Internet search engines and libraries
Encyclopedia
Internet Search Engines
are a quick and simple way to access information on the World Wide Web
. Traditional information providers, such as libraries
, have been impacted by the ease with which the public can access information using online search. Search engines provide opportunities for libraries
to supplement traditional services, and may also facilitate the development of new services. However, search engines may threaten certain traditional library services, such as reference enquiries
, as the use of the internet
as an information source becomes increasingly commonplace.
has allowed libraries to augment their traditional core services. Many libraries have developed an effective ‘virtual’ presence through their websites. This ‘virtual’ library is available all over the world to anyone who has access to the internet, and presence in a list of search engine results can provide useful publicity for libraries. As part of wider efforts by libraries to embrace new technology, Library Review
editor David McMenemy has stated that a library's “Internet identity is vital”. However, many libraries face challenges in developing effective websites. In the UK
administrative procedure means that library websites are contained within the domain
of the local authorities that manage them. It has been argued that this compromises the identity of the library and makes it less accessible to its users. Cost is also a considerable factor in the development of effective online libraries.
There is also potential for libraries to make their services more accessible through search engines by making the contents of their catalogues freely searchable. This would assist libraries because results about library holdings would be positioned alongside content from relevant commercial sites, presenting users with the option of borrowing books on their topic of interest instead of purchasing. Library scholars have also acknowledged that people often prefer to access library catalogues using a familiar search engine interface. Some specialised search engines such as Google Scholar
offer libraries a way to facilitate searching for academic resources such as journal articles and research papers. This presents the user with a wider array of resources and establishes a pseudo-network between libraries in dispersed locations. However, the process of improving the accessibility of libraries through search engines has been hampered by proprietary issues over ownership of database records. The Guardian
reported on this in 2009, suggesting the necessity for new business models to develop in the library world to harness the full potential of search engines.
Search engines
facilitate book lending by providing access to freely available digital book excerpts. This facilitates information seeking
by allowing people to preview book
s and get clear understanding of the subject matter. If they identify an item of interest in this way, their local library may be able to provide a copy, either in a physical or digital format. Libraries would benefit more from this development if the proprietary issues discussed above are resolved. This would allow existing resources such as abstracts, reviews and recommendations that are available on sites such as LibraryThing
and Amazon
to be linked into items in local library catalogues.
. The internet has opened up and transformed the information environment, providing rapid access to high-level knowledge. This has changed the way that people search for information and libraries are adapting by providing computers and internet access. This development has been particularly positive for libraries in attracting younger users. There are a wide range of reasons why young people often move away from libraries including peer-pressure and social concerns, and the fact that other leisure interests compete with reading for young people's time and attention. However, by providing internet access, libraries are able to offer youth an opportunity to further research their interests such as music, television and sport.
Libraries
also have an opportunity to emulate the tools and methods used by internet search engines to attract users. By providing user-friendly interfaces with high speed access to deliver relevant and reliable content, libraries are able to keep up with technological developments and remain relevant to their users. Libraries can take on the ‘look-and-feel’ of internet search engines but still retain their traditional services. Library scientists have recognised these opportunities to improve their services and complement existing ways to retrieve information.
Projects such as Google Books potentially offer significant new opportunities for libraries. The digitisation
of vast numbers of books, particularly those that are out-of-print
, has enabled libraries to provide resources to their users in new ways. As well as expanding a library's user base to a potentially global scale, this facilitates multiple access to books simultaneously. Digitised copies of books can also serve as replacements for lost or damaged books and accessibility for disabled users can be improved. Due to their holdings of valuable material, libraries are important partners for search engines such as Google
in realising the potential of such projects and have received reciprocal benefits in cases where they have negotiated effectively.
. CILIP
, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the UK, defines information literacy
as "knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner." When utilising a search engine
, this involves knowing how to utilise advanced search features as well as select appropriate terms for a search. After results are returned it involves having the ability to select, retrieve, and evaluate the information retrieved by search engines.
Due to the amount of information that is available for free on the internet, search engines carry great potential for making people information rich and decoupling information poverty from economic poverty. However, this is tempered by the amount of poor quality information that exists on the internet. Many in the library profession feel that information literacy
is vital if the full potential of the internet is to be realised. Library advocacy bodies such as CILIP
have emphasised the role that libraries
and librarians can play in teaching the requisite skills in an environment where information
comes in many forms and media. In a 2004 Library Journal
article, several library professionals identified the need to know how to get the most out of technologies such as search engines if people are to find reliable and pertinent information effectively.
