I hope you have enjoyed my blog! I wanted to end with some important key points on information retrieval that I hope we can all walk away with:

Remember that in information retrieval, you play an intergral part in the research community. You are often the key link between a customer and the information they require, and will most likely interact with many types of people doing many different types of research. Keep in mind that information retrieval has been changing very rapidly over the past few years, especially with the advent of, and widespread use of, the Internet and everything that went along with it. We will likely need to show the college student how to access information through more traditional manners (i.e. microfiche and interlibrary loan - yes! you sometimes have to work to get your information and perhaps even wait for the information to come to you!). You may need to show someone unfamiliar with databases that there is more out there than just books at the library and http://www.google.com/ for retrieving information. And you will definately be doing some instruction while providing such services on how to locate and retrieve information.

Do not make assumptions! We don't always know what the researcher needs most, and we should never make the assumption that they do or do not need a source that we have without first inquiring with them. As Webb, Gannon-Leary, & Bent (2007) explained, "each researcher will be at a different stage in terms of their information literacy development, so you might be starting with simple explanations or working very much at the edge of your own knowledge base" (p. 125).

The most important part of information retrieval, on the part of the librarian, is to make sure the reference interview (for children doing reports, adults looking for medical information, college students looking for journals, etc.) is thorough. Make sure you are doing everything you can to provide what they need. Once you have shown them some resources, check and see if the information sources have within them what the customer needed. If not, you must keep going. Use as many resources as it takes and do not be afraid to direct them somewhere that could provide more or better information than your institution can provide.

Webb, J., Gannon-Leary, P., & Bent, M. (2007). Providing effective library services for research. London: Facet Publishing.

I ran across this in my online searches. I found it to be incredibly pertinent and quite funny.





Beardwell, E. & Mishon, J. (2008). Computer Data cartoon 3 catalog reference rman57. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from Cartoonstock Web site: http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman57l.jpg