WebJunction - Web Searching

Refine Your Web Search

2009-08-20T19:01:52Z

You want the answers to your questions, but you don't want 20 million documents to read through. This guide tells you how to sharpen your search request.

Tips for Refining Your Search

Have you or your staff ever searched for Web sites in a search engine and received a grand total of 20 million returns for your viewing pleasure? Have patrons reported similar scenarios, with varying degrees of frustration? Since search engines gather Web pages electronically, they typically have a much larger number of sites than a typical directory. How can you narrow down your search? There are several useful methods for narrowing down your searches that work with most search engines.

As you work through the following strategies, try the suggestions with a topic of your own, and think about how patrons might be able to use these strategies.

Choose specific keywords

Beware of searching with common terms -- you will likely receive an overwhelming number of hits. For example, a search for "disease" in the search engine, Google, will return 9,260,000 hits, but a narrower search for the specific term "lupus" returns 550,000 hits.

Some search engines simply ignore a pre-selected list of very common terms, called stop words, which occur so frequently they are not useful for finding relevant pages. Because these words are so common, the search engine won't bother to “stop” to look for them in a Web page. For more information, see the Wikipedia entry on stop words.

Add more terms

Google searches for Web pages containing all the words you enter, so you can search for a string of words in order to narrow down your search. For example, a search for "lupus support group" narrows your search to about 54,200 hits, and even better, "lupus support group Texas" results in 5,320 search results. This is still too many to look through every hit, but it is likely you will find relevant information within the first 20 hits.

Most major search engines look for Web pages that include all the terms you enter, using AND as the automatic connector between search terms. However, the search engine Excite reverts to looking for any of the terms. To find out how a specific search engine will searches, look at its Help page. Also, InfoPeople's Search Tools Chart, http://www.infopeople.org/search/chart.html, and Best Search Tools, http://infopeople.org/search/tools.html, have convenient summaries of many search engine features.

Search for a phrase

Search engines typically look for Web pages that contain the terms you enter in the search box, but these terms can be located in any order, anywhere in the page. If you want to be sure each term is present and in a specific order, you must search for the terms as a phrase. To do this, place quotation marks around the terms to ensure they will be searched for exactly as they appear in the search box.

The real world: Place quotation marks around the phrase "when my blue moon turns to gold again" when searching for Web pages about the 1950s hit song.

Some basic math

Searches can be refined using + (AND) and - (NOT) to require or exclude words from the pages that are returned with a search. Use + when the term must appear in the search result. If you do not want a search engine to find pages that have a specific word in them, use the - symbol.

The real world: A patron is interested in researching lung cancer associated with bronchitis and other illnesses, but she is not interested in lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking. To retrieve relevant results, that patron could enter the search string "lung cancer -smoking," or "lung cancer bronchitis -smoking."

For additional pointers and hints, see Search Engine Math http://searchenginewatch.com/2156021.

Filters

What does a kitchen sink strainer do? It allows a small amount of material through and blocks out a lot of other things. Many search engines have built-in filters to provide another option for refining your search. For example, you can:

Search for sites within a specified time period.
Search for sites in a specific language.
Specify a term in the Web site's title.
Search with a term in the Web address, such as a specific domain or country code.

Boolean operators

Another option for narrowing a search is using Boolean operators, which might be familiar to you or your staff from other databases you've searched. Boolean searching consists of using the operators AND, OR, and NOT with your search terms to control which words appear in the Web pages the search engine returns. We have already looked at using basic math signs, such as + and -, to refine a search. Boolean searching can be thought of as more-sophisticated math.

Fortunately for patrons who aren't familiar with the concept of Boolean searching, many search engines build Boolean operators into their advanced search screens. Google, Fast Search, and Hotbot offer built-in Boolean searching on their advanced search pages. Click the Advanced Search button on the main search page to access advanced searching.

For more information on Boolean searching, see the explanation page by the University of Albany, http://library.albany.edu/subject/tutorials/education/boolean.html.

Languages and the Internet

2009-05-31T18:52:06Z

Web-based translation software lets you communicate via the Internet in virtually every language. Just be mindful that some translations may not be all that accurate.

Verstehen Sie Deutsch?

News Flash: According to Global Research surveys, 63.5 percent of Internet users speak a primary language other than English, according to statistics compiled as of September 2002. While accessing equipment and support is still the major impediment to getting online for most of the world's population, not comprehending the main language used on the Web is also a major problem. Fortunately, Web sites written in languages other than English are increasing dramatically, but that doesn't mean that language should be a dividing factor on the Internet. There are many tools and resources available to promote community building and to help your library staff communicate with a truly global audience.

Free online translation

You or your patrons can get a translation of a whole Web page or just a few paragraphs of text by using Babel Fish, the free translation service from AltaVista. The system will make a rough, literal translation from English to French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, and back to English. Babel Fish uses machine translations that utilize a crude, human-programmed logic to translate words and phrases. While machine translations perform better than word-for-word translations (where the grammar is all but completely ignored), they are still very literal and contain many (sometimes amusing) errors.

Despite this shortcoming, Babel Fish can be a great help in getting a fair understanding of a language of which library staff members would otherwise have no comprehension. There are many similar services on the Web, such as Systran and FreeTranslation, which will translate English to Chinese and Japanese, in addition to other languages.

Dictionaries on the Web

At yourDictionary.com you can find a selection of translation dictionaries for more than 200 languages, an online translation service, and other language resources. While there are dictionaries for many more languages than those covered by Babel Fish or Translate-Mail, most of the dictionaries only allow you to type in a single word or very small phrase, as they translate word-for-word rather than in context.

Web pages and languages

Did you ever wonder how to get special characters that don't show up on your keyboard on your Web pages? The trick is to use what are called "character entities," which are basically codes to represent the special characters you want to use. These character entities all begin with the "&" symbol and end with the ";" punctuation. For example, the "(c)" character is coded as "(c)." Often, if you use a full-featured Web page authoring program such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or Allaire Homesite, you can copy text that uses these special characters from your word processing program and paste it into your Web page authoring program, which will convert many of the special characters for you.

Some resources for learning about special characters and the Web:

Additional resources

The Prospector: Links to online translation services
Translation.net: Commercial translation service with a large list of internet translation resources
Major search engines and directories have listings for certain languages/geographic regions - check out Yahoo! and AltaVista
Babylon.com also offers a suite of tools for translating and referencing definitions online and offline.

Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-08T23:26:53Z

Use this Scavenger Hunt handout to practice your Web site searching techniques and simultaneously learn how the various search engines work.

Scavenger Hunt - Internet

Find Web sites to answer these sample reference questions. Use advanced searching techniques where necessary. Remember, each search engine is different. Check each search engine's Help pages for specific tips and instructions.

1. I am searching for the lyrics of the hit song, When my Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, but I am getting results that about moons and gold that are not at all relevant.

2. My child is looking for information on the Web about the Olympic winter games in 1990 and 1994.

3. I want information about Francis Bacon, the 16^th century writer and philosopher. But I'm getting too many pages about a different Francis Bacon, who was a 20^th century painter. How can I get rid of sites about Francis Bacon the artist.

4. What was the name of the movie in which Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor starred?

5. I am doing some genealogy research on the Tomba family from Italy. Is there a way to search for only Web sites written in Italian?

6. I would like to find a recipe for chocolate chip or raisin cookies, but I do not want any recipes that call for walnuts or almonds.

7. My seventh-grader is looking for information about drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but she only wants news stories from the last 3 months.

8. My son is trying to find pictures of the basketball player Scottie Pippen. Is there a way to find Web sites that primarily contain images?

Scavenger Hunt:

Potential Search Strategies

1. A good strategy would be a phrase search. Type the search “When my blue moon turns to gold again” into any major search engine, and you should receive the correct answer within the first few pages.

2. This search provides a good opportunity to add keywords to narrow a search. Try searching with the keywords Olympic Winter Games 1990 1994.