Information literacy
and training in the use of technology fits in with wider extant efforts by public libraries to increase access to information. In accordance with this, CILIP and other library professionals promote the benefits of teaching information literacy in relation to information technology, especially in places such as colleges and universities where students often rely on internet search engines
to retrieve information to complete course work. Libraries contribute to information literacy training in colleges and universities by providing online instructions for good search strategies on library homepages or in leaflets made available in the library. Librarian
s also run information literacy classes to give people practical experience of using internet search engines.
. Search engine optimisation
involves improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website without using commercial means such as purchasing keywords from search engine providers. The skill set of librarians and their knowledge of information seeking behaviour has led commentators to acknowledge the role that librarians could play as SEO
scientists. Librarians have, for their part, acknowledged the necessity of familiarising themselves with SEO
in order to promote quality content in search results.
service has always been to provide users with information
, traditionally in the form of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. Internet search engines are also primarily information providers which for many people are just as effective as libraries. This has meant that traditional library services such as book lending and reference services
are now under threat from a service many consider to be faster, easier and more convenient. This situation could be compounded for libraries as technologies improve and search engines become more effective at retrieving relevant information. If people can access information through internet search engines
, they no longer feel the need to visit their local library to borrow books, which could result in a decrease in book lending.
Traditional library services also have restricted opening times which may not be convenient for potential users, while internet search engines are available 24/7
. Furthermore, internet search engines provide information that is not restricted in the amount of time it can be kept for, while traditional library services involve time restrictions on how long a resource can be borrowed, as well as fees to be paid if resources are returned late.
, and ask the reference librarian
where to find suitable resources in relation to the information they were seeking. However, internet search engines excel at providing simple factual information; even their detractors acknowledged this in a 2004 symposium in Library Journal
on the subject of the information role of Google
and other search engines
. This often results in decreased use of library reference desk
s as users gravitate towards new ways of meeting basic information needs.
has grown, library services have often shifted the emphasis from providing a wide range of print resources to providing computers and internet access
to facilitate access to information available via search engines. As well as contributing to a decline in book borrowing, some have argued that this trend may also alienate existing users as the library becomes more computer-focused and no longer a quiet place of study.
Libraries face a number of challenges in adapting to new ways of information seeking
that often stress convenience over quality. This means that libraries have to adapt if people are going to continue using their services. Information literacy
agendas may also suffer as people begin to question its necessity and are willing to accept results that are 'good enough'.
could negatively affect libraries and their services in the long-term. The potential decline in library
usage, particularly reference services
, puts the necessity of these services in doubt. Consequently, libraries may face budget cuts and staff could face job losses. This will likely result in a poorer service which is particularly damaging for libraries at a time when their existence is already being questioned. This has further implications for librarian
s if their expertise is deemed unnecessary when so much information
is easily available online via search engines.
Library scholars have acknowledged that libraries
need to address the ways that they market their services if they are to compete with internet search engines
and mitigate the risk of losing users. This includes promoting the information literacy skills training considered vital across the library profession. However, marketing of services has to be adequately supported financially in order to be successful. This can be problematic for library services that are publicly funded and find it difficult to justify diverting tight funds to apparently peripheral areas such as branding and marketing.
and proprietary issues. Writing in The Guardian
in 2010, Robert McCrum criticised Google
over its digitisation project and highlighted the potential threat such "piracy" poses to both the revenue of the publishing industry and the future quality of information resources. The monopoly that Google
is likely to have if Google Books is successful is a concern for libraries due to its commercial status and has also attracted significant press coverage. In an article for the The New York Review of Books
in 2009, Robert Darnton
lamented the missed opportunity that libraries had to undertake a similar project which could have fairly compensated copyright
holders and would have been driven purely by a concern for the public good.
Other commentators, notably Michael Gorman
, have questioned the utility of the entire enterprise. In an 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times
, Gorman argued that the mass digitisation
of books, particularly scholarly books, is an exercise in futility because a book must be read in full for the real benefits to be felt, and people are unlikely to want to read that much on a screen or print out "500 unbound sheets". Gorman's position provoked significant criticism, particularly from blog
gers describing him as a 'Luddite'
, but he remained unmoved by their arguments in a subsequent response.
