|
II. THE STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE
INTERNET
Although the Internet offers an astounding amount and variety of
information, it is not some sort of magic "brain in the sky"
that will always provide reliable, accurate answers to any question
you ask. When using the Internet, keep in mind both its strong points
and its limits:
Internet strengths:
- a vast array of electronic information sources
- convenient access to information that used to be inaccessible,
very difficult to find, or never before published
- extremely up-to-date information on current events and popular
culture
- the ability to communicate with others through listservs and
newsgroups
Internet limitations:
- Lack of formal organization
- Lack of quality control. There is no governing body in charge
of the Internet (although there are groups that oversee technical
standards). Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection
can "publish" information or opinion on the Web. This
openness can be seen as one of the Internet's great strengths,
but it also means that the quality, accuracy, and credibility
of the information varies dramatically. In other words, anyone's
ideas -- even if they are extremist political views or completely
untrue ideas -- can be found on the Web and no one checks to make
sure Web pages provide accurate information.
- Uneven subject coverage. The Internet is completely haphazard
and unpredictable in terms of the depth, number, and kinds of
subjects being covered. Thus, the Internet may or may not offer
in-depth coverage of the topic that interests you.
- Small amount of full-text. The complete text of some books
and articles do appear on the Internet, but because of legal,
economic, and practical restrictions, it is only a small fraction
of what's available in print. For example, one of the largest
collections of full-text books on the Internet is "Project
Guttenberg," which offers more than 6,000 books online. By
contrast, the Library of Congress adds 10,000 books to its collection
every two weeks.
Given these strengths and limitations, skilled researchers understand
that the Internet supplements, but does not replace, libraries and
traditional bibliographic access tools such as online catalogs and
periodical indexes.
PARTNERS NOT COMPETITORS: LIBRARIES AND THE
INTERNET
There is a widespread misperception among many people that the
Internet has replaced libraries and the traditional tools and methods
used by libraries. Skillful researchers, however, realize that the
Internet and libraries each have their own strengths and limitations
and will draw on each when appropriate. The Internet and libraries
compliment each other because they each offer some things that the
other does not:
* What does the Internet offer that the library does not?
- unpublished or previously inaccessible material -- such as
the digitized archives of museums and special collections around
the world
- electronic texts -- such as e-journals and specialized "e-books"
(electronic books with no printed equivalent, such as Stephen
King's Riding the Bullet)
- online discussion groups - such as Listservs and USENET Newsgroups
dedicated to various topics. These offer an excellent way of gaining
new perspectives and keeping informed on topics of interest.
- millions of Websites from a vast array of organizations and
individuals
* What does the library offer that the Internet does not?
- millions of documents (books, journals, newspapers, and other
published material) that pre-date the Internet and are unlikely
to ever be made available full-text on the Internet
- thousands of periodicals that are not on the Internet (only
8% of the 165,000 periodicals published worldwide are on the Internet)
- access to proprietary Web databases (i.e. for paid subscribers
only. Explained fully in next section.)
- tools to conduct historical research: print periodical indexes,
backfiles on microfilm, etc.
- a high-quality, organized collection of materials
- free access to e-books still protected by copyright
|
