The document discusses whether librarians are still needed in the internet age. It summarizes a study comparing the internet search skills of librarians versus non-librarians. The study found that librarians had more computer experience, could better identify reliable internet sources, and were more knowledgeable about search techniques like keywords and Boolean operators. While non-librarians listed more search sites, the sites listed by librarians tended to be more scholarly databases. Based on these findings, the document concludes that librarians perform better than non-librarians at internet search and retrieving detailed and reliable research information.

1. INFORMATION SEARCH
AND RETRIEVAL IN THE
INTERNET AGE: IS THERE
ANY NEED FOR THE
LIBRARIAN?
Chimezie P. Uzuegbu
&
Ogonna .N. Aniedu
Maiden conference of the Nigerian Library Association, Abia State
Chapter @ National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike. Dec.11-
13, 2012

2. INTRODUCTION
Someone recently asked -
“What is the need for
the library today since I
have the Internet
there?”

3. In another place and at
another time, someone
walked into a digital library
and said –
“why call this place a
library and keep a staff in
it when I have no need for
him?”

4. GUESS WHAT! The librarian
in that digital library became
sad.
he wondered if a computer
literate librarian can be
compared with a computer
literate non-librarian.

5. He also conjectured if the
unguided online information
search and retrievals made by
non-librarians can be reliable
for research.
He could not believe how a non-
librarian would know scholarly
search sites more than him.

6. Next – he shared his
ordeal with his colleague
and both of them dived
into this study.

7. The objectives they set were:
1. to find out the
computer/Internet experience
margin between librarians and non-
librarians
2. to examine librarians and non-
librarians knowledge and perception
of qualities of a certified and
reliable Internet publication.

8. 3. To study librarians and
non-librarians knowledge of
search sites and query signs
used for Internet search
and retrieval of
information.

9. After a survey of 30
computer literate
librarians and 30 non-
librarians who are
computer literates
also, the researchers
came up with results.

10. RESULTS
1. It was found that 83% of
the librarian respondents has
more than five years of
computer experience against
the non-librarians who had
only 67% that possess five
years and above experience of
computer/internet.

11. 2. Librarians could identify a
certified and reliable internet
document more than the non-
librarians.
Moreover, librarians were more
definite (in terms and features)
in listing characteristics of a
certified and reliable internet
retrieved document more than
the non-librarians.

12. 3a. The number of search sites
librarians know are less than the
number listed by non-librarians.
But, a closer examination on the
listings, show that the few sites
librarians listed are more of
subject gateways and scholarly
databases. Whereas the non-
librarians were listing open search
sites like Google, Devil Finder, et
cetera.

13. 3b. Librarians accepted the
usage of keywords, Boolean
operators and other query
signs in retrieving internet
information more than non-
librarians.

14. SUMMARY
Based on these findings, it is not
gainsaying that librarians who
possess Computer/Internet skills
perform better than non-
librarians in Internet information
search and would retrieve a more
detailed, definite and reliable
research information than the
non-librarians.

15. It is imperative to note that
the assertion of Ononogbo
(2010), who posits that many
online researchers end up in
retrieving, printing out and
taking home to their research
desk, documents that are
unreliable is true.

16. So, non-librarians should
know that -
A librarian have not only been
trained in the business of
information classification and
description, which is the backbone
of Internet success today
(Singh, 2008), but also possesses
the ICT related skills to practice in
today’s society (Ogunsola, 2011;
Ramos, 2007).

17. And so, we ask before we
bow out -
IS THERE ANY NEED
FOR THE LIBRARIAN IN
THIS INTERNET AGE ? -

18. Indeed, there is.
Thank you all!