Blog Reflection 2

Spend some time reflecting on what you have read and participated in the past few weeks. Has your opinion changed about libraries?

Libraries are great places for discoveries. I am fairly familiar with libraries but did not realize that so many different things are available through various libraries. Some libraries even have Starbucks', like CSULB. The reference assignments introduced me to some books that I would probably not have reached for, like the statistical abstract.

Do you think that libraries are not needed now that we have almost constant access to information on the Internet?

We need libraries more than ever. Libraries should be a part of daily life. Not everything is available on the internet, and not everything on the internet provides credible or creditable information. One of our assignments showed how easy it would be to be seduced by a fake scientific website--until the aha! moment when one realizes that it's all a game. We need to be selective and discerning about information found on the internet. Anybody can post anything on the internet and make it look legitimate, at first glance. Caveat emptor.

What role does the Internet have in YOUR life?

The internet plays a big role in my life. I go to school via the internet, read the news on the internet, keep up with my e-mail on the internet, and even shop on the internet. Probably my two biggest uses of the internet are for taking online courses and reading The New York Times. I could live without the internet, but it makes school, mail and news that much more accessible.