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Fall 2004 Question 4

Librarian designed information systems assume that there is a need for structured access points, and that recall and precision must perform at certain levels. Usability and convenience are also important so that these systems often provide different interfaces for expert and casual users. However, many users instead use an internet search engine and accept the results of “googling” as satisfactory without even considering the use of a library database. = = To what degree are library databases relevant for the user of a library of your choice (academic, media center, public, special)? Support your statement by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of a search in a structured information system (e.g., ERIC etc.) with a Google search of the Internet. Discuss such issues as resource availability and quality, search vocabulary options, search logic, and ranking of results as well as searcher time and effort.

See Fall 2006 Q 3