3. There are several possibilities, but “Francis Bacon” -art would likely provide the desired results. This search can also be done from the advanced search page of many search engines, using the “without the words” or “must not include” search options.

4. You can require more than one phrase by placing a plus sign (+) in front of each phrase. The following search will probably return a page with the correct answer, which is “Suddenly Last Summer”: “Katherine Hepburn” “Elizabeth Taylor”. If the search engine you are using does not default to “and” between search terms, place a plus sign before each phrase. Also, a specialized search site, such as Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) would be an excellent choice.

5. The option to limit a search to a specific language is available from a drop-down box on many search engine's advanced search page. In Google, AllTheWeb, Hotbot, or Excite, click the Advanced Search link from the Home page and look for a Language selection.

6. Look for options to use Boolean techniques from the search engine's advanced search page. Try a search the terms chocolate chip or raisin and cookies, but not walnuts or almonds.

7. The option to limit a search to a specific time period is available from a drop-down box on many search engine's advanced search page. In Google, AllTheWeb, or Hotbot, click the Advanced Search link from the Home page and look for an option to limit by Date or the time the page was Last Updated.

8. Many search engines allow you to search only for pictures or images. On the Google home page, click the Images tab and type “Scottie Pippen” in the search box. On the AllTheWeb home page, click Pictures and then type “Scottie Pippen” in the search text box.

Internet Cheat Sheet

2008-12-08T23:25:43Z

This cheat sheet provides quick and handy tips for browsing the Internet efficiently.

Internet Cheat Sheet

Address Bar	If you want to:	Do this:
	Move the cursor into the Address bar.	Press ALT+D.
	Automatically add http://www. and .com on either side of the word.	Type a word in the Address bar and press CTRL+ENTER.
	In the Address bar, quickly move the cursor between parts of the address.	Press CTRL+LEFT ARROW
	Open a new address bar.	Press CTRL+O or CTRL+L
Navigation	Open a new window.	Press CTRL+N.
	Open the Favorites bar.	Press CTRL+I.
	Quickly save a Web page to the Favorites list.	Press CTRL+D.
	Scroll toward the beginning of a document.	Press the UP ARROW.
	Scroll toward the beginning of a document in large increments.	Press PAGE UP.
	Jump to the top of a Web page.	Press CTRL+HOME
	Close the current window.	Press CTRL+W.
	Move to the next page.	Press ALT+RIGHT ARROW.
	Return to the previously-viewed page.	Press the BACKSPACE key.
	Search for a word or phrase on a Web page.	Press CTRL+F.
Hyperlinks	Open a hyperlinked page in a new window.	Press shift, then click the hyperlink, or right click on the link and choose Open in new window.
	Return quickly to previously-viewed Web pages.	Click the small down arrow to the right of the Back button and select a Web page.
	Stop downloading a page.	Press ESC.
Saving and Printing	Save an image without opening it.	Right-click the image, and then click Save Target As.
	Print a table of all the links associated with a Web page.	Choose Print from the File menu, then click the Options tab. Place a check mark next to Print table of links, and click Print.

Searching the Internet for Beginners

2008-12-08T23:22:41Z

A lesson plan to teach patrons the basics of searching the Internet.

Evaluating Web Sites Lesson Plan

2008-12-08T23:14:47Z

This lesson will help you teach patrons how to dissect the different elements of a Web address as they develop a deeper understanding of the Internet.

Evaluating Web Sites

Objectives

Trainee will be able to:

• Dissect the parts of a Web address and guess a Web address.

• Evaluate the accuracy and authority of a Web site.

• Use “linkto” and domain ownership to evaluate a Web site.

• Find Web sites to review hoaxes and myths.

Prerequisites

Experience navigating Internet Explorer and a basic understanding of the World Wide Web.

Duration

50 minutes

Supplies

Power Point Show: Evaluating Web Sites

Web Site Evaluation cards

Is it a Hoax (optional)

Blank paper and colored pens (Optional)

Training Disk (web_links.htm)

Handouts

Solving the URL Puzzle

Web Site Evaluation

Annotation Guidelines (Optional)

Topic Overview

Topics	Estimated Time
Solving the URL Puzzle	10
Evaluation Criteria	15
Finding Out More About a Site	10
Verifying Information	15
Review Activity	5

Solving the URL Puzzle

Estimated time: 10 minutes

ï‚† Handout: Solving the URL Puzzle

ï‚† Supply: Evaluating Web Sites PowerPoint Show

Review the Solving the URL Puzzle handout. A Web address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL), can be broken down into separate parts. This can help you understand what you are typing when you retrieve a Web page.

If you can't find the home page of a well-known company or organization, try entering the name or abbreviation as the Web address. For example, the Web address for NASA is www.nasa.gov, the Nabisco Company's Web address is www.nabisco.com.

Beware of potential pitfalls. Not all company's Web sites correspond to their names. For example, the Web site for Holiday Inn is www.holiday-inn.com, not www.holidayinn.com.

In the Classroom: Work through slides 2-10 in the Evaluating Web Sites PowerPoint Show. Trainees familiar with the material can choose to investigate new top level domains, using the Web sites listed on the handout and in the Additional Resources.

Review Questions

You'll find the answers at the end of the lesson.

1. Which part of the Web address do you never need to type?

2. How can you find the home page of a well-known company?

3. How can the top-level domain help you evaluate a Web site?

Evaluation Criteria

Estimated time: 15 minutes

ï‚† Handout: Web Site Evaluation

Compare the two Web sites www.mayoclinic.com and www.nutritionaltest.com . Try to decide which site is legitimate and which site is a hoax.

In the Classroom: Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group the Mayo Clinic Web site and another group the Nutritional Test Web site. Ask each group to review their assigned page, and decide if it is a legitimate page or a hoax.

The Mayo Clinic site is legitimate, the Nutritional Test site is questionable. The Web Site Evaluation Criteria handout contains two sets of criteria, gathered from Web sites created by librarians to educate students and patrons about the need to carefully evaluate information found on the Web.

The first set of criteria contains tips for extensively evaluating a site. This is ideal if you have the time or if your patrons are interested in spending time evaluating the Web sites they find. However, you often only have a short time to evaluate a site or give a quick evaluation lesson during a reference search. The second set of criteria, a 3-Minute Evaluation, includes just a few basic elements. At a minimum, it is important to know who produced the web page, what the purpose is, and when the site was produced.

To help evaluate a Web site, it is useful to divide the site into three sections: the header, the body, and the footer.

• Header: the sponsor or author's affiliation often can be found here.

• Body: the content and purpose of the Web site is usually located here.

• Footer: author and date the site was updated is often located here.

Activity: Evaluating Web Sites

ï‚† Supply: Web Site Evaluation cards

Using the criteria on the Web Sites Evaluation Resources handout, evaluate one of the following sites. Evaluate the site based on the 3-Minute Evaluation criteria, and use the in-depth criteria if you have time.

www.nervousnellies.com

http://www.whitehouse.net

In the Classroom: Pair up trainees and pass out an index card with a Web address to each pair. After everyone has had time to evaluate their site using the criteria on the handout, ask each pair to share their evaluation with the group. Display each site on the overhead projector.

Review Questions

You'll find answers at the end of the lesson.

4. What are three basic criteria of evaluating Web sites?

5. Why is it just as important, if not more important, to carefully evaluate Web sites than books in the library?

Finding Out More About a Site

Estimated time: 10 minutes

There are ways you can determine what sites link to a particular Web page and who owns a domain name.

Investigating Who Links to a Site

To determine what sites link to a particular Web page, type link: followed by the Web address in a search engine. For example, type link:www.dhmo.org in Google's search box to see which sites have linked to the Web site. This does not work very well for a site like CNN or the Gates Foundation because there are too many internal links.

Activity: Using link:

Use link: to investigate who has linked to the site you evaluated.

Domain Names

To find out who owns a particular domain name:

1. Go to the Web site for Network Solution's whois search at http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois

2. Type the domain (the web address without the “www”) of the site you evaluated in the search box, such as sierraclub.org, and click Search. You will see who has registered this site and the billing address.

