Library & the Web

 

Sometimes the hardest part about research is just getting started. Two places to begin looking for information are the Mundt Library and on the Web.

THE LIBRARY
Libraries collect quality information in a wide variety of formats. When you think about libraries the first things that come to mind are probably printed materials such as books and magazines. However, today's libraries also provide many online resources through the Web, including full-text magazine articles, research databases and online encyclopedias.

Academic libraries purchase these sources for their "community" of students, faculty, and staff to use. These resources are different than most of the information that is freely available to you over the Web because they have gone through a quality control process (edited and reviewed) before publication. Librarians select materials (physical & electronic) which have gone through a quality control process.

THE WEB
Alternately, no one individual or group takes responsibility for the Web or how it should be presented. This lack of authority allows many people to publish their opinions, ideas and creative works. While this information may be interesting, some of it may not be useful for academic research.

For your research, you can save yourself time and find better quality information if you begin with library resources. Move to the Web later for specific pieces of information or points of view that the web offers.