Blog Post #4

The hardest thing about finding information is finding really specific information because if you are looking for really specific information then you probably can only find it in one place. If you can only find that specific information in one place then the question becomes is that one source reliable? Now that is something that I have problems with on every research project I have whether or not the sources I find are reliable or not. This is where this Library Research class helped me to find what sources are really reliable and what sources are not. Also, this class also showed me what the true nature of Google which takes money from people to bring their hits up and it does not really show all hits that it says it found. Knowing this about Google will affect the way I search for information on Google because the information that shows up is biased in the sense that Google does not look for the best information that goes with your search item but actually gets paid by the companies or websites to bring their items up. Another piece of useful information brought to be by this class is when we spoke about plagiarism. Now I had an idea about what plagiarism was but I didn’t know much can go wrong with citing sources. The things that I considered as not plagiarism were actually plagiarism such as summarizing a piece, saying where it came from and nothing else. In actuality you need to provide a works citied page, internal citation and mention the piece. In the end this class helped me prepare for future research projects and readied me for college. 

Blog Post #3

Even though the internet is a great tool that can get information to a person in an instant I don’t believe that books will go away because books contain information that one may not be able to find in another place. Like we saw in class, the internet is full of illegitimate sources that are there to trip someone up. For example, everyone goes to Wikipedia to find information about anything they want but some people don’t know that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone so someone can go on it and change a fact to screw someone up. Books are needed for this purpose to make sure that someone doesn’t screw up a fact. In my opinion I don’t really believe in the creditability of purely internet based things, such as Wikipedia. The internet is not a place full creditable sources, in other words the internet is not a library. Now for academic paper one is most likely to get mark down by a teacher or professor for choosing a non-creditable internet source, whereas if one goes to the library finds a book on the topic. Now what I believe that the Library of Health and Sciences offering with some books the option to see the book online is a great thing because it allows the user to find creditable sources online. This source adds the convenience of the internet with the credibility of a library. The internet is a wonderful tool but it is not the best tool for someone to find credible sources.    

Blog Post #2

I believe that Librarians do much more than what people think they do. Not only do librarians put books on the shelves and maintain silence in the library but they also computer skilled and educate visitors to the library of the library’s tools. I see this everyday with librarians at my school who not only check on the books but are there to help us on research projects with the databases there and help us with issues with the computers. Without their knowledge of such things the library would be a far less useful place than it is now. I think it would be really cool if librarians began to go past the old traditional library with online catalogs and offer text digitally. I feel like as technology advances so does everything in our society, including libraries, no matter how much people fight the changes the new technology is put into our everyday lives. So, the library of the future will not only contain a vast array of computers but also will not have actual books in it. By the time I’m an adult I believe that libraries will become completely digital with nothing in paper form. Books will become will become digitalized and the “Kindles” or “iPads” of the future will replace them and allow people to have entire libraries at their disposal. However, the library will still be there though for those not able to access such information. The library will not “die” but it will actually just change how it provides its services to the public. 

Blog Post #1

When I get to college I hope to study either Biology or Chemistry but what I have been hearing from college students is that the major that they choose frequently changes. By hearing that I feel like my major will change also but only time will tell. Also, I am considering minoring in psychology because the way people act in situation and why they do that just fascinates me. I chose those majors and minor because I feel like choosing those minors will help me get ready for my ultimate goal of becoming a surgeon. The main reason why I have always wanted to be a surgeon is that I have always enjoyed helping others and I have thought of no bigger way to help others then with their health. The Pre-Colligate program is helping me accomplish this goal by already putting me in college orientated classes. Without this experience I would be entering college unprepared for the reality that would hit me. In a way I feel like I stand out against the countless numbers of people who are thinking the same way. Having experience in college like writing an essay assigned to me and due the next day. Also, besides just already expecting the work I’m hearing of the college experience from the T.A’s which is extremely useful. Besides the education piece the experience of college is what makes it memorable and I want it to be memorable. However, I cannot answer all the questions because college is a changing experience for many and who knows what will happen to me. I do know that Pre-Colligate has put me on the right course for college and has prepared me for my future.