If You Have Time

Evaluate the Web site www.drudgereport.com. This site is difficult to evaluate because it does not provide extensive information about the author. Try a search for drudge report in Google.

Review Questions

You'll find the answer at the end of the lesson.

6. To find out who links to your library's Web site, what would you type in Google's search box?

7. To find out who owns the domain forbetterlife.org, what would you type in the search box of Network Solution's whois search page?

8. Why would you want to find out who owns a particular domain name?

Verifying Information

Estimated time: 15 minutes

In addition to evaluating Web sites by looking at who produced the page and when, there are additional methods available.

Hoaxes and Myths

To decide whether a site contains legitimate information or whether information is a hoax or an urban legend, it can be helpful to look at Web sites explaining and debunking common hoaxes and recent Internet frauds.

Activity: Is It A Hoax?

ï‚† Supply: Is it a Hoax (optional)

Find out if the following two statements explain hoaxes or legitimate assertions.

• You receive an e-mail about a young girl with a serious and fatal form of cancer. You are asked to forward the e-mail to as many people as possible, and the American Cancer Society will donate 3 cents per name to her treatment and recovery plan. Is this true? Should you forward the e-mail?

Hint: Look for information on the Hoaxbuster site (http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/).

• Claim: His Holiness the Dalai Lama composed a letter in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in which he urged the people of the world to become "spiritual activists." Is the letter legitimate?

Hint: Using the Urban Legends Reference Pages (www.snopes2.com/), try the Rumors of War category.

In the Classroom: Divide participants into two groups and ask them to find out if their assigned item is a hoax or a legitimate statement.

Where can you find more information if you have questions or doubts?

• E-mail the author or publisher and ask for additional or background information.

• Compare the information to other sites that you know are reputable and accurate.

• Consult a print publication, perhaps in the library.

• Take a look at “No fooling: the 10 worst Internet hoaxes” at www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/12/24/internet.hoaxes.idg

If You Have Time

ï‚† Handout: Annotation Guidelines

If you maintain a list of Web sites, it is often useful for people to have a short explanation of these sites. These can be similar to annotations you would find for a book or magazine article. This handout contains items useful to consider when annotating a site.

Your annotation might include:

• How will the Web site be useful to people and exactly what will they find? Describe and summarize the content and scope of the Web site.

• What makes the site unique or different from other Web sites?

• Are there any quirks or special navigation features?

Annotations are typically three or four sentences. Since Web sites can differ dramatically in style, scope, function, and quality, annotations are useful to give people an idea of what they might find on the site. It is also completely appropriate to give your opinion of the site's value.

For practice, annotate your favorite site on a index card or type your annotation in Microsoft Word and share with your colleagues.

Hint: For examples of annotations, see the Web Links in Encarta Encyclopedia.

Review Activity

Estimated time: 5 minutes

ï‚† Supply: Blanks paper and pens

Using blank paper and colored pens, make a flyer or bookmark for patrons about evaluating the Web.

If You Remember Nothing Else

Carefully evaluate all information you find on the Web using criteria such as who produced the site, what the site was put on the Web, and when it was last updated. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Additional Resources

Also available at www.gatesresources.com

• Lies, Damned Lies, and the Internet

www.marylaine.com/lies.html Â Â

• Virtual Chase

http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/index.html

• Evaluation Criteria

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

• The World-Wide Web Virtual Library: Evaluation of information sources

http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm

Review Answers

1. http://

2. Guess the Web address by trying variations of the company name or search for the company in a search engine.

3. The top level domains .edu, .gov and .mil are restricted to schools and colleges, government institutions, and the military, respectively. If a Web site has one of these domains, it is most likely the official site for an organization. One caution: many students have Web sites hosted on by a college, so not all Web pages will be sanctioned or produced by the school.

4. Who put the site on the Web, why did they put this site on the Web, and when was the site put on the Web, or when was it last updated?

5. Before a book is published, it typically goes through some type of evaluation procedure with the publisher. However, there are no publishing guidelines on the Web - anyone can publish a site on the Web.

6. link:Library URL

7. Type forbetterlife.org and click the Go button.

8. Sometimes you cannot tell who is producing a particular Web site just by looking at it. In the example in question 7, the Web site for the Foundation for a Better Life does not state where the funding comes from. By looking up who owns the domain, you can learn that the Anschutz Corporation owns the domain.

Overview

2008-08-01T05:17:02Z

Here you'll find several resources to help you become web-proficient, including tips for evaluating websites and creating bookmarks so that you can easily find favorite websites again.

Managing Firefox Search Plugins

2008-06-01T01:39:42Z

One of the great features of the Firefox browser is the ability to add search plugins that allow you to search using a particular search engine or site right from the search bar. Here are some tips and tools for managing them.

Basics for the Serious Searcher

2008-06-01T01:38:32Z

This chapter from "The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook" is a basic introduction to Internet searching, covering search tools, directories, strategies, assessing content, the invisible web, copyright, and tips for keeping up-to-date.

Search Resources

2008-06-01T01:37:32Z

Ready to search the Internet? These tips and resources will get you off to a good start.

Search Engine Problems

2008-05-29T17:04:19Z

Having a hard time finding the Web sites you're looking for? Here are some techniques that will help make your search more effective.

Tips on how to troubleshoot your Web search

Despite its ability to serve up fast, accurate information, there are times when you will bat zero on the Internet. You may type in a wrong Web address, be referred to a site that you are not looking for, or be hit with a variety of indecipherable error messages. Here are some tips for troubleshooting Web addresses and Web searches, which will help to get you to the site you're looking for.

Check spelling and punctuation

Spelling errors are very common. Each slash, dash, and dot matters in a Web address.

If you type a Web address into the Address box of your Web browser and a message appears stating that the page cannot be found, check the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation of the Web address. (Remember, however, the address could have appeared incorrectly in your source.)

Capitalization

Many search engines recognize whether search terms are uppercase or lowercase. Usually, if a word is lowercase, search engines search for all variations. For example, if you search for the term "hotel," the search engine will match "Hotel," "HOTEL," and "hotel," but if you search for the term "Hotel," the search engine will not return sites with the terms "hotel" or "HOTEL."

For more information, see the article, Search Engines and Capitalization at:

http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/capitalization.html.

Try again

If you receive the message, “Server error” or “Server is busy,” try clicking the Refresh button or pressing Enter. You may have encountered traffic on the Internet through no fault of your own. Think of these error messages like you would a busy signal on the telephone, and try again later.

Which tool to use?

Not finding what you're looking for? Search directories and search engines have their niches, and you need to match your search with the right search tool. Subject directories are great for more common items, but if you need highly unusual or specialized information, the larger search engines might be a better choice. Try your search on another search engine or a metasearch engine.

Terminology

Still not finding anything? Maybe your search is too narrow. Try removing specific terms, or remove any quotes around a phrase. Try variations on your search terms --synonyms, or more general, or more specific terms.

Troubleshooting Web addresses

Are you getting an error stating that a page can't be found? Often, a file has been moved or renamed. You can try to locate the file by working up the URL from the end toward the beginning. Below are some typical problems and the techniques used to solve them.

Problem: If you follow a link and get an error such as:

File not Found
404
Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site...

Solution: The search engine or directory may be out of date. The address (URL) for the Web site in question may have changed, or the site could be permanently gone.

Problem: If the URL in question is long:

e.g. http://www.cnn.com/monday/morning/eight/story.html

Solution: You might want to try deleting everything in the address after the first single slash. (For the example above, you would delete everything except http://www.cnn.com/.) The shortened URL will take you to the main home page for the Web server.

Problem: If you have entered the URL directly in the browser and you get an error:

Solution: Check your spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Remember Web page authors may get these things wrong too, and that's another reason for broken links.

