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Dr. V said something to me the other day that stuck out to me. She something along the lines of, the process is just as important as the end product. I feel that sentiment is not always felt or present in courses. It’s more about the end product than the process and for me that’s why I struggled with academic searches prior to this course. I was always so concerned with the paper that I didn’t slow down and take the time to learn how to efficiently use them. However, I feel I have crossed the threshold of uncertainty and can confidently navigate databases using many of the tools from my search toolkit.

I felt like the weekly activities, VOS, Database of the Week, and WSN were little building blocks each week that helped me build a better understanding of the topic. It was an interactive and engaging learning process that I enjoyed. It made learning a more exploratory experience rather then relying heavily on text only.

Probably one of the biggest Ahas for me this semester was the realization that in order to be a part of the conversations that are going on I need to participate in the online communities that they are taking place in. I have been missing out on many conversations by avoiding and denying the cultural shift to social media. I began to see their value and relevance.

When I think of search, the first thing that comes to mind is the 1981s classic arcade game Frogger.  The highway and river represent the internet while the trucks, cars, turtles, and logs represent sources and information. In the same way that Frogger doesn’t always have a clear path there isn’t always a direct route to an answer. Additionally, just because Frogger has made it to the logs and turtles doesn’t mean he has found the correct path. There are times he has to bravely backtrack to get to the correct path. This is what searching, for me, looks like. It’s trying different search engines or databases. It’s trying search terms, revising them, and trying again. It’s finding the best path to the other side of the query. Unlike Frogger who doesn’t always have ample time, the process of navigating the the highway and then the river is just as important in search.

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As frustrating as it might be from time to time, I love to search! One important takeaway for me is that searchers are not alone. There are plenty of resources out there to help me use a new database or find an elusive artifact. The power of social media in the search was really a surprise to me, but one I'm looking forward to exploiting. Another great takeaway is the sheer number of databases and search tools available to researchers, especially K-12 students. As a potential school librarian I've thought a lot about how I might introduce web tools to students while also imparting the importance of print or traditional databases and indexes. A third AHA for me was the importance of copyright and creative commons. As we ask students, in particular, to use technology as part of carious assessments, it's vital that we teach them how to use what they find on the website in a responsible and legal fashion.

My current visualization of the search landscape is kind of like a cornucopia. Somewhere within the facets of my search there are bits of information very relevant what I'm looking for. Of course, there's also a great deal of spill over. As tempting as those other nuggets (tangents) look, my true goal is somewhere within the much smaller confines of the wicker.

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I see one component of the information landscape, the search process, as a banana split. Our searches are manipulated and altered by Boolean operators. If we choose “strawberry or chocolate” we will have a very different outcome than if we asked for “mint chocolate chip and vanilla.” We can use the controlled vocabulary to add toppings, but we need to learn the options that different databases offer - one ice cream stand might offer carmel while another offers caramel. It is our job to know the truncated symbols and controlled vocabulary from one database to the next so our patrons are happy with the treat we put in their hands. If you browse the combinations of this link, you can see that while all delicious, one combination may be more pleasing to one patron while another combination will satisfy another. As information professionals, we are connected to the entire information landscape. We are dependent on and sometimes act as the dairy farmer, the creamery owner, the ice cream scooper, and the customer. And we need to keep up with the technologies of our industry because just as we think we’ve got the banana split perfected, someone asks for a milkshake.

~Mary Beth

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I think the biggest thing I learned this semester was the overall scope of what we as librarians do in the world of search and information. Because there is information available everywhere, and "finding" is what most people focus on, being able to see the bigger picture and understand the landscape it's built on has really been eye opening. Not to say that we didn't know some of the landscape before, but this course really brought more depth to that understanding. I also felt challenged when we covered some of the ethical and moral issues that surround information and access to it, which was almost refreshing in a way. It's also nice to know that when it comes to the morality/ethics of information that I am not alone in the wrestling to see both sides, and make a choice based on what's best for everyone. There are some really big issues out there, and they're not easy fixes, but it's comforting to know others are considering them too.

