[Web4lib] RE: Another Google question

[Jennifer Heise]

>
> The reason why I think it's worth continuing the argument against the 
> assumption of  "Google is all you need" is that we librarians have the 
> commitment to serve all info seekers, even those whose information 
> needs are not satisfied by Google. It's not that Google isn't good, 
> it's that in spite of its existence there is much work yet to be done 
> to help match users and the information they need. And I for one do 
> not want to give up the pluralistic information society for a single 
> vision information society. Yet sometimes I think we are headed in 
> that latter direction.

Unfortunately, the tone of the discussion about Google on this list has 
really come across as 'why Google is bad,' rather than how we as 
librarians can advocate the pluralistic information society, or even 
what tools do well what Google does badly.

For instance it used to be an article of librarian faith that altavista 
was the best tool to use for exhaustive web searches, but their 
algorithm has gotten quite wierd in the last several years. I still 
would default to it for a link search, though. Obviously there are 
others who wouldn't.

-- 
/   Jennifer Heise, Helpdesk/Librarian, Email: jahb at lehigh.edu
\ \ Lehigh Library & Technology Services, Phone: (610) 758-3072
  / Fairchild-Martindale Library, 8A Packer Ave, Bethlehem PA 18015   

"Comment is free, but facts are on expenses." -- Tom Stoppard