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Introduction to Library Resources for PS198

Why not Google?

I <3 Google.  Really.  It is chock full of information.

But Google and library databases are very different types of resources.

  1. Google calculates the number of times a particular word or phrase appears in a website's metadata;
  2. Google uses click rankings (have you heard about the Santorum problem?); and
  3. Google accepts $$ to display certain websites on the first or first few pages of results.

The money-making potential for a given topic can seriously skew your Google search results.  

If you decide you'd like to use Google for your initial search, please take this information into account.  When in doubt, use Google Scholar.  Google Scholar searches against patents/trademarks, governmental organizations, and the indexes and contents notes of peer reviewed material.

 

Why Library Resources?

Library resources have been vetted, whether by professionals working in the field, or by librarians responsible for evaluating material specific to that discipline.  All libraries offer access to these types of resources.  

Like Google, library databases calculate the number of times a particular word or phrase appears in a resource's metadata.  Unlike Google, the results you'll find in a library database are limited to vetted material, are not displayed according to click rankings, and you'll never see advertisements.

You are already busy!  By searching against the library's collections, you reduce the amount of time and energy required to evaluate resources.

Appraisal

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

Primary sources are
1. Artifacts or texts that relay firsthand experience about an event, issue, item, or person. 
2. Original, unique items created when the event or issue occurred, or item or person existed.
3. A representation of ONE perspective.
4. Found in museums, historical societies, archives, private collections/papers, and libraries.
5. Examples of primary resources are
a. Photographs
b. Speeches and interviews
c. Letters, journals, and diaries
d. Autobiographies and memoirs
e. Artifacts like clothing, furniture, tools, and toys
f. Vital statistics, like Census records, and birth/death/marriage records
 
Secondary sources are
1. Texts that interpret or analyze an event, issue, item, or person after the fact.
2. Typically generated after the event, issue, item, or person described occurred or existed.
3. Created with the aid of primary resources and other secondary resources.
4. Found in museums, historical societies, archives, and libraries.
 
*An artifact or text that is a primary resource in one instance may be considered a secondary resource in another instance.  Context is important - be sure to carefully examine your resources! 
 
Tertiary sources are
1. Texts that identify both primary and secondary resources, such as bibliographies, encyclopedias, indexes, and textbooks.
2. Most often found in libraries.