Like others I really enjoyed Assignment 2, it was certainly a daunting task, especially when I looked at it in the first couple weeks of the semester, but in the end, all the tools from our toolkits were used, and I didn't feel lost like I thought I would. My toolkit is growing, and I'm still learning how to best use some of the tools I have, but it's worlds better than the beginning of the semester. I would say that I'm not sure I would ever be able to call a LibGuide "done." As soon as I submitted the guide tons of ideas came to me that I wished I could alter for a better guide, which is great, but also frustrating.

I've been trying to come up with a metaphor or image for the information landscape all week and I'm not sure if it will make total sense, but I'll try. I think about the information landscape as the Scottish highlands. There are mountains, lochs, bogs with bog bodies, unpaved roads, and potential monsters awaiting you. You may start your journey on a nice paved road in Inverness, but before long you may be trudging through water, or climbing up hills. There are multiple peaks and valleys you have to navigate. In many ways it is still a wild landscape but civilization is there too.  Straying too far off a path can be dangerous, but at the same time you must stray at times and take a chance that what you find will be worth it. Librarians are like good off the beaten path tour guides in some sense.  We're here to show you the overview of what's here, we can direct you to places to see on your own ("don't go there, it's very touristy and crowded, try this place instead"), we can show you how to get to where you want to go, and we can go with you. We can supply you with the tools to find the great places, but your journey is yours. The information or experiences you collect are yours, not the tour guides, and no one will find the same use for the information or the experience as another person.

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Explore fw42's photos on Flickr. fw42 has uploaded 298 photos to Flickr.

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The highlight of this class for me was creating the LibGuide.  At the beginning of this class, I was totally intimidated by the project. Putting it together required me to be creative, use my search skills and push myself to learn the technology.  I am so pleased that I will leave this class with a product that can be shared and expanded upon.  This also gives me the confidence to tackle other platforms that I may need to use in the future.

Search matters because it leads to new discoveries, learning, and expanding our world.  It fulfills a basic need for some - to get answers.  For others, it’s a gateway to synthesizing information that leads to the development of new ideas.  Search matters - just look at how Google has become a part of our everyday vocabulary.

Let’s consider golf as a metaphor for search. As a librarian, I would be similar to the role of the caddy.  At each hole, the golfer and caddy have to survey the layout and strategize.  Sometimes there are challenges such as sand and water traps that get the golfer into trouble! A hole can look different each time you play, depending upon weather conditions, where the tee is placed, and the condition of the grass.  The caddy helps to advise the golfer, based on his knowledge of the person, his game, the way others have approached the hole, and perhaps even past experience.  The caddy needs to gauge the needs of the golfer, including addressing the mental part of the game. Small conversations take place, consultations if you wish.  Adjustments are made.  And no two rounds of golf, let alone two holes, are ever the same.  Over time, a caddy and a golfer develop a relationship that is based on trust.  As a school librarian, I hope to be in a position to help students and staff navigate their way through the search landscape.

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One of my biggest takeaways from this class is that search isn’t something that can be mastered in a 15 week semester. Out of everything we covered in this class, the most important thing is that I’m taking away is that there is still so much to be explored in the world of search. Our careers are conducive to continued learning as the search landscape and technology evolves. To sum it up, I’ve learned that completing this degree does not mean I’m done learning! This class has taught us to keep up with the ever-changing world of search by connecting with our colleagues and exploring new platforms. While I want to consider Markey’s book as my search bible for the rest of my career, I know that I’ll need to recognize when parts of it become outdated and make a consistent effort to teach myself what’s new.

Search matters because information matters! We have a social responsibility to keep users informed as well as teach them how to do so themselves. I feel like we all took this class at the most relevant time; the explosion of fake news and alternative facts was mentioned almost every week on our Google+ community, forcing us to realize just how important our jobs are and will always be!

When first considering a metaphor for the search and info landscape, I wanted to say a map, but maps don’t really change as often as the search landscape does. But then I thought of the Marauder’s map from Harry Potter. For anyone who doesn’t know, this magical map of Hogwarts shows people walking around in real time. It’s always changing, just like the search landscape.

