Googlizers vs. Resistors

(Via Library Journal) A summary of an interesting debate that took place at the "Googlizers and Resistors: Librarian's Role in a Googlized World," panel discussion held at the Pennsylvania Library Association Annual Conference this past October.

Google's famously simple interface, ease of use, and enormous popularity challenge librarians to think about their users' needs in very different ways. For starters, Google, Yahoo, and the other search engines raise questions about expensive, proprietary databases. While the latter deliver precise and high-quality results, users may find them too complex and not be willing to learn how to work with them. But can librarians ever accept providing the public with "good enough" results as opposed to the "best quality" results that are so much a part of our professional mantra?

Posted by Tom on December 22, 2004