It is estimated that less than 15% of the world's information is digitized. The vast majority of the world's information is available in print-only, much of it published in books. While the Web may be a great source of current information, books are either the best source and/or the only source of other types of information. The key is to know when to search for a book.
The following table provides examples of when books are the best and/or only source of information:
| Books
are the BEST Information Source for... |
Books
are the ONLY Information Source for... |
| Background Information (all disciplines) |
|
Collections of Selected
Literary Works (Anthologies) |
Collections of Selected
Literary Works (Anthologies) |
| Compiled Works (all disciplines) |
Compiled Works (all disciplines) |
| History |
|
| Historical Narrative
(non-fiction) |
Historical Narrative
(non-fiction) |
| Law (statutes, regulatory code, and case law) |
|
| Literary Criticism |
|
| Literature: Long
Fiction |
Literature: Long
Fiction |
| Literature: Short
Fiction |
|
|
Philosophy |
|
Popular Fiction |
Popular Fiction |
| Scholarly Treatises |
Scholarly Treatises |
| Science Monographs |
Science Monographs |
| Technical Manuals |
Technical Manuals |
Why Books? | How to Find Books! | How to Cite Books.
Last updated: Friday, 02-Jul-2004 16:10:44 EDT