6.1 Information & Libraries

Where Does Your Information Come From?

Our world is rich with a wide variety of information sources. When you want to find out about something, you might use any of the following resources:

  • Social media
  • Internet, smartphone
  • Television, radio
  • Family & friends
  • Newspapers, magazines, journals
  • Images, memes, maps
  • Libraries

A student with phone, notebook, and coffee, studying in the Library

What Role Does a Library Play in Your Information World?

Libraries serve to connect you to information in three major ways:

  1. Libraries have physical collections of books, DVDs, magazines, journals, and newspapers.
  2. Libraries provide 24/7 online access to a wide range of databases (articles, eBooks, streaming video, images, etc).
  3. Librarians and library staff connect you to resources. Librarians stay current on issues, technologies, and events. They are trained to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate to ask for their assistance.

A librarian helps a student with their searching at the Watsonville ILC

Pathways & Formats

Information and knowledge resources come in various media and formats, both online and in print. It’s helpful to get familiar with the various pathways to access these information formats.

Library "Catalog"

Information about materials physically owned by the library (e.g., books, DVDs), and where to find them.

Library "Databases"

Online, full-text information from journals, magazines, newspapers, eBooks, images, streaming video, encyclopedias, and other sources provided to you from Library subscription databases.

Internet Search Engines

Information available via the Web, including government, educational, commercial, and organizational resources. Google dominates the search engine market, but there are actually many others you can use, such as DuckDuckGo Links to an external site..

A student looking for a book in the Library stacks

Photo credits: Marcello Hutchinson-Trujillo