Books, journals, and newspapers in their entirety
Need an article from
the May 1968 edition of Life magazine? Need a thorough biography
on the life of an obscure artist? Chances are you're only going
to find these resources in the library. While many Web sites
offer full-text articles and full-length works of literature
and nonfiction, more often you'll find only selected articles,
excerpts, tables of contents, or perhaps an abstract of an article.
Because of copyright and permissions issues, there will probably
never be a time when you'll find everything in print on the Web.
Indexes, Abstracts, Directories, Catalogs
Unfortunately, some
of the most detailed, reliable, and complete information online is
available only through fee-based information providers (such as Lexis-Nexis) or
password-protected Web sites. Few things in life are free! Don't forget the
value of all the free resources available to you in the public library!
Archives, Special Collections, Rare Books and Documents
In the past, original documents like
centuries-old manuscripts, historical records, and preserved maps were only found in libraries and special collections. Now the Internet offers the technology to share many such gems online. See the Library of Congress American Memory project.
Knowledgeable Reference Librarians
Knowing how and where to locate all
the resources available in the library is a science (you can
earn a graduate degree in Library and Information Science). Why not enlist the
aid of a reference librarian who is trained to help you track down reliable information? |