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
are a quick and simple way to access information on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. Traditional information providers, such as libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, have been impacted by the ease with which the public can access information using online search. Search engines provide opportunities for libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
to supplement traditional services, and may also facilitate the development of new services. However, search engines may threaten certain traditional library services, such as reference enquiries
Library reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
, as the use of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
as an information source becomes increasingly commonplace.
Supplementing traditional library services
The use of search enginesWeb search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
has allowed libraries to augment their traditional core services. Many libraries have developed an effective ‘virtual’ presence through their websites. This ‘virtual’ library is available all over the world to anyone who has access to the internet, and presence in a list of search engine results can provide useful publicity for libraries. As part of wider efforts by libraries to embrace new technology, Library Review
Library Review
-Library Review :Library Review is an academic journal which was established in 1927. This journal focuses on social sciences, specific to library and information sciences...
editor David McMenemy has stated that a library's “Internet identity is vital”. However, many libraries face challenges in developing effective websites. In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
administrative procedure means that library websites are contained within the domain
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
of the local authorities that manage them. It has been argued that this compromises the identity of the library and makes it less accessible to its users. Cost is also a considerable factor in the development of effective online libraries.
There is also potential for libraries to make their services more accessible through search engines by making the contents of their catalogues freely searchable. This would assist libraries because results about library holdings would be positioned alongside content from relevant commercial sites, presenting users with the option of borrowing books on their topic of interest instead of purchasing. Library scholars have also acknowledged that people often prefer to access library catalogues using a familiar search engine interface. Some specialised search engines such as Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. Released in beta in November 2004, the Google Scholar index includes most peer-reviewed online journals of Europe and America's largest...
offer libraries a way to facilitate searching for academic resources such as journal articles and research papers. This presents the user with a wider array of resources and establishes a pseudo-network between libraries in dispersed locations. However, the process of improving the accessibility of libraries through search engines has been hampered by proprietary issues over ownership of database records. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
reported on this in 2009, suggesting the necessity for new business models to develop in the library world to harness the full potential of search engines.
Search engines
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
facilitate book lending by providing access to freely available digital book excerpts. This facilitates information seeking
Information seeking
Information seeking is the process or activity of attempting to obtain information in both human and technological contexts. Information seeking is related to, but yet different from, information retrieval .- Information Retrieval :...
by allowing people to preview book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and get clear understanding of the subject matter. If they identify an item of interest in this way, their local library may be able to provide a copy, either in a physical or digital format. Libraries would benefit more from this development if the proprietary issues discussed above are resolved. This would allow existing resources such as abstracts, reviews and recommendations that are available on sites such as LibraryThing
LibraryThing
LibraryThing is a social cataloging web application for storing and sharing book catalogs and various types of book metadata. It is used by individuals, authors, libraries and publishers....
and Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
to be linked into items in local library catalogues.
Opportunities for new library services
Libraries have opportunities to develop new services and improve library provision using internet search enginesWeb search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
. The internet has opened up and transformed the information environment, providing rapid access to high-level knowledge. This has changed the way that people search for information and libraries are adapting by providing computers and internet access. This development has been particularly positive for libraries in attracting younger users. There are a wide range of reasons why young people often move away from libraries including peer-pressure and social concerns, and the fact that other leisure interests compete with reading for young people's time and attention. However, by providing internet access, libraries are able to offer youth an opportunity to further research their interests such as music, television and sport.
Libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
also have an opportunity to emulate the tools and methods used by internet search engines to attract users. By providing user-friendly interfaces with high speed access to deliver relevant and reliable content, libraries are able to keep up with technological developments and remain relevant to their users. Libraries can take on the ‘look-and-feel’ of internet search engines but still retain their traditional services. Library scientists have recognised these opportunities to improve their services and complement existing ways to retrieve information.
Projects such as Google Books potentially offer significant new opportunities for libraries. The digitisation
Digitizing
Digitizing or digitization is the representation of an object, image, sound, document or a signal by a discrete set of its points or samples. The result is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image, for the object, and digital form, for the signal...
of vast numbers of books, particularly those that are out-of-print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
, has enabled libraries to provide resources to their users in new ways. As well as expanding a library's user base to a potentially global scale, this facilitates multiple access to books simultaneously. Digitised copies of books can also serve as replacements for lost or damaged books and accessibility for disabled users can be improved. Due to their holdings of valuable material, libraries are important partners for search engines such as Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
in realising the potential of such projects and have received reciprocal benefits in cases where they have negotiated effectively.
