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Google v. Library Research: Home

Google and the University Libraries contain different information types.

Google contains a wide variety of source types including some scholarly and professional sources as well as websites, blogs, social media, and more. The University Libraries are focused on academic & professional sources like books, scholarly journal articles, newspapers, & archival materials.Google and the University Libraries have different review processes. Google has no formalized review process. Sources available through the University Libraries are reviewed by subject area experts.Google and the University Libraries have different costs for you. Google is free to search, but scholarly information is often locked behind a paywall. The University Libraries make scholarly information free to you as a student who pays tuition to UofL.Google and the University Libraries have different search functionalities. Google gives you a huge number of results but has few options to narrow or refine your search. The University Libraries has tools for narrowing and refining your search so you can find what you need.