Recently I viewed a short YouTube video about “The Evolution of [Google] Search “and I started thinking about the last time I gave a Library presentation about our resources, services and staff.  The video highlights the beginnings of Google which started as a research project in 1996 and how search has evolved. It includes such topics as universal results, quick answers, and the future of search.  I understand the importance and value of improving the Google search algorithm – using a word, a combination of words, phrase, or an image to retrieve relevant results but I know that Google is still not always enough.   This is the point I make when I give my presentation (Why the Library? Isn’t Google Enough?). 

The fact is that sometimes users need to look at alternate resources to find the information they seek.  Better yet, a trained reference librarian can bring value to the research results by identifying these alternate resources and showing how to leverage the various features each resource provides. Continue reading →

In early September, the MSKCC Library implemented a NEW Open URL link resolver (360 Link) to enhance access to our ebooks as well as our ejournal collection. Staff worked hard to ensure that our users would be minimally impacted by this change. This technology supports the desire of our Library user community to access full text journal articles quickly — in as few clicks as possible.

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