Information literacy and internet search engines
Librarians have often been strong advocates of information literacyInformation literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
. CILIP
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is a professional body representing librarians and other information professionals in the United Kingdom.-History:...
, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the UK, defines information literacy
Information literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
as "knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner." When utilising a search engine
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
, this involves knowing how to utilise advanced search features as well as select appropriate terms for a search. After results are returned it involves having the ability to select, retrieve, and evaluate the information retrieved by search engines.
Due to the amount of information that is available for free on the internet, search engines carry great potential for making people information rich and decoupling information poverty from economic poverty. However, this is tempered by the amount of poor quality information that exists on the internet. Many in the library profession feel that information literacy
Information literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
is vital if the full potential of the internet is to be realised. Library advocacy bodies such as CILIP
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is a professional body representing librarians and other information professionals in the United Kingdom.-History:...
have emphasised the role that libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and librarians can play in teaching the requisite skills in an environment where information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
comes in many forms and media. In a 2004 Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
article, several library professionals identified the need to know how to get the most out of technologies such as search engines if people are to find reliable and pertinent information effectively.
Information literacy
Information literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
and training in the use of technology fits in with wider extant efforts by public libraries to increase access to information. In accordance with this, CILIP and other library professionals promote the benefits of teaching information literacy in relation to information technology, especially in places such as colleges and universities where students often rely on internet search engines
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
to retrieve information to complete course work. Libraries contribute to information literacy training in colleges and universities by providing online instructions for good search strategies on library homepages or in leaflets made available in the library. Librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
s also run information literacy classes to give people practical experience of using internet search engines.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Opportunities for libraries and librarians have also been identified in the emerging field of search engine optimisationSearch engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
. Search engine optimisation
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
involves improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website without using commercial means such as purchasing keywords from search engine providers. The skill set of librarians and their knowledge of information seeking behaviour has led commentators to acknowledge the role that librarians could play as SEO
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
scientists. Librarians have, for their part, acknowledged the necessity of familiarising themselves with SEO
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
in order to promote quality content in search results.
Replacing traditional library services
The task of the libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
service has always been to provide users with information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
, traditionally in the form of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. Internet search engines are also primarily information providers which for many people are just as effective as libraries. This has meant that traditional library services such as book lending and reference services
Library reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
are now under threat from a service many consider to be faster, easier and more convenient. This situation could be compounded for libraries as technologies improve and search engines become more effective at retrieving relevant information. If people can access information through internet search engines
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
, they no longer feel the need to visit their local library to borrow books, which could result in a decrease in book lending.
Traditional library services also have restricted opening times which may not be convenient for potential users, while internet search engines are available 24/7
24/7
24/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
. Furthermore, internet search engines provide information that is not restricted in the amount of time it can be kept for, while traditional library services involve time restrictions on how long a resource can be borrowed, as well as fees to be paid if resources are returned late.
Reference services
People traditionally visited their local library to use the available reference facilityLibrary reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
, and ask the reference librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
where to find suitable resources in relation to the information they were seeking. However, internet search engines excel at providing simple factual information; even their detractors acknowledged this in a 2004 symposium in Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
on the subject of the information role of Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
and other search engines
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
. This often results in decreased use of library reference desk
Library reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
s as users gravitate towards new ways of meeting basic information needs.
Undermining traditional roles
Traditional library services involve providing a wide collection of books for people to refer to and borrow. However, as the prominence and reliance on internet search enginesWeb search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
has grown, library services have often shifted the emphasis from providing a wide range of print resources to providing computers and internet access
Internet access
Many technologies and service plans for Internet access allow customers to connect to the Internet.Consumer use first became popular through dial-up connections in the 20th century....
to facilitate access to information available via search engines. As well as contributing to a decline in book borrowing, some have argued that this trend may also alienate existing users as the library becomes more computer-focused and no longer a quiet place of study.
Libraries face a number of challenges in adapting to new ways of information seeking
Information seeking
Information seeking is the process or activity of attempting to obtain information in both human and technological contexts. Information seeking is related to, but yet different from, information retrieval .- Information Retrieval :...
that often stress convenience over quality. This means that libraries have to adapt if people are going to continue using their services. Information literacy
Information literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
agendas may also suffer as people begin to question its necessity and are willing to accept results that are 'good enough'.