Problem: If you get an error message such as:

"A connection with the server could not be established, Operation timed out"

Solution: Treat this like a busy signal (or, in worse cases, a power outage) and try again later. The problem is probably with the computer on the other end.

Obscure Search Engines

2008-05-29T17:01:32Z

There are the Top 10 search engines everyone already knows. Then there are all the other ones. The smaller, less popular search engines may be just right for some specialized searches.

Alternative Internet Search Engines - Beyond the Big Ten

The Big Ten search engines are so popular that even novice Web users can rattle off their names by heart. The Big Ten are: AltaVista, Excite, Google, GoTo.com, Yahoo, HotBot, Northern Light, LookSmart, Lycos, and Open Directory. However, for certain searches, smaller and more targeted search engines might be more likely to turn up useful Web sites. Below is a listing of specialized search engines.

Aesop: A standard spider search engine with a bright red interface.

http://www.aesop.com

Webmasters classify their site when submitting it to the Aesop database. The six classification types are: sales, interactive, multimedia, links to information, personal, and information.

Galaxy: A Web directory whose aim is not to be the largest, but to be the most relevant.

http://www.galaxy.com

Galaxy, a directory compiled by librarians, includes 500 vertical search engines covering an array of topics.

JoeAnt: A volunteer-compiled Web directory.

http://www.joeant.com

This directory, started by four former Go guides, is an effort to gather the best sites on every topic.

Ilor: Short for “Internet lore.”

http://www.ilor.com

This is a search engine, but with extra features and designed to work with the Internet Explorer browser. Perform a search, then run your mouse pointer over the results. The LORLinks box will appear offering four options. Create a temporary list, then you can e-mail the list or add the links to favorites.

Oingo: A meaning-based search.

http://www.oingo.com

This engine provides directory results from Open Directory and engine results from AltaVista.

Librarians and linguistics specialists teamed up to build a database of meanings (synonyms and related terms).

SearchKing: Includes a search engine database and a portal finder.

http://www.searchking.com

SearchKing allows searchers to rank the quality of search results. Results that are given positive reviews appear at the top of the search results for that topic.

SurfWax: A meta-search tool with several options for managing results.

http://www.surfwax.com

SiteSnaps give you information about a Web site before you visit it. Focus words offer keyword suggestions for broadening or narrowing your search.

Teoma: Search results are grouped in three ways.

http://www.teoma.com

Web pages are grouped by topic, Web pages, and expert links. Expert links are lists of links on the topic. Results are grouped into folders (similar to Northern Light's folders).

Vivisimo: A meta-search engine.

http://vivisimo.com

Developed by Carnegie Mellon researchers, this site clusters results hierarchically in folders.

WiseNut: A search engine with over 1 billion Web pages.

http://www.wisenut.com

This site automatically creates categories to help you focus on the most relevant links. Choose whether or not to have links from the same site grouped together. “Sneak-a-peek” lets you have a quick preview of a Web site.

Checklist for exploring a new search tool

Is the site easy to navigate?
Are there good visual cues?
Is the screen cluttered?
Is the user inundated with advertising and flashy marketing?
Does the search tool use its own spiders or does it rely on other search tool databases?
Can the search tool be customized to best meet a particular user's needs?
Are there special features? Is the use of special features intuitive?
Can you truncate terms?
Can you use Boolean operators?
Are advanced field searching options available?
How are the search results grouped? Can the search results be customized? How is relevancy determined?
Is there a link to help? Is the help “helpful?” Is the help information suitable for beginning and advanced searchers?

Sophisticated Search Requests

2008-05-29T16:58:26Z

Symbols, Boolean operators, and quotation marks can help a search engine find what you are looking for. This article shows you how to use these tools.

There are two major ways to write a search request that will refine your search and provide more focused results, if the search engine allows such techniques. You and your patrons already may have encountered searching syntax systems called "symbols" (also known as "implied Boolean operators" and "Boolean operators." Both are popular -- and similar -- methods of narrowing down Internet searches.

Symbols (also called "Implied Boolean operators")

+ The plus symbol ensures that a term is entered in the search. For example, if you want your search to reveal recipes for strawberry shortcake, you could write +strawberry+shortcake+recipes. Only pages that included all three words would appear in your search.

- The minus symbol allows you to limit a search. If you wanted articles on strawberry shortcake, but you wanted to exclude recipes, you could write +strawberry+shortcake-recipes.

The + and - symbols are especially helpful when you do a search and then find yourself overwhelmed with information.

" " Quotation marks act as another limiting function for your search. For example, if you were to find that strawberry shortcake recipes also included hits on the cartoon character "Strawberry Shortcake" and her favorite recipes, you would need to use quotation marks. "Strawberry Shortcake Recipes" in quotes would tell the search engine to find the words next to each other. This is also called phrase searching.

* Using a wildcard or asterisk (*) is useful if you don't have a complete spelling. For instance, ambidex* would get you much closer to finding out about the faculty of being nimble with both hands than the misspelled word (ambidexterous is the way it is commonly misspelled). It's also useful if you don't remember the exact term you're looking for, as in micro*. This will yield hits on microbreweries as well as the microprocessors that were intended to be the topic searched, but it gets the user closer to the desired subject. The asterisk is also useful in hitting more than one form of the word. For example, Cancer* will hit cancerous, cancer, and cancers.

Boolean operators

Boolean operator is a term that refers to a system of logic developed by British mathematician George Boole (1815-64). Boolean operators work in the same way that the plus and minus symbols work. The Boolean Operators are: AND, NOT, and OR. They are written in all capital letters so the search engine will not include them in the search. This search will look for Web sites that contain any of those key terms. Citizenship AND naturalization will yield a much more focused search for sites that contain both those key words. In other words, the connector AND makes for narrow queries, and the connector OR widens queries a bit. Some but not all search engines allow you to use Boolean operators.

Looksmart and Google do not allow for limitations on searching like AND or NOT due to the functionality of these sites.

Alta Vista's advanced search, HotBot, and Excite do allow Boolean operators.

Resources on Boolean logic

Albany University's Boolean Tutorial has a famous chart that is the universal model for Boolean Operators. It also has a chart listing which search engines allow Boolean Operators and which do not.

Search Engine Watch has a good summary on keyword searching and search commands.

Mind-Googling Potential: Teaming the Power of Google with the Resource

2008-05-29T16:57:50Z

Have you noticed those results in Google searches that say "Find in a Library"? Get the scoop on this joint effort between OCLC and Google.

Elizabeth Hallmark is a master's student in the School of Information at The University of Texas at Austin. She is the Editor for Marketing Information at the Texas Department of Agriculture, where she helps oversee the written content for more than 12 statewide marketing campaigns.

In 2001, the transitive verb "to google" entered the American lexicon, meaning "to search for information on the Web" (McFedries, 2001). Perhaps no other indicator better illustrates the impact of the Google search engine on the information landscape than this simple neologism, which cements the common perception that searching online is synonymous to searching on Google. A quick look at the numbers helps support this idea: by recent estimates, Google handles up to 200 million queries a day (Achenbach, 2004) and represents about 75 percent of all Internet searches (Graham, 2003). With so much information available online, Google has become the primary starting point for information seekers, leaving other valid and vital resources fighting for significance and relevance.

This is particularly true for libraries. In the first five years after Internet search engines became popular, library circulation dropped 20 percent at major universities (Achenbach, 2004). With Google's popularity soaring, one of the best approaches for libraries may be "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," which is the premise of the Open WorldCat pilot launched by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), a nonprofit member-based computer library service and research organization. The full potential of this effort can be explored by studying the strengths and challenges that both Google and WorldCat offer, the relationship between the two, the goals of the Open WorldCat pilot, and the initial impact of usage data generated by the pilot project.

Currently, Google offers access to an index of more than 4 billion URLs, making it the largest search engine on the Web. Since its creation in 1998 by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to today, the search engine has quickly risen to dominance. Quoted in USA Today, Danny Sullivan, editor of the Search Engine Watch online newsletter, said "It's gotten to the point where people think if it's not in Google, it doesn't exist" (Graham, 2003). As Katherine Pennavaria notes in Kentucky Libraries, "Today, a student can find countless sources, text included, without moving from his seat in the computer lab. And the students know it can happen, so that's why they usually start with a Google search" (2003).

