Introduction. I report an investigation designed to identify the contemporary role of digital resources for information retrieval, such as Alex Author-dictionary. This study proposes that it is essential to see digital resources and their specific place within contemporary structures for information retrieval, that digital resources relate to a broader context. My focus is facts beyond giving patrons access to a specific type of information about authors. Method. This case study uses integration of qualitative content analysis from interviewees with data analysis. A pre-search interview and data-analysis along with follow-up interviews established some interesting perspectives on Alex Author-dictionary as well as aspects on digital resources for information retrieval. Transcripts of the interviews formed the data for analysis. Analysis. Qualitative analyses were carried out from two preparatory email-interviews, one with the editor and one with a person who writes for Alex. Another pre-search interview and two following interview sessions, one with a school librarian and another with a public librarian, were conducted. Results. It proved possible to demonstrate that Alex Author-dictionary as such has its benefits compared to sources from the internet. The results derive from and agree with some previous studies, especially that there is a where, when and how to use different resources. The web for example could advantageously give patrons access to other formats such as video interviews etc. that the library doesn’t hold. Conclusion. I identify a need to enlarge the scope of how patrons teach users. Users of all ages would be benefited from knowing when to use Google and when benefited using other digital resources of information retrieval. This sound awareness is directly related to users need to develop skills, and then interpret their own actual information literacy. This could take place either in sessions of user education at the library, or from teachers in a school environment.