Future difficulties for library services
The ever-increasing reliance on internet search enginesWeb search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
could negatively affect libraries and their services in the long-term. The potential decline in library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
usage, particularly reference services
Library reference desk
The reference desk or information desk of a library is a public service counter where professional librarians provide library users with direction to library materials, advice on library collections and services, and expertise on multiple kinds of information from multiple sources.- Explanation...
, puts the necessity of these services in doubt. Consequently, libraries may face budget cuts and staff could face job losses. This will likely result in a poorer service which is particularly damaging for libraries at a time when their existence is already being questioned. This has further implications for librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
s if their expertise is deemed unnecessary when so much information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
is easily available online via search engines.
Library scholars have acknowledged that libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
need to address the ways that they market their services if they are to compete with internet search engines
Web search engine
A web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
and mitigate the risk of losing users. This includes promoting the information literacy skills training considered vital across the library profession. However, marketing of services has to be adequately supported financially in order to be successful. This can be problematic for library services that are publicly funded and find it difficult to justify diverting tight funds to apparently peripheral areas such as branding and marketing.
Google Books
Google Books presents a number of difficulties for libraries, particularly in terms of copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and proprietary issues. Writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2010, Robert McCrum criticised Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
over its digitisation project and highlighted the potential threat such "piracy" poses to both the revenue of the publishing industry and the future quality of information resources. The monopoly that Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
is likely to have if Google Books is successful is a concern for libraries due to its commercial status and has also attracted significant press coverage. In an article for the The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books
The New York Review of Books is a fortnightly magazine with articles on literature, culture and current affairs. Published in New York City, it takes as its point of departure that the discussion of important books is itself an indispensable literary activity...
in 2009, Robert Darnton
Robert Darnton
Robert Darnton is an American cultural historian, recognized as a leading expert on 18th-century France.-Life:He graduated from Harvard University in 1960, attended Oxford University on a Rhodes scholarship, and earned a Ph.D. in history from Oxford in 1964, where he studied with Richard Cobb,...
lamented the missed opportunity that libraries had to undertake a similar project which could have fairly compensated copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
holders and would have been driven purely by a concern for the public good.
Other commentators, notably Michael Gorman
Michael Gorman (librarian)
Michael Gorman is a British-born librarian, library scholar and editor/writer on library issues noted for his traditional views. During his tenure as president of the American Library Association , he was vocal in his opinions on a range of subjects, notably technology and education...
, have questioned the utility of the entire enterprise. In an 2004 article in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Gorman argued that the mass digitisation
Digitizing
Digitizing or digitization is the representation of an object, image, sound, document or a signal by a discrete set of its points or samples. The result is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image, for the object, and digital form, for the signal...
of books, particularly scholarly books, is an exercise in futility because a book must be read in full for the real benefits to be felt, and people are unlikely to want to read that much on a screen or print out "500 unbound sheets". Gorman's position provoked significant criticism, particularly from blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers describing him as a 'Luddite'
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
, but he remained unmoved by their arguments in a subsequent response.
See also
- Academic libraryAcademic libraryAn academic library is a library that is attached to academic institutions above the secondary level, serving the teaching and research needs of students and staff...
- LibraryLibraryIn a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
- Web search engineWeb search engineA web search engine is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web and FTP servers. The search results are generally presented in a list of results often referred to as SERPS, or "search engine results pages". The information may consist of web pages, images, information and other...
- Google Scholar and Academic LibrariesGoogle Scholar and academic librariesGoogle Scholar and Academic Libraries is a web-based scholarly search engine, a citation analysis tool and a gateway to materials on the web that are open access. As well as this it connects to library journal subscriptions and book collections. It has been described as a "blended" resource for...
- Information literacyInformation literacyThe National Forum on Information Literacy defines information literacy as “...the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand.” This is the most common definition; however,...
- GooglizationGooglizationGooglization is a neologism used by some to describe the perceived 'creep' of Google's search technologies and aesthetics into more and more web applications and contexts, including traditional institutions such as the library...
- The works of Michael Gorman
External links
- http://scholar.google.com
- http://books.google.com
- http://www.google.com
- http://www.yahoo.com
- http://www.cilip.org.uk
- http://www.ala.org