Google's software programs "crawl" the Internet, indexing millions of pages including non-HTML files such as PDF, Microsoft Office and Corel documents. One of the primary concepts driving Google's success is its "page rank" system to return relevant search results. In its simplest form, PageRank returns results are based on popularity, with pages listed in relevance by the number of links to them from other sites. The strength of this approach lies in its ability to sift through results by taking advantage of patterns on the Web and prioritizing sites that reflect user preferences (Achenbach, 2004). A drawback to this approach, however, is that it merely reflects general preferences and therefore represents some bias. For instance, Webloggers can create a large number of pages and generate numerous links (Graham, 2003) in a process popularly referred to as "Google bombing." As a result, quality resources can be buried. The page rank system presents some challenges to the Open WorldCat project, particularly the challenge of ensuring that WorldCat records receive the appropriate "page one" visibility they deserve based on the quality of the record.

OCLC's WorldCat has more than 56 million cataloged records, including records for items such as electronic books, MP3s, DVDs and Web sites. Catalog entries are created and maintained collectively by more then 9,000 instititutions that belong to the OCLC member cooperative. Through the efforts of these members, WorldCat is the largest and most comprehensive database of its kind. Recent figures from the OCLC Web site (www.oclc.org) include the following:

WorldCat has 49,130,208 unique bibliographic records.
50,000 participating libraries worldwide use and contribute to WorldCat.
Every 12 seconds an OCLC member library adds a record to WorldCat.

OCLC members can provide WorldCat access to their patrons by subscribing to FirstSearch, which functions as an online library catalog. According to OCLC, every second a library user searches WorldCat using FirstSearch. In comparison, Google answers more than 2,300 queries a second (Graham, 2003). Though WorldCat has evolved into a valuable and vetted source of information about literally millions of bibliographic records, it remains underutilized within the library context, especially compared with Google.

Many librarians remain wary of the capability of Google and other search engines to completely meet users' needs. In a 2004 survey of 800 librarians by Elsevier's Research Office, more than two-thirds of the respondents shared a concern that their end users relied too much on Google (Carroll, 2004). An estimate cited in D-Lib Magazine states that Google handles more questions in a day and a half than all the libraries in the country provide in a year (Heidig, et al, 2003). Yet, questions remain about the quality and authenticity of information found through Google and other popular online search engines. "Starting a research paper with Google is like shopping for dinner at the dollar store," said Pennavaria, "sure they have some food, and it's cheap and easy to get, but is it the best choice?"

None of these concerns appears to have slowed Google's rise to the top or the library's diminishing visability as one of the first choices for information searches. Quoted in a Washington Post article, Berkeley professor Peter Lyman offered the following assessment: "There's been a culture war between librarians and computer scientists. The war is over. Google won" (Achenbach, 2004). Librarians have valid reasons to dispute this claim, especially in light of the volumes of information available through the Invisible Web, which includes databases and resources unavailable to the majority of search engines. Given that the Invisible Web is noted as the largest growing segment of new information on the Web, this carries increased importance (Graham, 2003). As a service to its members, OCLC also wants to see library visits increase. This goal led to the development and launch of the Open WorldCat project, marking the first time OCLC has made WorldCat records available outside the traditional library environment. The purpose is to make libraries more visible to Web users and more accessible from popular and highly trafficked Web sites.

To kick off the project in 2003, OCLC extracted a 2 million record subset from its WorldCat database with a focus on the most popular and widely available books. OCLC's litmus test included selecting records with a minimum of 100 libraries holding each item. The pilot was launched after a year of discussions between OCLC and leaders in the library and information community, out of which a consensus was formed that libraries needed more visibility on the Web, especially for nontraditional library users (Quint, 2003). Opening up the records to Google access was part of a larger Open WorldCat project to work with major Web search engines.

When a Google search turns up a WorldCat record, the resulting find is prefaced by the words "Find in a Library." Clicking on the link leads a user to an interface that requests users' zip or postal code, state or province. From here, users can be directed to the nearest OCLC member library that holds the item. The interface also provides links to local OCLC member library sites, directions, and, in some cases, connections to the library's online public access catalog, or OPAC. The benefits to the library are obvious: increased visibility and traffic directed precisely in the library's direction. For Google, the partnership helps the online giant reach beyond the Web and provides a vetted source for valid records. At a luncheon presentation during the annual Amigos Member Conference in May 2004, OCLC President Jay Jordan spoke favorably of the pilot and mentioned that he would like to see the effort even take a step forward in visibility by having a Find in a Library button or tab located on the front page of Google. To date, this idea has not been implemented, but it would indeed offer a high degree of awareness for libraries, including public, academic and school libraries.

Concerns about the pilot project revolve around Google's page rank system, which may bury relevant WorldCat records, and the perception of OCLC's role as more of a vendor and less of a cooperative, raising questions about OCLC's true intentions as far as libraries' best interests are concerned (Kenney, 2004). The first issue will have to be resolved with Google's input. Addressing the second issue, Cathy De Rosa, OCLC's vice president for corporate marketing, said the following as quoted in a Library Journal article: "At the heart, OCLC wants to increase access to information. We are thinking on behalf of the library community and seeking opportunities for the library community" (Kenney, 2004).

If the purpose of the Open WorldCat project is to benefit libraries, is it working? When OCLC launched the project, it stated that it would evaluate the success of the project in June 2004 to assess whether it would be worth pursuing further. The verdict: Open WorldCat is a success. According to the OCLC Web site, inbound links from Open WorldCat search results grew from 39,000 in February 2004 to more than 1 million in the first half of June 2004. Twenty state libraries have asked to join the pilot and 100 percent of the 2 million WorldCat records made available have been harvested and formatted by Google (and Yahoo, another recent partner). Less than 2 percent of the libraries automatically included in the pilot project have chosen to withdraw.
OCLC's Web site outlines other feedback from the effort:

Usage has steadily increased and now accounts for more than 25 percent of all WorldCat discovery traffic.
Nearly a third of users connecting to the service go on to view library holdings, with more than a quarter of those users following links to library resources.
Member libraries have been consistently enthusiastic, and much interest has been generated in the library press, Web blogs and Internet listservs.
Usability tests indicate the service is easy to use, and users have found innovative ways to customize the service to their needs, including the creation of WorldCat bookmarks and links to WorldCat records.

Based on the success of the pilot, OCLC's next steps include extending the pilot to a permanent membership benefit, increasing access to WorldCat by partnering with more search engines, and conducting research with users to obtain feedback on the service.

For their part, libraries must continue to step into the limelight and use the Web to their advantage. Once users link into a library's services via the Open WorldCat interface, the responsibility shifts. Librarians can and should take it from there. In a recent article, Gary Price states, "The library world hasn't done enough to keep up with the Google juggernaut in defining our role in the Web age. We must do better and we must start now" (Price, 2003).

References

Achenbach, J (2004), "Search for Tomorrow", Washington Post, 15 Feb., p. D01.

Carroll, S. (2004), "Googled Science", Library Connect, Vol. 2 No. 2, June, p. 5.

Devine, J., Egger-Sider, F. (2003), "Beyond Google: The Invisible Web in the Academic Library", The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 30 No. 4, July, p. 265-9.

Graham, J. (2003), "The search engine that could", USA Today, 25 Aug., available at: http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-08-25-google_x.htm

Heidig, L., Kenney, A., Martinez, I., McGovern, N. (2003), "Google Meets eBay", D-Lib Magazine, Vol. 9 No. 6, June, available at: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/june03/kenney/06kenney.html

Kenney, B. (2004), "OCLC to Library Community: Time to Think Differently", Library Journal, Vol. 129 No. 3, March, p. 16.

