When I first started to think about how technology affects historians today I immediately wanted to rage about how frustrating technology can be sometimes. But in the spirit of sharing positive thoughts with one another I have abstained from doing so.
Prior to my university career I really did not appreciate the vast amount of information that is accessible on the Internet. Over the four years of my undergrad I have been exposed to what is available out on the web, for better or for worse. Technology has opened the doors for historians to e-resources that have reached unprecedented levels. Thousands upon thousands of e-journals, discussions, reviews, e-books and archives are now all available at the historian’s fingertips. However, with all the good information comes the bad too and so it also has become the job of the historian to learn how to determine when using websites and other Internet based sources the respectability and validity of the sources. Unlike with books and material monographs historians can gather in libraries, anyone can publish information on the web. So the historian must proceed with caution when exploring the web.
Having said that, technology has allowed the discipline of history to grow in leaps and bounds. Historians can communicate with one another around the globe by simply turning on a computer. History students can find a multitude of ways to attain valuable research information online whether it is through online library catalogues, interlibrary loan services, e-journal archives and reputable websites. The advancement of technology has allowed for the advancement of history as discipline by making it more readily accessible to the greater population online.
Hi Morgann,
ReplyDeleteYes, technology can be frustrating at times. As a librarian, I am aware of what goes into the selection of books for a library. There is a monetary limit to what can be purchased in one year. And although we try to limit our personal preferences entering into the selection process that too affects what is purchased. I could go on, but you have to be critical of what you are finding in a library as well as on the internet - there is just more of it to sift through online.