Searching the Internet - Simple is Good

For all that I've done so far with my topic, I have yet to do a simple Internet search for information on my topic. I decided to start with a brief Google search with the phrase "digitization projects." I was pleasantly surprised by the very first result that came up in the hits list. The Web page is titled Collaborative Digitization Programs in the United States, and it provides links to all the U.S. projects according to the state wherein each is being conducted. Specifically, it discusses "ongoing collaborative digitization projects that focus on cultural heritage materials."

While this information is great, my topic is library digitization programs. Looking through the list, I found another link at the bottom of the page for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. This site is devoted to the multiple digitization projects underway at the UIUC Library. This site actually had numerous links to more information, and it would take me quite some time to go through it all. Still, most of the links I looked at appeared to offer one the ability to access their collections, rather than actually talk about how they constructed their digitization projects or other material that would help me with my topic.

I changed my search phrase to "library digitization projects" and tried again. This time I found a link to the World Digital Library Project. Following a link on that page to their actual project website, I found a webpage that provides background on the project and some frequently asked questions about the project. I found all of this very interesting. The site also gave me some ideas on how digital information could be stored. They allow users to browse their database by:

* Place
* Time
* Topic
* Type of Item
* Institution

I was impressed by their thorough categories. They do not yet have many items stored in their database, but it looks like this project will be very useful once it is complete.

Studying about searches, it is useful to know that there are a variety of sophisticated ways to search for information. Still, I was happy today to find that even simple approaches can yield useful results.

I have learned so much this semester, both about my chosen topic and about how topics can be explored through different search methods, media, and the latest technologies. This has been a wonderful journey - one I am glad to have taken. To all my readers this semester, thank you for following my progress. I hope that my blog has been educational and enjoyable. This is the end.