Why Library Research?
Today an incredible amount of content is seemingly available at our finger tips. We don’t even have to leave home. With a computer, smart phone or tablet, we can access the internet from multiple locations, including the comfort of our own home. Using a variety of search engines, we can find information on almost any subject, and receive advice and articles from a variety of 'experts'.
We don’t even have to read anymore. We can listen to podcasts, TED talks, and watch instructional videos. We can go to various websites such as fiverr and pay someone $5 to write an article or research paper on an issue of our choice.
We can hire a qualified expert to locate and extract high quality digital information for us that is available behind paywalls. Seemingly, everything we’d ever need to know is available without ever going to a library. But what if you sift and sort through all the information and still can’t find the answers you seek?
Did you know that, even with all the information that is available on-line, it is still a very small fraction of the body of data, information and knowledge that exists in the world? How amazing is that?
Books, journals, photographs, stereoviews, maps, documents, county, church and cemetery records are just a few items that may not be digital. This is particularly true in the areas of genealogical, historical or land records research. While the treasure trove of on-line data and information is huge, that doesn’t mean the data and information you need exists in that environment.
In other instances, the records you need may have been summarized, converted, transcribed or indexed digitally, but the quality is inexact. Errors exist in translations, indexes or transcriptions that can only be detected by examining the original document. What if “Lucy” is really a “Susy”? It really is worth it to check out the original image, document or article.
When it comes to documents, books and articles do you have the time or desire to search through the stacks to answer your own questions? Is there a special collection you may wish to access; but you cannot, or do not, wish to travel to that location?
If so, please contact Willowriv Consulting. Libraries are my second home. I enjoy providing answers to the questions you seek.
