Subject Guides: Information Literacy Tutorial: E. Media Types

Media Types

Media Types

Definition: Media is the plural form of the word medium. A medium is a way of communicating or transmitting information. So, media refers to all the ways in which we communicate information.

In libraries, there are two primary media we collect: print and electronic.

Books and articles are traditionally thought of as print sources, but now with the Internet, many printed resources are now available electronically. Regardless of whether content appears in print or electronic format, it is important that you are able to assess whether it is reliable and authoritative. Some other features of the media appear in the chart at the bottom.

Each medium (print and electronic) is comprised of a variety of formats:

Print formats	Digital formats
Books	eBooks
Periodical articles	Online journals
Pamphlets	Web pages
Maps	CD-ROMs
Government documents, etc.	DVDs, etc.

Medium

Advantages

Often Best For

Print

Usually goes through an editorial process for reliability
May be accessed without a computer
Not dependent on network connections or speeds
Provides historical context

Longer works such as books and book chapters

Historical research
Background information

Electronic

Information may be updated easily
Often up-to-the-minute information
May be keyword searchable
May be accessed outside of the library
Multiple students can look at the same information at the same time
Easily print, download, or manipulate information

Shorter works such as articles

Late-breaking news
Numerical data that needs to be manipulated

Information Literacy Tutorial

Media Types

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