Google, Public Libraries, and the Deep Web

Alieda Blandford

Authors

Alieda Blandford Dalhousie University

Keywords:

Search engines, the Deep Web, OPACs

Abstract

A February 2012 Pew Internet survey found that 91% of online adults use search engines to find information on the web (Purcell, Brenner, & Rainie, 2012). Asked which search engine they use most often, 83% of search users say Google.

This paper outlines a (not insurmountable) challenge to public libraries, which have a mandate to facilitate public access to information. A preliminary study reveals that many public libraries in Canada currently block their catalogues from Google‘s indexing robots, effectively rendering their resources invisible to the majority of internet searchers. This fact undermines the purpose and functionality of public libraries‘ Online Public Library Catalogues (OPACs). This paper will address the problem of dynamic content for search engine robots, and suggest solutions, such as the creation of sitemaps, as well as illustrating the need for future studies.

Author Biography

Alieda Blandford, Dalhousie University

Alieda is a MLIS candidate from Victoria, British Columbia. She is the Digital Publications Officer for the School of Information Management Student Association and an Editorial Chair for the Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management. She has also served as the Fundraising Chair for Librarians Without Borders and is a founding member of FYI Halifax, an action-oriented community group interested in local literacy projects and information activism. Her professional interests lie in public libraries, particularly collection development, community outreach, and emerging technologies.

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