Beyond google: the invisible web in the academic library

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Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of the Invisible Web and its implication for academic librarianship. It offers a guide to tools that can be used to mine the Invisible Web and discusses the benefits of using the Invisible Web to promote interest in library services. In addition, the article includes an expanded definition, a literature review, and suggestions for ways in which to incorporate the Invisible Web in reference work and library promotion.

Section snippets

A primer on defining the invisible web

The Invisible Web comprises all the information sources available on the World Wide Web that are overlooked by conventional search engines, including Google. It is the fastest growing category of new information sources on the Web. Most of this overlooked material resides in subject databases that require individualized searching or constitutes information that is dynamically generated for a particular inquiry. It is easy to prove that all librarians, wittingly or not, already use material from

How Librarians Can Use the Invisible Web

As suggested above, librarians use Invisible Web content frequently, even if not consciously trying to do so. This is especially true as Invisible Web content includes most online library catalogs and the subscription databases that many libraries provide access to. Many other useful resources form part of the Invisible Web among them government sites and sites offering medical or business information that librarians actively recommend. But if the content of the Invisible Web is simply the

Conclusion

The Invisible Web presents opportunities for librarians to demonstrate their skills in a world where they are often made to feel that they are in competition with Google and other search engines. By promoting awareness of the Invisible Web and helping people use it, librarians are building on what they know and the services that they already provide at their reference desks and in their classrooms. If the Invisible Web label can promote interest and appreciation for that work, as has been the

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