January 13th, 2009 Brian Herzog
Speaking of learning things, Chris sent me a link that lists special strategies and syntax for searching Google more efficiently.
I use a couple of them all the time (especially site:), but I definitely spotted a few that will be extremely helpful:
- +[stop word] - having the plus sign before a “stop word” (such as +not) forces the search to include that word, instead of ignoring it
- inurl: and intitle: - similar to site:, but this limits the search to words just in the web address or title field. Very useful for increasing relevancy on obscure information
- related: - lists websites that are “related” to the domain you search for (ie, related:swissarmylibrarian.net). This seems just oddly interesting, but there has got to be a very good application
The page also gives some great examples of how these can be combined. It’s always good to learn how to search smarter, and it’s certainly a conversation starter when patrons see me typing in these weird codes and getting better results than they do - always on the lookout for those teaching moments.
Thanks Chris, and to the faculty of the Valencia Community College for compiling the list. There are also other lists, too, but this one was very helpful.
Tags: codes, engine, google, libraries, Library, public, search, searching, syntax, tips, tools, tricks See Also
Posted under Technology | 3 Comments »
May 31st, 2008 Brian Herzog
As I’m sure you’ve heard, gas prices are on the rise. Stations around here are still hovering in the $3.90 range, but $4.00/gallon can’t be far away. I am sure that’s what prompted this week’s exchange:
Patron: Can you tell me about, gas prices… and, um… fuel economy… ?
Me: Well, maybe. What kind of information are you looking for?
Patron: C’mon, you know, gas prices, and tips, and stuff. Is it real?
After a bit more of this, I learned that the patron:
- received an email forward from a friend with driving tips that claim to save gas, and also a list of gas stations that sell gas made from oil from Middle Eastern countries,
- wanted to know if there were real driving tips that could save gas, and,
- wanted to see national gas prices and find the cheapest gas in town.
I’ve seen the gas imports email before, and lately have been seeing and hearing gas saving tips everywhere. We started searching the internet for information about driving tips, and found lots. Here’s my attempt at organizing those that look reliable:
Driving Tips To Save Gas
Gas Price Listings
Other Fuel Economy Information
Of course, the best tips are to drive less (by walking, biking or riding public transportation), or buy a more fuel efficient vehicle. None of those were practical options for the patron, so he was pretty happy to get this list when I emailed it to him later that day.
Tags: auto, autos, car, cars, driving, economy, efficiency, fuel, gas, gasoline, libraries, Library, public, Reference Question, tip, tips See Also
Posted under Library, Reference Question, Resources | 4 Comments »
