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This has been a fascinating class thus far both in terms learning new search methods and techniques and reminding me of the 'amazing search short cuts!' I'd though I'd invented as an undergrad. Even when using a n engine or database which doesn't support them, knowing how to construct a search query changes how you look for things, making them more effective and more efficient. (That '-term' function on Google is an absolute game changer. Never be subjected to Pinterest results again.)
The Voices of Search series of videos has been especially helpful and enlightening; getting an inside look at different areas and careers which benefit from either an MLIS or from search and information strategies is fantastic. People don't usually get the exposure to the different ways and fields which use search systems, people forget about law libraries and search professionals and researchers and how they need to have experience and tools.
I've really been enjoying some of the assignments; the Google challenges were objectively fun and I ended up doing a couple more after the assignment for entertainment.

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The past eight weeks have been a whirlwind of foundational concepts concerning search and a myriad of information that, similar to what Jennifer said, I didn’t know that I didn’t know. This is the first deep dive into databases that I’ve done and the weekly practice through search activities has done much to make me comfortable with the vocabulary of the information landscape. Truncation, proximity, wildcards, and controlled vocabularies were honestly completely unfamiliar to me before this course. Have I crossed any threshold concepts? Information vocabularies potentially. I don’t believe I could ever go back to not utilizing the methods learned so far but I know I have much further to go. Emily mentioned feeling like they have only scratched the surface and I feel the exact same way. I often find myself wishing I could dive into the material and engage in a deeper way. For now though, my bookmarks will continue to grow and grow and grow, waiting until I have some free time to supplement all I have learned so far.

I also have to say that the VOS series has been a gem of a resource and I’ve been relishing in the glimpses at different careers in the field. The passion of the speakers comes through and has been widely contagious.
I’m also finding the experience of creating a LibGuide to be invaluable, especially since starting my new job at an academic library and seeing all the LibGuides created and used by faculty and staff there.

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When I was considering classes to take for this semester, I remember reading over the description for this course and thinking “This sounds really important” and I thought certain aspects of the class such as learning to assist users and help them obtain the information they need, would be especially useful in my preferred career of public librarianship, especially if I were helping a patron search for information. I was correct in my thinking that this course would be important, but I don’t think I understood how important this class would really be. Through this class I’ve discovered and explored so many helpful databases and through several exercises have had the opportunity to assess their uses. More importantly I’ve been able to analyze how I could use these databases in my future profession through search activities, such as activity one. I’ve also discovered so many helpful searching techniques that can help specify a search and I have had the chance to practice these methods in search activities, such as activity two and five. Much like Elle and Maggie, I’ve also discovered that I don’t use certain search engines or databases to their full capabilities and sometimes my searches can be a bit rushed depending on the circumstances. However, I’m not sure if that makes us lazy searches, perhaps uninformed searches. Like many of classmates I found exercise five to be an informative practice of how one can use Google more efficiently and to its full capabilities. I think what I took away from this exercise, and from this class so far, is the searching can be a multilayered process when dealing with search engines and databases. By practicing and searching for information on these platforms more often, one can learn how to efficiently conduct a more complex search, especially when one has a better understanding of the platform and can utilize their own unique searching methods. I also think the Voices of Search video with David Russell was especially informative in teaching new methods of how to utilize a familiar search engine, and also verified some methods that I was already aware of. I also learned from this module’s Voices of Search video with Dr. Costello the different resources that one can provide to a patron and how one should handle a search request that may be beyond a librarian’s knowledge. I feel that these takeaways have help expand my capabilities as a searcher and as a future librarian, giving me many methods to use in preferred career. Sometimes I really do wish I had more time to explore these searching methods more. I feel that sometimes the commitment to this and other classes, as well as personal commitments, sometimes prevent me from taking a full deep dive into this course. Still, I appreciate the knowledge and different searching methods and capabilities that this class has taught me.

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I feel like I learned a lot about "traversing" databases. I feel like I haven't had to dive this deep into databases until this class and overall it was a positive experience. All of the talks/interviews we have done have also opened my eyes to different careers in librarianship (I think I'll stick to public, but still good to have exposure). I don't think I will ever forget Mary Ellen Bates' experience/business model. Here's what I found... if you want me to dig deeper let me know. Valuing our time is something we all should bear in mind with our future careers. Finally, through all of our search activities... FIND A GOOD QUERY TO START! Use booleans quotes truncation... whatever you have to do to get the information. A good query is priceless!

