Quick Summary
Recently, ALA’s American Libraries Live host, Dan Freeman, moderated a panel of four on the topic of “Going Beyond Google.” Panelists Joanna Burkhardt, Professor and Head Librarian at the University of Rhode Isla
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Recently, ALA’s American Libraries Live host, Dan Freeman, moderated a panel of four on the topic of “Going Beyond Google.”
Panelists Joanna Burkhardt, Professor and Head Librarian at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Branch Libraries in Providence and Narragansett; Nikki Krysak, Head of Instructional Services, Norwich University in Vermont; John McCullough, Product Manager, Discovery, OCLC; and Beth McDonough, Research and Instruction Librarian, Western Carolina University tackled the seemingly universal question, “Why do people need us when they have Google and other public search tools?”
If you didn’t already get a chance to catch this particular episode live, then the archive is definitely worth an hour of your time. Perhaps you’ve struggled with the same question, or maybe those you serve have challenged you with a “Google vs. the Library” debate. These panelists provide food for thought and well-articulated responses to the question, countering that “Google vs. the Library” is a false dichotomy. Rather than taking an “either/or” perspective, panelists deconstruct the question and offer insights into exploiting Google and other search engines as a tool to increase the discoverability and use of library collections. Additionally, panelists address ways in which library staff bring value to information seeking and learning experiences as well as the physical and digital collections. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of quantitative and qualitative evidence of the library’s value.
The panel discussion is certainly an enriching professional development opportunity but may also be an effective discussion starter for high school and college classrooms.