As a millennial, I am no stranger to the ease and magic of web searching. The world has become our oyster, and we feast on the delicious bits of information we are fed every single day. The Internet, however, is much like the food choices we make. If you equate the quality of articles you find to the quality of food, you might find yourself in a health crisis. After all, the empty calories and unhealthy fat of a fast food meal is no different than the empty information and useless facts found in a biased or under researched website. It may fill up the spaces of your paper, but to what value?
Now, consider a peer reviewed source, rich with researched information that gives a solid and proven foundation to the paper you write. That’s a healthy meal! If you think of Internet searching in this way (and who doesn’t love thinking about food?), the choice is simple. Quick Internet searches, just like junk food, are a hasty and easy fix, but as time passes it’s easy to see that nothing was gained, but pounds and a deteriorated health condition.
Don’t do this to yourself academically. By taking the few extra steps to use a library database, you are not only learning more valuable and valid information, but that data will stay with you and keep your mind and knowledge at a healthy level. Taking the easy way is always a temptation, but just as people are able to change their lifestyles to eat right and take care of themselves, so too can you start practicing the constant use of the valuable resources offered by the library.
So, jump in and start today. Use your librarian as a personal trainer, and exercise your mind to become comfortable with all the library has to give you. You’ll be glad you did, and remember that you get out what you put in. A paper that has a little more effort and research in it benefits you, and the grade that comes with it doesn’t hurt either.
