Resource Review #5: Google @ Your Library

Here’s the link.

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=39259512&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live

Grenzeback, M. (2009). Google @ your library. Nebraska Library Association Quarterly, 40(1), 4-9.

The author makes a good point that librarians either decide Google is the only tool really needed or try to completely ignore it and recede into the print world (p. 4). Ms. Grenzeback write an easy to read article with lots of citations on how Google is currently being used by librarians, and how it could be used, or not. It’s an article that is refreshing in that it takes an even approach where “sometimes Google IS the best choice; often it is not” (p. 5).

She points out that Google is a great tool for finding known information, when you know something is out there, just not how to get at it. It’s also great in that it has a very easy to use and understand interface. One of the downsides to current online public access catalogs (OPAC) search methods is the need to understand filters and Boolean search operators.

Beyond Google, some good points are made about its limitations. It’s interesting to note that “Google indexes only the first 101 KB of a website” (p. 5). This of course means that for very in-depth pages, one is not getting the full information when doing a search. Additionally, Google does not have access to what is know as the “Deep Web” or “Invisible Web,” which are portions such as sites that require a paid subscription. That’s where library search engines do much better. A library gives you access to academic journals in a different way than Google or even Google Scholar can. Although, perhaps that gap is closing.

The author recommends taking advantage of the popularity of Google and advocates for librarians to become Google experts. Most users know basically how to use Google, but not how to really get the most of out their searches. Librarians have a long history of aiding patrons in their own search. Learning and teaching how to use Google is no different. Additionally, it’s possible to set up link resolvers to help integrate Google’s results with the library. So that a user is pointed to a resource in the libraries own catalog after a Google search.

While short, this article is very good. Ms. Grenzeback offers a very positive article about the promise of using Google inside a library. Her arguments are well laid out and she’s pulled from a lot of different research on how people and libraries are using Google or are scared of it. I agree with her that while Google can’t be the end all for search, it’s a great tool, one we must learn out to use better if we’re going to help out patrons and ourselves. Additionally, knowing its limitations lets us know when to make the jump to our deeper resources both online and in print.