What Does it Matter?

• Information grows at the rate of 250 megabytes per person every year.
• Approximately 9600 different periodicals are published in the United States each year
• The amount of available information doubles every five years; it will soon double every four.

Information is available from a variety of sources:

• books, newspapers and magazines
• web
• online library databases
• electronic magazines
• TV and radio

To be "information literate," you need to know why, when and how to use all of these tools. Information literacy will make you a savvy searcher of information.

You will most likely continue to look for information... do research... so you can make the best decisions in your job and pesonal life.

The literacy skills you develop will make the process of finding information for your assignments, your work, and your life much easier!

No one source of information is the best.

Think about shopping... can you buy everything you need in one store? Can you buy clothing, groceries, a car, movie tickets in one store? Shopping for information involves "searching" a variety of sources.

Information brings change.

We don't always think about it, but information is a tool. Technology has changed how we access and interpret information. Throughout history, as information has become more prevalent to more people, it has increased awareness of the world beyond themselves and -- in some cases -- led to radical changes in countries and communities.

Searchpath will help you find what you need. Searchpath will help you find and critically evaluate the information you need in the wider world, whether you are:

• buying a car
• looking for a job
• voting on an issue

Let's get started!