However, for most topics of study and research at the college level, the Library's online resources offer more efficient and comprehensive access to information. An article by Carol Tenopir in the February 1 Library Journal compares the web and just one of the Library's databases, Lexis-Nexis, to illustrate some of the differences. 60 new docu ments added every 4 seconds One new page added every 4 seconds Size Approx. 1 billion documents Approx. Organi zation Documents grouped in logical datasets and sub files.
Information is scattered, with organization varying among providers.
Authority Documents have been through an editorial review process by a pub lisher protecting its reputation for ac curacy. Web sites may be posted by anyone, and rarely come under the same scrutiny as pub lished documents. Help Online databases provide context-sensitive help screens to assist users in efficient searching. You're on your own in figuring out how many web sites are organ ized. Response time is highly variable.