Databases vs. the Web: A Discussion of Teaching the Use of Electronic Resources in the Library Instruction Setting

Considering the impact of the World Wide Web upon research behavior, the need for encouraging effective information seeking has never been more urgent, especially to first-year students and students returning to higher education after a period of absence. To address this issue, points that the instruction librarian may communicate to students in an introductory library instruction session include: the concept of the Web as a loosely structured environment (the landscape of the environment); the distinction between the Web and databases delivered via this system (filtered vs. unfiltered information); and the process of “tool analysis” (relationship between a database search and results). The goal of this endeavor within library instruction is to encourage critical thinking and effective information seeking within the electronic information environment.