Even librarians experience information overload
Matt Coan
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: News
We take it for granted that we have constant access to an ever-expanding world of information, even us creaky, crotchety old folks that inhabit the college with you young'n's. If you doubt this, try giving up going online for a few days. Of course, with research papers to write and exams on the horizon, you might want to wait until winter break to try this. Perhaps we need the occasional breather from the water cannon of information that careens off our craniums each time we search Google.
Recently I undertook the task of selling our house and moving to another. The first time my wife and I purchased a home six years ago, I recall being completely burned out by phone calls to realtors, banks, inspectors, contractors and utility companies. This go-around, while I did do a fair amount of phone calling, I spent far more time online, staring at a monitor and clicking a mouse. When it was over, six months after we attended our first open house, and we were in our new place, I was in no hurry to set up my home computer again. If I had had to describe the status of my relationship with my computer on Facebook, I would have posted, "It's complicated."
Back in April, we began checking for suitable listings on sites such as wisconsinhomes.com and fsbomadison.com. Of course, a home's listing company might contain additional images, so if a place looked promising, we also checked there. If we were still interested, we visited Madison's city assessor site or the county's equivalent, 'Access Dane,' to gauge whether a listing price was in line with its assessed value. From there, it was on to Google Maps to see a street view to get a feel for the neighborhood and its location in relation to noisy streets or traffic-generating businesses. True, it's handy for lawn mowing, but do I really want a gas station on the other side of the fence from our daughter's jungle gym? We also discovered walkscore.com. Turns out both our previous and present neighborhoods are considered 'somewhat walkable,' and we rate way higher than the former President's Crawford Ranch (which is more than five miles from Spanos Coffee Station).
We were fortunate that we had help from our families during the process. Even so, when crunch time came and we had to negotiate the paperwork back and forth between our buyer and our new home's seller, the banks and title companies and the inspectors and assessors, I nearly gave up.
Here at the MATC Libraries, the last thing we want is for anyone to give up in despair when it comes to finding information. Whether you're working on a project, a problem or a paper, the library staff is ready to help you through the maze. Before you're dragged down by information overload, stop by, call, Skype or e-mail us. Let us help you sort through your sources, solve your citation problems, and tackle your topics. We're here to help and you won't even need Google Maps to find us.
Recently I undertook the task of selling our house and moving to another. The first time my wife and I purchased a home six years ago, I recall being completely burned out by phone calls to realtors, banks, inspectors, contractors and utility companies. This go-around, while I did do a fair amount of phone calling, I spent far more time online, staring at a monitor and clicking a mouse. When it was over, six months after we attended our first open house, and we were in our new place, I was in no hurry to set up my home computer again. If I had had to describe the status of my relationship with my computer on Facebook, I would have posted, "It's complicated."
Back in April, we began checking for suitable listings on sites such as wisconsinhomes.com and fsbomadison.com. Of course, a home's listing company might contain additional images, so if a place looked promising, we also checked there. If we were still interested, we visited Madison's city assessor site or the county's equivalent, 'Access Dane,' to gauge whether a listing price was in line with its assessed value. From there, it was on to Google Maps to see a street view to get a feel for the neighborhood and its location in relation to noisy streets or traffic-generating businesses. True, it's handy for lawn mowing, but do I really want a gas station on the other side of the fence from our daughter's jungle gym? We also discovered walkscore.com. Turns out both our previous and present neighborhoods are considered 'somewhat walkable,' and we rate way higher than the former President's Crawford Ranch (which is more than five miles from Spanos Coffee Station).
We were fortunate that we had help from our families during the process. Even so, when crunch time came and we had to negotiate the paperwork back and forth between our buyer and our new home's seller, the banks and title companies and the inspectors and assessors, I nearly gave up.
Here at the MATC Libraries, the last thing we want is for anyone to give up in despair when it comes to finding information. Whether you're working on a project, a problem or a paper, the library staff is ready to help you through the maze. Before you're dragged down by information overload, stop by, call, Skype or e-mail us. Let us help you sort through your sources, solve your citation problems, and tackle your topics. We're here to help and you won't even need Google Maps to find us.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
College essay help
posted 12/21/09 @ 2:31 PM CST
I agree that whether you're working on a project, a problem or a paper, the library staff is ready to help you through the maze.
Post a Comment