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Discover & Share this Marauders GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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I got a lot of my energy and excitement from the Voices of Search and from Assignments 1&2. For me, hearing from search professionals about their lives in search was the best teaching tool we could have been given because it started to illuminate this world and encouraged us to connect outside of the classroom across a diverse range of career paths. Our assignments allowed us to explore the "doing" of search - to practice in the information landscape from our own lens.

I've had this image of search as breadcrumbs and each piece will lead you on your way to the next. So naturally, that lead to the following GIF from Family Guy where James Woods is following a trail of pieces of candy into a trap set by Peter and Brian. Each piece he picks up he says, "Ooh, piece of candy." Which, if there was an audial rendering of what happens in my head when I'm searching, this would be it.

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Post with 48 votes and 21208 views. Tagged with Reaction; Shared by AlltheHypethatMoneyCanBuy. Ooh, piece of candy!

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"Only librarians like to search. Everyone else likes to find."   ~Roy Tennant

“Finding” has become astonishingly easy in our information-flooded world and for the average person, the easy find appears to be acceptable.  One of my biggest takeaways then is the fact that as IP’s, we know better and it’s our job to appropriately educate our patrons, families, friends—and even search engine developers—about aspects of search that are increasingly important but can be too readily overlooked in the age of the easy find.

Because really, none of these people really want a crash course in the finer aspects of search from us.   :-)   The tip to add one appropriate instruction to any answered query is a good one. . . we can always be taking what we know and slipping it in in an interesting and appropriate way to educate and lead.

I can say this is my one big takeaway because it presupposes the many others and rolls them into itself—database knowledge, Boolean logic, facets and relationships,  "under the hood" knowledge, Google tips and tricks to make it truly work for us, seeking the appropriate source as the first consideration, ways to evaluate quality, search engines beyond Google, getting around the filter bubble. . .   Truly, there are loads of takeaways.   I have always liked to search.  Now I like it more because I have more control.

Landscape

The first image that came to mind is that the information landscape is like a hall of fun house mirrors mixed with true mirrors built on loose and shifting sand in a snowstorm.  But it would take way too long to explain that one, so. . .

f

I've enjoyed making this trip with all of you.  It's a great mix of people and I have learned from you all.

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I think, after completing assignment two, i have a new appreciation for "Only librarians like to search. Everyone else likes to find." We all created our guides truly like librarians. This is the first time I've been given an assignment like this. I got to research and conduct as many queries as I wanted; the end-goal was different from that of a research paper! It was more about the resources themselves. I feel like I'm having trouble fully articulating this--but the quote has new meaning to me after finishing my Lib Guide!

Search matters because the process is sometimes just as valuable as the information found. This class illuminates all the ways in which search matters! I think the lessons I'll most value are the tricks and tips I learned that the every day user might not know. Those are the things I can pass on to patrons and other users. For example, Google results are sometimes paid ad, so the first results are not the most relevant. I always stress to my patrons that Google is not the only option for searching out there! With a little effort using a different search platform can be just as easy and way more effective. I also appreciated all the tricks we learned along the way to make a search more successful, and have already been implementing those in my own searches.

If I had to represent what the information landscape looks like to me with a picture, I would choose the above picture. I wanted something with a focal point on the horizon. It's impossible to see exactly where the path ends, which represents that there isn't an end to the search process! I also chose an image with a curvy path. This was to represent the twists and turns of searching. As we talked about a few times this semester, a query might lead you to a few different secondary queries! The searches build off each other, and might branch off into different ideas.

It's been a great semester learning about search with all of you!

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I started out feeling that the information environment was a fire hose I was trying to drink from - an overwhelming torrent of water. Part way through, I started to realize that there wasn't a single torrent, but rather an interconnected set of tributaries, and I started to figure out how to follow the channels and navigate the flow. I became a kayaker - I picked up some tools made it possible to keep myself afloat, and to situate myself enough to see what was ahead and what was behind. I started to feel more in control of how I was interacting with the onrushing waters. Now I'm feeling like a (new and untested) whitewater rafting guide. I feel like I can start to shepherd others, help them find the right tools and learn how to use them. I'll let them take the lead while I stay to the back and provide guidance and suggestions as necessary. (I had several other images I wanted to place throughout to help illustrate, but I seem to be limited to the one.)