The Internet has SPEED; a library has ACCURACY. Both are important
Which is better: a library or the Internet?
Well, it really depends on what you are looking for — and how up-to-date you need the information you’re looking for to be.
If accuracy is what you need, then go to a library; but if what you want is speed, the Internet is better.
Why? Because it takes more time to print information and distribute newspapers, books and magazines that contain that information, than it takes to post that same information to the web.
A daily newspaper is only as current as its last edition; but an Internet post can be up-to-the-minute (as long as the webmaster keeps it that way).
Needless to say, some web sites are more worthy of your trust than others — but the same is true of printed material as well.
The best way to ensure the accuracy of any material that you find on the web is to verify it. By verification, I mean cross-referencing online sources so as to compare results (one should always do this online and with printed material as well). The good news here is that it’s much faster to cross-reference information online than it is in a library. Also, you can copy and paste information you find from web sites (this is not possible with printed material).
Another significant advantage (more important than most people think) is that any web page is searchable by keyword through your browser — printed material, of course, is not.
