Like a Pro Ask a Librarian Gina Kessler

Like a Pro Ask a Librarian Gina Kessler Lee February 19, 2014

About Gina • Information Literacy Librarian since September o Information literacy is the ability to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information” - American Library Association. Presidential Committee on Information Literacy. Final Report. (Chicago: American Library Association, 1989. ) • Contact me with questions: gkl 2@stmarys-ca. edu

About You • Fill out the poll at http: //bit. ly/SMCgoog

Everyone knows how to search Google, right? • Wrong! http: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue. jpg

To Google or to… • • Bing Yahoo Wolfram Alpha Tor (private) Ask Dogpile Blekko (tablet only) ? (it’s up to you)

Search engine popularity (U. S. ) Google Bing Yahoo Other Com. Score releases December 2013 U. S. Search Engine Rankings. (2014, January 15). Retrieved February 3, 2014, from http: //www. comscore. com/Insights/Press_Releases/2014/1/ com. Score_Releases_December_2013_US_Search_Engine_Rankings

How Google Works • • Crawls the web from link to link Saves, or caches, a copy of each page Adds every word to The Index Decide which sites to rank at the top using an algorithm of 200+ factors • Keeps track of what people search and what result they click on to improve results Sources: http: //www. google. com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/, http: //www. performancemediaplacement. com/Google-Ranking-Factors. asp

But! • Google can’t get to everything. Surface Web Deep Web Dynamic content Unlinked content Stuff on the free and open web Content behind paywalls/passwords (e. g. , library databases) Scripted or non-text content

Basics: the “Omnibox” • Now most browsers let you search and browse in one box; the default is probably Google, unless you use IE (please don’t).

Basics: Who Does Google Think You Are? • Check your Ads Preferences

Google Tips on Hack. College • A little outdated, but still my favorite presentation of the best tips in one place http: //www. hackcollege. com/blog/2011/11/23/infographic-get-moreout-of-google. html

Google Search Tips • Every word counts, and so does word order • Capitalization and punctuation don’t matter (usually) • Google spellchecks and automatically searches for synonyms • You can see what terms it’s matching on because they are in bold

Google Search Tips

Google Search Tricks • Put phrases/titles/lyrics in quotation marks o “the immortal life of henrietta lacks” • Put words you want spelled as is in quotation marks o “cornell west” • You can use OR to search alternate terms o Library exhibits college OR university • Instead of NOT, use minus o gina kessler -dds –band • Use two periods to search number ranges o propaganda 1935. . 1945 • Use * to imply a missing word o Robert * Stevenson W O W

Google Search Tricks (cont’d) • Search within a site or domain o “google like a pro” site: stmarys-ca. edu o race longitudinal youth site: npr. org o library exhibit typewriter site: edu • Or search in other fields o intitle: ultralight o inurl: history • Search by file type o library data filetype: xls o library event filetype: pdf • Find related sites o related: census. gov

Google Search Tricks • Google will calculate all kinds of things automatically: o http: //www. google. com/insidesearch/tipstricks/

Google Search Tricks • Recipe search options (click Search Tools)

Google Search Tricks • Page is down? Try the cache. • Or use “Similar” to find like sites.

You can also use these tips in Gmail, Drive, etc.

You can also use these tips in… Google’s other search products

Google Scholar • Settings > Library Links > Saint Mary’s College of California (to see SMC-subscribed content) • Or go through the SMC Library databases list

Google Legal Scholar • Google Scholar - Legal includes: o Each state’s appellate and supreme court opinions since 1950 o Federal district court opinions since 1923 o US Supreme Court opinions since 1791

Google Images • Now with filtering by usage rights!

Google Books • Find where a quote came from, find an anthology that contains a specific story or essay, find full text of out-ofcopyright books, see old magazine ads

Google News • “Google News is a computer-generated news site that aggregates headlines from more than 50, 000 news sources worldwide, groups similar stories together, and displays them according to each reader's interests. ” • For older content, try Google Newspaper Archives

Google Maps • Enter keywords + site: maps. google. com

Google on Mobile • (I only know i. OS, sorry!) • Search from within a browser or from within the Google app • Google Now • Google Goggles – search via your camera

Practice! • “Recently, I wanted to write about this really yummy French sandwich with tuna and peppers and anchovies and stuff called a Pom Mignon, or something like that. For the life of me, I don’t know precisely what it is called. I spent half an hour last night typing every possible spelling I could think of into Google, but could not find it. ” - From “Power Searching with Google” course

Answer: • What are the main keywords that would have to be on the webpage we’re seeking? • What might be spelled wrong that you should just leave out?

Practice! • Find a picture of an SMC football, lacrosse, or soccer team on a field

Answer • Filter by the color green! And search on the SMC website.

Practice! • What is this building, and where does it rank in terms of tallest buildings in London?

Answer • 30 St Mary Axe (aka “The Gherkin”) in London o Could take a picture of it and do a Google images search o Or search for London iconic buildings, or just search London skyscraper that looks like a rocket, etc. o Remember: autocomplete is your friend! o The 30 St Mary Axe website says it’s 6 th tallest in London, but further Googling brings up other sites that say it’s now 9 th…important to check your facts!

How to teach students to be better searchers • Face it: they’re going to use Google. Adapt. • Encourage them to think before they search: what kind of organization or site would have authoritative info on this topic? • Check out Google in Education for sample lesson plans • A Google a Day (live or archived) • Hold them accountable for the quality of their sources • Schedule a class session with a librarian!

Sample uses of Google in the classroom • Compare info on the Web vs. library sources • Discussions re: privacy, preservation of knowledge, information sharing, digital citizenship • Track how vocabulary changes over time using Google books Ngram • Visit sites & museums via World Wonders Project, Google Street View, Google Art Project • Analyze data with Public Data Explorer, Fusion Tables

Learn More • • Power Searching With Google (online class) Google Secrets (ebook) Google Tools for Education (online video) In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes our Lives (book) • The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry) (book & ebook)

Bookmark these sites! • http: //www. google. com/insidesearch/ • http: //lifehacker. com/google-tips-and-tricks-every-student -should-know-1508121671 • http: //www. hackcollege. com/blog/2011/11/23/infographicget-more-out-of-google. html

Questions?