McFedries, P. (2001), The Word Spy, available at: www.wordspy.com

Pennavaria, K. (2003), "Down with Google! Better Source Selection for Students", Kentucky Libraries, Vol. 67 No. 2, p. 11-13.

Price, G. (2003), "What Google Teaches Us that Has Nothing to Do with Searching", Searcher, Vol. 11 No. 10, November/December, p. 35-7, available at: http://wilsontxt.hwwilson.com/pdffull/04926/Z6UEY/HSN.pdf

Quint, B. (2003), "OCLC Project Opens WorldCat Records to Google", Information Today, October, available at: http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb031027-2.shtml

This work is dedicated to the Public Domain.

Search Engines Spelled Out

2008-05-29T16:55:03Z

Find out the difference between a search engine, a subject directory, and a metasearch engine; how they work; and when you should use each.

In case you hadn't noticed, the Web is a pretty big place. Your best shot at finding a particular piece of information is by using a search engine. Search engines are online services that help you find specific Web pages by using key word searches or drilling down through lists of information categories.

Most search engines work by using automated agents called robots, or spiders, that crawl through the Web and find information from individual sites. They pick up words from the title, URL, or the full text of Web pages -- depending on the ranking alrgorithms of the specific search engine.

There are many engines out there, and the right choice will depend on what you're using it for.

Some search engines are metasearch engines, which means that they search through many different search engines' databases at the same time.

Subject directories group Web sites by topic. The information in a subject directory is usually selected and sorted by a human intermediary. Subject Directories are often a good place to start your research.

Many search engines function as search engines and subject directories. Most people tend to use their favorite engine, and sometimes they may try another just out of interest. We have found that with the dozens of search engines on the Net, there is no perfect search engine. WebJunction.org has listed the "big ten" as: AltaVista, Excite, Google, GoTo.com, Yahoo, HotBot, Northern Light, LookSmart, Lycos, and Open Directory. TechSoup has assembled its own list of favorite engines. Try a few and see which are appropriate to your needs.

TechSoup Favorites

Ask Jeeves allows the user to ask questions of the search engine in natural language. It attempts to answer the questions that users pose in the search box. This can be helpful when you need an answer to basic technical questions. (For example, you could ask Jeeves, "What does it mean if my monitor is flickering?" You will be directed to a Q&A page for monitor problems.) While this can work well, sometimes the engine just produces a list of vaguely related search results. The bottom line is that this is a good option for the technophobic, and that's really its only benefit over any other search engine.
Good old Excite.com is a highly personalizable portal and a comprehensive search engine that updates its entire database frequently. Because it attempts to index only the most popular pages on the Web, Excite is a good choice if you're looking for large, popular Web sites, but not so good if you want to find more obscure sites. It has a collection of searching tools and tips. Its most attractive features are its ability to search its directory, the entire Web, or a database of photos. Its yellow pages and the white pages are also helpful.
Google is the big daddy of all the search engines, and is now most popular with computer geeks and casual users alike. Many Web-savvy surfers use the name as a verb synonymous with Web searching.

Google is a metasearch engine that conducts the search across many different search engines at once. It delivers results that pay attention to the proximity of the search terms you enter. This eliminates unnecessary filtering. Google also ranks its results based on the amount of hits (and links from other sites) per URL. Google also has a separate subject directory, a news portal that lists news by the most recently updated articles, a toolbar you can use so you don't need to visit its site to search, a directory of listservs and groups, and an image gallery.

The Google Directory derives its information from The Open Directory Project. The ODP is a volunteer-edited directory that aims to be the most comprehensive directory on the Web. Experts volunteer to be editors of certain content areas. Unlike Yahoo's alphabetical listings, the Google Directory has listings by order of importance.
HotBot enables the researcher to perform power searches through its database which includes the databases of Google, Lycos, and Ask Jeeves, so the results are more comprehensive. Wired Digital, a subsidiary of Wired Magazine, originally launched HotBot in 1996. Lycos purchased Wired Digital in 1998 and continues to run HotBot as a separate search engine. Its benefits include a selection of "skins" to customize the look and feel of the user interface, advanced filtering options to hone and refine your search, and a toolbar like Google's, so you never need to go to a separate site to search.
LookSmart is a useful tool, as it functions as a subject directory and a search engine. LookSmart's benefit is that it can search its directory, the entire Web, or its own database of articles. You can search for a topic and then pull down a menu to choose the type of magazine within which you would like the database to search. Its drawback is that it doesn't have any academic journals in its database.
Mamma, based in Quebec, bills itself as a "smart" metasearch engine. Like an ordinary metasearch engine, it searches a variety of engines, directories, and content sites. What makes it smart is that it eliminates duplicates and ranks them according to relevance. It also will tell you which search engine was used to find a particular result.
SurfWax is a metasearch engine that displays its results in an accessible interface. Surfwax's results are based on meaning, rather than keywords, making them more relevant. This engine allows you to manage your results in several different views. It has a "site snaps" feature to give you a snapshot of a site before clicking into it. It also provides a breakdown of the statistics for each search by displaying how many results came from each particular database.
Teoma is a company that works with other search engines to refine their results. It does this by monitoring what users choose from the list of search results. Sites that get clicked on more than others rise higher in Teoma's rankings. In other words, it serves up search results that were acceptable to people with similar search queries. This way, its searches are based more on context and concept, and not just on the words themselves. The search engine also provides you with suggestions of other terms to refine your search.
WiseNut is a LookSmart engine. The WiseGuide Feature automatically creates categories for you. It therefore can function simultaneously as a subject directory and a search engine. Wisenut consistently yields many relevant results and their "Sneak-a-peek" feature allows you to preview a Web site before taking the time to click in.
Yahoo, best known as a search engine, is actually a hierarchical directory. Users can search the Web through Yahoo, but it works best for surfers who want to pick their way through organized lists of topic-specific resources. You can search the entire Yahoo site, or you can search within each category.

When Search Engines Aren't Helping

Although there are many ways to find information on the Web, sometimes you simply cannot find the information that you need in the amount of time that you have. When you find that it is too time-consuming to weed through all the hits that your search yields, try posting a question to a listserv or a message board. On sites like the TechSoup Community, you can ask a specific question like, "Does anyone know what is a good site for Bay Area Web Developers?" (See related article on listservs and visit the TechSoup Nonprofit Technology Online Communities resource list.)

Visit TechSoup for technology information, access to donated and discounted products, and support from nonprofit experts and your peers.

Editor's Note: This article was originally written in May 2000. It was updated in January 2004.

10 Reasons Why Your Library Should Be Using Firefox

2008-05-13T19:15:07Z

Wondering if Firefox might be the Web browser for you? Michael Sauers explains the appeal of this furry critter.

10. Size
A full download of Internet Explorer is 79.3MB. A full download of Firefox is 4.7MB.

9. Stability
I've been using Firefox as my default browser for almost two years now and it has crashed twice. The crashes happened when I tried to access sites that "only work with Internet Explorer". Those sites have since been updated to work with all browsers and Firefox has not crashed since.

8. Security
The chances of your computer becoming infected by spy/mall/stealthware are almost non-existent when using Firefox. All of these types of programs take advantage of holes in IE's integration with the Windows operating system. Since Firefox is separate from Windows, this just won't happen. This does not mean that Firefox is 100% secure. Nothing is 100% secure. However, since Firefox is open source, when the few security flaws have been found, patches have been issued within days, not weeks.

7. Extensions
There are literally hundreds of extensions for Firefox available. Extensions are programs that enhance and extend the abilities of Firefox. Some of my favorites include the Bloglines Toolkit, SpellBound (a spellchecker for Web forms), HTML Validator (adds automatic validation to View|Page Source), and AdBlock (allowing me to block online ads from being displayed).

6. Customization
Don't like the look of the buttons in Firefox? Change its theme and get a completely different look. Don't like the layout of the toolbars? Customize them by adding, removing, and rearranging the buttons. You can even create your own toolbars containing the buttons of your choice.