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I'm off to a late start since I joined the Search and Information Landscape nearly two weeks late but this was the best decision I’ve made. I love this class, it’s so challenging with readings, activities, information overload, and many perspectives. I feel like this is one of the best classes I've encountered at Rutgers, it is a wonderful way to experience the world of information. There is just so much information! So many databases, so much to think about. How can librarians, or researchers keep worldwide information organized in a productive way? I would like to fine-tune and practice my dialog searching skills or lack thereof. I need to start getting more organized with all the databases, search engines. I have most of this information recorded in bookmarks, in the past, I used spreadsheets to organize such info. I’ll likely create another spreadsheet soon… I would like to create a "Rolodex" that is publically available, but what would be the best platform? Wiki is too hard for the approval process, LibGuide requires an account. What are the free options and most stable platforms? I’m enjoying the creation of LibGuides and exploring copyright rules when it comes to sharing information for education rather than for profit. This summer, I'm enrolled in cataloging, so I hope to learn more about controlled vocabulary, its history, use, and its future. I think with the war in Ukraine dominating my mind, and as information is being used for war, what’s next for information access, search engines, and databases?? How can the profession protect information during times of conflict?

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This course has been so informative for me! From knowing how to search databases more effectively, to learning neat tricks for searching the WWW, there is so much I didn’t know that I didn’t know! Evaluating databases and creating programmable searches are the two strategies that I think will be most useful in my professional life. Slowly learning how to create effective infographics, informative videos, and LibGuides will be so helpful to me as a school librarian in the future as well. Of the many things I’ve learned, I think learning tricks about how to use Google more effectively has had the most impact on my day-to-day search behaviors. The site:term is something I’ve begun using a lot. Using filters and searching images in more useful ways has also saved me a ton of time in just the few weeks since I’ve learned those tricks. Using Million Short to eliminate the top million search results has been helpful when looking for extra free web information on a particular topic. Using the reverse dictionary OneLook.com has helped me find the perfect word in a way that a thesaurus or typical dictionary falls short. I could go on all day about all the things this class has taught me, but those are the ones that stand out the most!

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I'm going to be honest - this is my last semester, and I took this course because the courses I really wanted to take to finish my degree were not being offered this semester, and of all the courses that were offered, this one seemed like it could be the most useful in my future as a public librarian. So, despite it not being my first choice, I am finding a lot of value in everything I am learning and didn't know before about search (which is A LOT). Sort of like Elle mentioned, I realized how lazy of a searcher I've been and how much more there is to find and how to do so. After three years in this program (combined with library work experience), I feel like I'm pretty well versed in the information environment, but I really appreciate the search techniques (like a lot of what was in Harnessing the Power of Google) that I'm learning and all the different information vocabularies. I particularly enjoy the Search Activities as providing the opportunity to put all the concepts and readings into action...and into action in a way that is relevant to me and my chosen library area. While the Voices of Search have shown me that focusing on search is probably NOT a library profession that I will pursue, learning about all the different careers and their search advice has been helpful, and I think it will help me be a better and more efficient searcher in the public library.

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The biggest takeaway for me has been all the practical information we have been given. This is invaluable for someone like me who is coming form an outside profession. Particularly, since most of the my classes have been focused on theoretical principles which are useful, but I need tangible examples. Honestly, the most helpful things for me have been the Search Activities which allow me to employ some of the techniques that Brown and other mention in texts. I found Search Activity Number 5 to be particularly illuminating. Russell's Joy of Search really opened my eyes to how faceted Google really is as a search interface. It made me realize how I had not been using it to its full potential. Personally for me learning how to better utilize free and popular resources like Google benefits users as well as it allows me to pass on these skills to them. The reality is most people's first and final stop will be a search engine like Google so understanding this tool more just expands the view and the search possibilities of patrons.

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I was reflecting on this course tonight while I was doing a lot of rapid research to try to sketch down a rough draft of a paper I am behind on. One of the reasons I’m interested in this course is to be a better researcher myself. When it comes to my own research, I am now realizing that the temptation for quick answers (usually a result of trying to maintain a line of writing thought) usually led me to  lazy strategies leading to incomplete answers pushed off as research question raised chains of new questions. I think the course has given me more of a critical lens to my search process that encourages me to follow individual lines of research more methodically before noting it and putting it aside. This frequently looks like going to specific databases and searching for specific file types off the bat. I am now frustrated by limited facets and options for command line searching and turning to a mix of proprietary tools which I wish wasn’t true. While I am getting better at searching, I still often feel I’m reconstructing partial research paths and downloads and citations. The worry of getting bibliographically lost actually precludes me from doing more exploratory searches.