What will you find in each of the following sources, and when it is appropriate to use each: library catalogue, subscription databases, the internet?
| Library Catalogue | Subscription Databases | WWW | |
| What can be found? |
Library catalogues contain a listing of the collection of a particular library, or in some cases, a network of libraries. In particular, the library collection will likely include paper and digital resources on a wide range of topics. |
Subscription databases can include (1) abstracts or full-text documents from articles that have been printed in journals, (2) articles that have appeared in newspapers and other forms of popular media, (3) other specialized information such as patents. |
The internet contains an infinite range of materials: written articles, music, videos, social media sites, games, etc. |
| When to use? |
Probably the main use of this resource is when a user would like to find out if a particular book is in a library’s collection. It can also be used to find out if the library has resources on a particular topic or fiction books on a general theme. |
Information obtained from subscription databases is often, but not always, of a high enough quality to be trusted for academic work or research. Subscription databases are generally too difficult for school-aged children to use, but university students and other adults should use resources like this when doing research. |
The information that is found on the world wide web is completely unregulated, so it is important for users to understand that and to check the source of any information that is found here. The web is a good place to START a search, but if the end goal is to have an accurate and reliable product, users should supplement what they find here with information derived from more reliable sources, such as academic journals or books that have been issued from a reliable source. |