5. The Download Manager
Put an end to the mystery of where the file you just downloaded went. Firefox's download manager automatically saves all downloaded files to the same folder. Even if you forget where that folder is, you can always open the download manager and access your downloaded files from there. The download manager also allows for pausing and restarting downloads. Beyond the download manager, when you're asked whether you'd like to save or open a file, Firefox automatically starts downloading the file in the background while you're deciding thereby not wasting time while you make your decision.

4. Tabbed Browsing
Are you tired of closing dozens of open windows at the end of a browsing session? Well, with Firefox's support for "tabbed browsing" the days of multiple browser windows are at an end. You can still open multiple windows if you'd like, but instead try opening multiple tabs. This allows you to run the browser once, yet display multiple documents, each with their own tab containing the title of the page. (With the installation of the Tabbrowser Preferences extension, you can even instruct pop-ups to appear as new tabs instead of as new windows, making them easier to control and close.)

3. RSS Integration
If you're a reader of RSS feeds (and if you're not, why not?) and don't want to bother with a separate client or Web-based aggregator, Firefox supports RSS feeds as bookmarks. Dubbed "Live Bookmarks" you can subscribe to a feed as a bookmark folder and view the feed's headlines as individual bookmarks. Just click on one of them to be taken to the full article.

2. In-Page Searching and Highlighting
Firefox still uses CTRL-F to invoke in-page keyword searching. But instead of giving you a pop-up window for entering keywords, thus obscuring your view of the page you're searching, Firefox displays a small toolbar at the bottom of the window. You just type your search terms into the toolbar and search up or down the page. And with one click in that toolbar you can instruct Firefox to highlight all of the occurrences of your keywords on the page.

1. Because the Plush Toy Is So Cute
Even if one existed, who would want to actually own a plush Clippy?

Michael Sauers, msauers@travelinlibrarian.info

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Alternative Browsers for Libraries

2008-05-13T19:11:27Z

The browser world seems to revolve around IE and Netscape. Your world doesn't have to. Louise E. Alcorn tells us more about alternative browsers and how we can use them in our libraries.

Recently, I co-authored a book that reviewed the types of software used in libraries to manage public-access computers (The Neal-Schuman Directory of Management Software for Public Access Computers). This book included reviews of print and time management software and system recovery options. These topics seemed to be obvious needs for the library community, which continues to struggle with both usage and protection issues for public stations.

A less obvious need, perhaps, is for libraries to manage their actual Internet browsing environment. Less obvious because many librarians, especially in libraries where public Internet access is new (and growing), don't realize that there are other options for browsing. Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape are loaded, and the minimal, obvious changes are made (homepage changed, history and/or favorites locked out) and the stations are put out for the public. Many librarians don't realize that they have the option of using an alternate browser to improve secure, uniform access for their patrons, including some that are designed specifically for the library environment.

So why do we need to manage the browsing environment in libraries? There are several reasons - mainly uniformity of service, security and patron privacy. Internet access for the public (or for students, staff or others) is an extremely popular resource in any library. As a result, it is a very visible resource, which needs to present, if possible, a uniform 'look and feel' to library users. If a library is using its browser as the primary interface to their online catalog and searchable databases, as is increasingly the case, you want to be sure that all users get the same 'front door' to avoid confusion.

Netscape and IE are designed to be highly customizable for the user, on their own PC. However, in the public environment, having a patron change the homepage at whim or load up the Favorites file with questionable sites is annoying, and a waste of staff time to fix. Patron privacy is also affected when personal information - in the form of cookies, site visit history or stored 'favorites' - is stored and made available to anyone else who uses the station. IE is, as the most-used browser, also the most frequently 'attacked' browser. Alternatives can give you an extra level of security. And there is the issue of stability - IE has a distressing tendency to crash, which is why some libraries moved to Netscape, but it has its own problems. Granted, there are options at the system or network level for security and even stability, but many smaller and medium-sized libraries have stand-alone stations with minimal support available. They need something that is easily managed, which can be loaded uniformly on all stations.

IE and Netscape offer limited options for both lock-down and 'look and feel' changes, but they also make it difficult to 'unload' the extra options that come bundled in, like web page editors or e-mail clients, which can take up enormous amounts of space and are not useful in a public access environment. Stand-alone stations, especially if they're older (as is the case with many smaller libraries), can be significantly slowed down by the huge files that comprise current versions of IE and Netscape. As public stations are used primarily for browsing, not for higher-level web development, much of the extraneous software which makes up this 'bloat' is just not needed.

We reviewed a number of alternate browsers, at various price and option levels. Below is a brief comparison of the two most 'library-friendly' browsers of those we reviewed. Please see our book for more extensive reviews and information on these and more products. These reviews focus on browsing options useful in a library environment. For a more general treatment of alternative browsers, please see this other article on WebJunction.

The specialized browsers we reviewed give the user all of the basic necessary functions that they are used to (browsing, linking, searching, typing in addresses), but allow you to limit the features that we don't want patrons to have (favorites, history, certain plug-ins, popups). For instance, what if you want to keep your users from surfing or checking their e-mail on those stations you have designated for the online catalog or for database research? Some of the products allow you to create a "kiosk" situation, where you limit the ability of the user to browse outside of a set of resources or sites decided by you, such as your web-based online catalog (OPAC) and/or your research databases.

The two main products I want to compare are K-Meleon and Public Web Browser (PWB). These two are the most specifically designed for the library environment. I will also mention some alternate products that might be useful for your organization.

K-Meleon

From the K-Meleon Web site: "K-Meleon is an extremely fast, customizable, lightweight web browser for the win32 (Windows) platform based on the Gecko layout engine (the rendering engine of Mozilla). K-Meleon is free, open source software released under the GNU General Public License. If you've used Mozilla at all, you know that it is a strong browser alternative. It is the basic open source browser that Netscape is built upon, in essence. In fact, for a Macintosh environment, Mozilla is a top choice for an alternate browser.

K-Meleon has gone a step further and reworked Mozilla's engine, stripping down unneeded extras and giving you power to customize options. With simple changes either to a preferences (prefs.js) file OR (better yet) through the web interface (Edit-Preferences) itself, you can add or remove menu items from the menu bar and the pull-down menus (e.g. Favorites, Edit, Mail), or change Control Key settings. You can also configure proxy settings to limit access to specified sets of Web sites, such as your online catalog and/or research databases, effectively creating a 'kiosk' station in just a few steps. K-Meleon also offers an optional "Loader" which reduces memory 'bloat' that can cause slowdowns and security issues. Unlike Public Web Browser and some other even simpler 'skin' options, you do not need to have Netscape or IE loaded to run K-Meleon - it comes with its own Mozilla engine bundled in.

K-Meleon's website includes an extensive FAQ and 'helper files' from talented developers who've come up with various solutions and changes, which you can load as they fit your situation. This open-source approach to browser solutions is empowering, but it also means that direct technical support is less immediately available (though the developers are good about answering questions). K-Meleon is highly recommended.

Public Web Browser (PWB)

Reviewed in a number of library publications [Library Journal July 2002; Computers in Libraries March 2002; American Libraries April 2001], Public Web Browser (PWB) has emerged as a useful, inexpensive, scaleable tool for securing Internet Explorer on public machines.

Administration of PWB is done by editing a simple INI file. They have created documentation to explain each line item and its options to you. Like with K-Meleon's preferences file, you can make line item changes to configure individual options within the browser, including what is seen in drop-down menus, disabling Favorites, History or Search buttons, and some privacy and maintenance options like clearing the cache on exiting the browser. Activity and Inactivity Timers can be used to refresh the browser when it is inactive to prepare for the next user or to help enforce time limits on your workstations. You can set PWB to return to the homepage, restart or exit the browser after a certain period of time.

