Information Gaps

While reading both Gordon’s article as well as “Information Behavior of the researcher of the future,” I came across the statement that younger students are unaware of their own informational needs and as a result are unable to search effectively.  This statement came as a surprise at first.  Yet, the more I read and reflected on the statement, the more truth I found in this statement.  My own experience working with students reflect this, as sometimes despite having a topic they do not know what they are looking for.  When this problem came up, the SLMS usually suggested starting with broad research, and then based upon those findings, narrowing down the topic of research.  While this strategy may work in some instances, as the readings pointed out, many times students are not taking the time to read and evaluate their sources, which makes it difficult to narrow the focus while continuing research.  This goes to show how necessary it is for the teacher-librarian to work with the students and teach them information literacy skills.

Moreover, Eli Pariser’s video was eye-opening.  Although it is not an issue when using library resources and databases, the personalized selection of materials that many search engines are providing may hurt students’ research.  Often younger students rely on Google to provide them with their information, yet due to this personalization they may not be able to find the sources that they need, especially as search engines lean more towards a “junk food” diet of information.  I strongly agree with Pariser’s point that we need to receive a “balanced diet” of information that will entertain, but also information that presents us with new ideas that challenge us.  This new tailoring of the internet is not only serving to isolate us, but also may lead the dumbing down of our nation as the latest celebrity gossip begins to take relevance over world events.