Follow up to Research Guidance...

[David Novak]

It appears I have ruffled some feathers here with the use of "lame". Excuse me.

What I wanted to discuss was research guidance.

Few libraries websites link to the free commercial-quality databases on the 
Net: USPTO, LOCIS, Medline, AGIP, MOCAT, and others. Few Libraries have 
links to the primary resources for various Internet formats like zines, faqs 
& mailing lists. Few libraries link to the United Nations, Country profiles 
online, national statistical agencies...

This is what I mean by research guidance.

I personally don't expect each individual library to organize the Internet 
for me. I already know the large library consortiums are working on this 
issue and in 6months to a year will come out with a solution for library 
websites. BUBL is one example of an effort already online. What is perhaps 
missing is an understanding of just how beautiful it could be (and some day 
will be). As research tools online strengthen, certain definitive resources 
are emerging which will help you find things online and off.

The strongest words come from Wilfred Drew: "I don't understand the point of 
your site."
Mr Drew created one of the definitive starting places for agriculture 
research online: a guidebook called  "Not Just Cows". This guide belongs on 
the websites of most agricultural libraries in the world.

Now, are there links which belong on other library websites? Links to 
commercial quality databases? Links to national statistical agencies? Some 
libraries will decide, yes - and from this comes the difficulty of creating 
and maintaining a large list of links to resources useful to their patrons. 
Others decide, no. A link to three or four search engines appears to be the 
norm where I live.

Of course libraries publish their own card catalogue - and are responsible 
for many of the best tools for effective research online... This is not the 
same thing as providing research guidance from their website.

Most libraries will wait till CARL or UMI come out with a commercial product 
to guide patrons through research online. Is there room for someone like 
myself to come in early, and under, to start the market?

David Novak
david at cn.net.au                                 The cn.net.au
http://cn.net.au                                Research Site