Like K-Meleon, you can set this to a 'kiosk' mode to provide limited access and generally provide a uniform 'look and feel' to your product. Support for the product is excellent; especially considering this was freeware until a short time ago. There is also an archived Forum of previously answered questions on PWB, which can be very useful. This product does require that IE 5.5 be loaded 'underneath' this product. You then use PWB to configure and lock down your browsing environment. This product was designed very particularly for a library environment, so the options available are responsive to our needs.

K-Meleon or Public Web Browser (PWB)?

That may depend on your relative familiarity with IE or Netscape/Mozilla. PWB was specifically designed for the library environment - for instance, it provides you the ability to create a simple file with your Internet use policy and require that to be viewed by patrons before they can proceed. You may find PWB's INI file easier to manipulate and understand than K-Meleon's preferences files. However, if you prefer to work through a graphical Web interface, K-Meleon gives you that option. Both browsers can be put into a "kiosk" mode and run a limited interface, possibly with limited domain(s) (e.g. Intranet, Web OPAC only, online databases only), though K-Meleon is marginally easier for this purpose. If you are particularly savvy, you can use some of the tools created by other K-Meleon users to create a "skin" for use with K-Meleon that is specific to your organization, with custom buttons and backgrounds. This can greatly help with keeping a uniform "look and feel" to your stations. PWB and K-Meleon are both excellent products and you should review both of them before deciding for your library. Get out of the browser rut!

Some other browsers you might want to explore:

Opera http://www.opera.com/ (available for multiple platforms - fast and excellent)
Mozilla http://www.mozilla.org/ (arguably one of the best open source browsing products available)
Crazy Browser http://www.crazybrowser.com/ ('tab' browser with lots of options for 'look and feel')
Reperio http://www.ingenieum.com/ (part of Ingenieum suite)
Secure Browser http://www.tropsoft.com/secbrowser/index.htm (designed for corporate world, but with library applications)

Louise E. Alcorn is the Reference Technology Librarian at the West Des Moines (Iowa) Public Library.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Setting Up Your Links Bar in Internet Explorer

2008-05-13T19:09:30Z

Internet Explorer offers you the option to set up a Links bar on your browser. These links show up at the top of your browser near your address bar. They act as quick access buttons to frequently-used Web sites of your choice.

Setting Up Your Links Bar in Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer offers you the option to set up a Links bar on your browser. These links show up at the top of your browser near your address bar (you can drag the Links bar to the location of your choice!). They act as quick access buttons to frequently-used web sites of your choice.

Follow these easy steps:

Browse to the website of your choice
Click on the Favorites menu on your browser
Click on Add to Favorites (you can rename the page on this screen)
Click on [Create in <<] button (folder list will appear)
Click on Links folder
Click OK
Repeat for all websites you want on your Links bar

What if I can't see my Links bar?

Click on View > Toolbars
Click on Links to select it

What if my Links bar is locked and won't move?

Click on View > Toolbars
Click on Lock the Toolbars to deselect (remove the checkmark)

You can now drag and drop the toolbar to the location of your choice.

Internet Explorer Browsing

2008-05-13T19:09:21Z

Internet Explorer is one of the premier Web browsers. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use it.

Internet Explorer is one browser you can use to navigate through information resources on the Internet. But there are others you can use depending on your operating system and your ISP. For example, in addition to Internet Explorer, you can also download Netscape Navigator, http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp), iCab (for the Mac only at http://www.icab.de/dl.php), Opera (http://www.opera.com/download/), or you can use the browser built into America Online, if you are an AOL subscriber. All these browsers let you access and read publications and view pictures stored on a Web site anywhere in the world.

The World Wide Web is a popular way of navigating the Internet using hypertext links. Clicking a hypertext link in a document will take you to a related document. Following links this way is often called “surfing the Web.” Locations on the World Wide Web are called Web sites, and Web sites are made up of Web pages. Each Web page has its own address, formally known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Getting started with Internet Explorer (IE)

While this article focuses specifically on Internet Explorer, most browsers are similar in their layout and use.

If you don't already have Internet Explorer, download it here. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

To launch Internet Explorer, move the mouse pointer over the Internet Explorer icon on the desktop or in your hard drive, and double-click. The main browser window will open and automatically load a Web page.

Layout of the IE environment

There is a Title bar at the top of the screen. This bar appears in all Windows applications and is a reminder of which program you are using and which document you have open.

Below the Title bar is the Menu bar. There are six menu options on the Menu bar: File, Edit, View, Go, Favorites, and Help. There may be some variation of this depending on the version of your browser. For instance, some have File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, and Help. If you click any of these, a drop-down menu appears below it.

Toolbar buttons

Most of the commands you can choose from the menus are duplicated as buttons on the toolbar for easier access. Use the toolbar buttons to perform the actions described below.

Back takes you to the most recently viewed Web page.

Forward advances to the next page if you have moved back.

Stop stops a Web page from loading. This is handy if a Web page is taking too long to load.

Refresh reloads a page. This is useful for sites with information that is continually updated, such as online stock quotes.

Home takes you to the default Web page, which can be specified by the library.

Search takes you to a search engine, which allows you to search the Internet for specific keywords.

Favorites lets you choose from a list of your favorite sites, which you can add to using the Add to Favorites command (described later).

Other icons such as Media, History, Mail, Print, may also appear in the toolbar. Third party vendors have also created add-ons to the toolbar.

Other screen elements

To the right of the toolbar buttons is an animated globe. When a Web page is loading (being sent to your computer across the Internet), this icon (also called a throbber) spins around. You will know when a page has finished loading when the animation stops.

Another way of knowing where the program is in the process of loading a page is to glance at the message in the Status bar at the bottom of the screen. Some of the messages you will see there include: “Finding site . . ., ” “Connecting to site . . . ,” and “Opening page . . . .”

Below the toolbar is the Address text box. This is where you type Internet addresses (URLs) to which you want to go directly. If you lose track of where you are in your surfing, you can look at the address in this box to get an idea of where you are, or click the downward-pointing arrow to the right of the Address window to see the URLs of the pages you recently visited. Finally, the main browser window is below the Address text box. This is where you view Web sites.

Going directly to a Web site

If you know the URL (address) for a Web site, you can go there directly.

1. Move the mouse pointer into the Address text box, and click once. The text or space will be highlighted, which indicates you can type over it.

2. Type or cut and paste a URL. As you type, IE may try to guess the URL based on others you have visited. If the correct URL appears, select it from the list to save time typing.

3. Press Enter. The browser window will display the Web page.

Using hypertext links

Once a page has loaded, move the mouse pointer over different areas of the page. The cursor will change from an arrow to a pointing hand when it is over a hypertext link. A link can be text, which usually appears underlined or in a different color than the rest of the text, or it can be an image. If you click the link, you will visit a different Web page. Usually the text or graphic will indicate where you will go if you click it. To go back to where you were before, click the Back button on the toolbar.

Searching for a Web site

If you are looking for a Web site on a particular topic, you can use a search engine to find it. A search engine is a program that indexes Internet resources. You can use a search engine to search for specific words or phrases. You can go to a search engine directly by entering its URL in the address window.

There are many search engines available; some of the most popular are Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com), AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com), Google http://google.com), and Excite (http://www.excite.com).

You can also access a search engine by clicking the Search button on the IE toolbar. When you click the Search button, a Search window opens on the left side of the screen. Enter keywords in the text box and press the search button to begin your search.

For example, to search for information about Shakespeare, click inside the text box in the Search window, type Shakespeare, and then click the search button in the window.

If the search engine finds any matches to your keywords, they will be listed as hyperlinks below the Search text box.

Tips for dealing with errors

Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are important when you type Internet addresses. If you get an error like the one below while trying to access a Web page directly, check your spelling first.

If you get a “file not found” error, try deleting the part of the URL after the last slash (“/”). That will take you up one level in the computer's file structure and may produce a Web page.

The Internet can change rapidly. A Web site can change its address or completely disappear overnight, so you may run into dead ends while you are surfing.

Other errors may mean there is a problem with the computer on the other end, or too many people are attempting to access the site at the same time. Try again later if you get an unexplained error.