contain the highest quality of information that conducting a more in depth search would have uncovered.  Although this is occurring, ProQuest and RedLightGreen are attempting to make their databases easier to use but still maintaining high quality information. Bell explains that professors can help direct students to use databases by requiring certain sources for papers; however, he claims that some professors do not understand the databases themselves consequently not requiring students to use them. All in all, Bell urges the importance of evaluating research.  

“Truth Be Told: How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age,” by Alison Head and Michael Eisenberg, is a fascinating information literacy progress report. The report uses a sample of students from different Universities around the country. The sample students were surveyed about how they find, use, and evaluate information from the web as well as library resources, like information from journals, books, and information from databases. Not surprisingly, the report found that students take more time to evaluate information from the web and spend less time evaluating information from the library. The main reason for this is because web information can be very unpredictable in its authority and content while students assume that library resources have already gone through an evaluation process by the librarians. The charts showed that a good amount of students asked their professors for help with evaluating sources; however, not many students asked librarians for help. It was discovered that students will use the library services but not the librarian services. The report also found that when searching for materials, students first use course related material then proceed to the web for information. The charts that were provided showed interesting findings that might surprise some professors. For example, professors may assume that students rely on Wikipedia for information, when in fact students who use Wikipedia are using the sources that it provides. Students were also surveyed about how they evaluate personal research. Again, not surprisingly students evaluated the information less critically but asked friends, family, and professionals for help with the evaluation, rather than asking professors. One of the main points of the report is that students have the most trouble in the beginning stages of finding information for a research paper. Pinning down a topic was difficult for many students so difficult that they wanted their professors to choose one for them. Also, students feel overwhelmed by the vastness of information and then find it somewhat difficult to go through and filter relevant information from the irrelevant. Like Bell’s article, the importance of librarians and professors coming together to encourage students to critically evaluate information is stressed.  

Activity #3

If I were to renovate UNCW's Randall Library, I would change the first floor by adding more computers and seating. To accommodate for more space, all books (including periodicals), media, and newspapers would be moved to the second floor. Also, the new space on the first floor would enable TAC to expand in order to help more students in a timely manner. The second floor would hold all written material and media as well as the circulation desk. An addition of a third floor would be constructed. The third floor would have multiple graduate study rooms and an all-around quiet study atmosphere. On all floors, restrooms would consist of at least five stalls in each. In regards to the entrance of Randall Library, I would make more entrances accessible to students so they do not have to walk the entire way around the building.   

Jennifer Howard’s article “Tomorrow’s Academic Libraries: Maybe Even Some books” explains two different approaches that Drexel and Johns Hopkins Universities are using to incorporate the needs of students in regards to libraries. Drexel University is planning to build a “bookless learning center” outside a dorm building. Students will have “around the clock” access to the center where they can use the library’s digital resources or just have a place to hang out and study. Also, students can meet with librarians and professors at the center. The entire cost of the new center will run Drexel almost a million dollars. At Johns Hopkins University, “informationists” come to “students and faculty members in the schools of medicine, nursing, and public health.” This way there is no need for them to access the actual library. These “informationists” are librarians who work externally from the library: classrooms, labs, and other college settings. The informationists conduct arduous systematic literature reviews for medical literature. Their main goal is to help people locate and use information.

“Information Navigation 101” written by Andrea L. Foster, first discusses the abundance of information—good and bad—that students have access to via the internet. Students at Cal State’s Fullerton campus are highly encouraged to find scholarly information from the library’s online databases with help from librarians. This practice of “information literacy” is happening at colleges across the U.S. According to the article, “Accrediting agencies are now considering information-literacy programs as measure of an institution’s performance.” The article then explains the history of information literacy leading up to current times. Urban colleges are stressing the importance of information literacy because most of their students are the first in their families to attend college. Another point the article brings to light is that some librarians treat information literacy as a new trend. When in actuality, the same practice has been done for a long time but now has a name. Along with teaching information literacy, standardized information literacy tests have been distributed to many students at different campuses. The majority of librarians claim that the tests only measure a student’s “information-literacy proficiency” and that the tests may soon disappear. In place of the tests, students would have to successfully complete hands-on research projects to showcase their skills.