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Home > Research Help > General Research Help Topics > Can't I Just Search the Web?
Sometimes a quick Web search finds just what you need. Sometimes it's not the best approach. What are some reasons to add the library to your search strategy?
| It's yours and it's limited; don't waste it slogging through 10,327 search results when a librarian can often very quickly guide you to the best information resources for your needs. | | You're paying lots of it to be here; librarians spend lots of it on high-quality electronic and print resources not available for free on the Web. We love it when you use them! Get your money's worth: Check out our collections in person or on this Web site. | | Fact: Not everything is available on the Web. Often this has to do with money and/or copyright. While you're at JHU you'll need to find scholarly information from reputable sources in your field of study. Hopkins librarians are subject specialists and can help you learn to navigate the literature of your field. You'll avoid the embarrassment of turning in a paper in which you've cited inappropriate sources. | | Information in libraries is organized; information on the Internet is not. Search engines can throw you into page forty-six of some document whose beginning, end, or origin is a mystery. |
Don't get us wrong, we love the Web. But it's important to understand the differences between information that's freely available on the Web - lots of great stuff, lots of junk, depending on your purposes - and information that libraries license that may be delivered via the Web, but that isn't found by any search engine. We can help you determine the best places to look based on the type of information you need. We're happy to show you around the JHU Libraries - both online and in person - and help you learn to find what you need efficiently. Visit our Web site, stop by and say hello - we want to meet you! ©2001, 2004 Andrea Bartelstein, Milton S. Eisenhower Library, The Johns Hopkins University. This material may be reproduced or adapted for non-profit educational use only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author and include this copyright notice. |
