Title: Going Beyond Google: The Invisible Web in Learning and Teaching
Abstract: Information professionals are well aware of the consequences of relying on a basic web search to fulfill research needs. This is particularly true in the field of health sciences, where the cost of not finding the right information can be very high. Additionally, information professionals have most likely experienced the “good-enough” attitude of many information seekers who rely solely on the first page of search results when conducting research. The book, Going Beyond Google, provides readers with tools and background information that can be used to help students understand the value of using invisible web resources to meet their information needs.
Going Beyond Google coauthors Devine and Egger-Sider have degrees in library science and many years of practical experience, most recently in the community college library setting. Prior to writing Going Beyond Google, Devine and Egger-Sider coauthored two articles on librarians' use of the invisible web [1,2]. Many other articles, books, websites, and audiovisual materials are available to help researchers tap into invisible web resources, as is evident in the numerous references and pointers to additional information that are provided in the book. Going Beyond Google stands out in this crowd, as it is directly relevant to those who teach searching skills to others.
Going Beyond Google is organized into three parts and seven chapters. The content of each chapter brings the reader through the process of learning, using, and teaching search skills for the invisible web. The book begins by providing background information on the invisible and visible web, followed by a summary of research conducted on the search habits of different populations, from high school students to college faculty. This information sets the stage for the second part of the book, which provides information to help readers teach invisible web–searching skills. Of particular note is the detailed information on the author-developed stages for learning about the invisible web, the linkages between these stages and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education,” and the suggestions for integrating invisible web instruction in different learning environments.
The book also offers practical information by providing sample assignments to reinforce invisible web–searching skills, comparing search results from visible and invisible web resources, and referencing invisible web resources that meet various information needs. The last part of the book discusses the ever-changing boundaries between the visible and invisible web, focusing on new and emerging technologies to mine web-based information. Additional features include a preface, a detailed table of contents and index, a list of figures and tables, and appendixes that provide a list of selected additional readings, tools for teaching the invisible web, and the ACRL Information Literacy Standards.
Though the content clearly favors librarians working in a higher education setting, Devine and Egger-Sider state that their intended audience for Going Beyond Google is “teaching faculty at every level of the educational spectrum, including librarians” (p. x). The authors assume their readers have a solid background in web-based searching and searching terminology. They frequently refer to terms such as open access, deep websites, and vertical, semantic, and split-level searching, though these terms are not always defined. Additionally, the example assignments that are used to illustrate methods of teaching the invisible web are relevant to research at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Overall, Going Beyond Google is concise and well written. Highlights include the example assignments and the links between the stages of learning about the invisible web and information literacy skills. Minor organizational inconsistencies and content issues may serve as a distraction to readers. For example, the authors map their stage one and stage two concepts for teaching invisible web skills to information literacy standards but do not map their stage three concepts. Instead, they state, “the ACRL and [American Association of School Librarians (AASL)] Standards do not need referencing at this point” (p. 53). Currency of information may also be a concern as the authors include example web searches from 2006 (p. 77) and acknowledge the ever-shifting boundaries between the visible and invisible web (p. 111). Additionally, the authors make statements that may give health sciences librarians pause. For example, when discussing free and fee-based health resources, the authors compare PubMed with EBSCOhost CINAHL, not MEDLINE (p. 99). In another instance, the authors recommend WebMD as a place to search for health information in their discussion of vertical search engines, equating it with other sites such as USA.gov for government information and Science.gov for scientific information (p. 117).
Going Beyond Google provides a general introduction to the invisible web that would be useful to those who teach beginning searchers, have broad research needs, and can readily apply the information and tools provided in the book. Health sciences librarians, especially those supporting higher-level research, may find that Going Beyond Google is too general to support the highly specialized information needs of their audience.