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This is the first class I've taken where I was the only "non-library" student. I wanted to explore search because it seemed central to any information management career, as well as the everyday information seeking we all regularly engage in. The scope and depth of the curriculum is much richer than I expected, but that's my fault for not fully anticipating how the LIS focus would shape the material:)

In some ways I still feel very much out of my depth, especially since I don't share many of the academic or professional experiences that really bring this course to life for many of my classmates. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised how my database background came in handy for understanding information structure and command line search.

Ultimately, I'm seeing tons of interdisciplinary connections between this class and others I've taken, particularly Human Information Behavior, Social Informatics, Competitive Intelligence and Knowledge Management. I've gained a much better understanding of Google, the dark web and the importance of staying up to date on search trends. As an information professional who will not work directly in "library world," I've still come away with a toolkit that will serve me well, especially practicing how to break search into meaningful facets.

P.S. I just told my friend, who works in sponsored research for a liberal arts college, to migrate some of her website content to a LibGuide so faculty could access more dynamic and engaging content and she could update it herself without waiting for the web designer. She loved the idea!

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Mid-Semester Reflection by Connie Bermudez 

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Mid-Semester Reflection by Connie Bermudez 

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I knew coming into this class I was going to learn a lot about the world of search. It has exceeded beyond my expectations in both a qualitative and quantitative sense. I came in not knowing much about search other than the basics that I had self-taught and asked a librarian when I needed help. It seemed in the beginning that the semester would feel longer but I am surprised that we are already approaching the end.

I struggled with learning how to navigate databases properly and learning information vocabularies. I still think I have trouble with controlled vocabulary and other language-based tools but I know it's a work in progress. It's a matter of consistently building on those skills and making the time for it. I am working on time management to practice what I learned for my search toolkit.

Another part of the course that I really enjoy are the search activities. Each week it was a new challenge. I think the hardest ones were in the first few weeks. I experienced many moments of frustration because at times I felt like I did not get it or wanted to give up. Dr. V really helped me understand where I felt stuck and told me it would make sense.
It finally dawned on me, the main purpose of these activities not only were they reflecting our lectures and playlists; they were building towards components that I now see as my LibGuide. This was the greatest AHA moment for me. The Voices of Search I felt really connected me more to the activities and understanding our roles as information professionals.

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This class is continuously making me better at answering reference questions for patrons. I am both learning about new databases I can use and show patrons as well as learning how to better utilize ones I was already aware of. I also had no idea how useful google actually was for scholarly research! I hadn't used it very much for those purposes and I'm glad I learned about it.

Overall I am impressed by how many more uses tools I use all the time actually have. I feel more and more competent in my field as this class goes on.

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There is a phrase that has become common in our house since my husband's religious studies B.A. days. Mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers until mountains aren't mountains and rivers aren't rivers and then it will be that mountains are mountains and rivers are rivers. The example is about gaining enlightment being a way to return to the same truths that you began with. As in when you are climbing a mountain, at the beginning you look up and think, wow that's a big mountain. Later on the hike you may just see the path as a sloping path, and no longer have the perspective of the mountain, so it is no longer a mountain to you. At the top of the mountain you again realize the great mountain you are on. In the middle of this semester I am definitely in the Search isn't search anymore period. I have realized how much I have to learn and that I am just in the middle of the climb when I previously perceived that I had a handle on search. Especially in this time of being in charge of different people who need current news based on their nationalities and capabilities it has been quite a lesson this semester. But with the knowledge that I now have the tools to improve and get back on the road to the top of the mountain. My favorite things are the Voices of Search and I am glad that so much of this class has links that I can return to even after I graduate for that reason. There are definitely links like the Google Search Challenges that I will be returning to regularly.

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Before taking this class, I thought the materials of this class are just about search engines and searching techniques. I have been using some searching techniques like Boolean Searching for my projects, and I found that the searching strategies are much more complicated than what I have used before.

The search activities are quite
helpful for my understanding on the complex concepts of searching. These search activities not only introduce new concepts of searching, but also help me enhance my understandings on what I have learned recently.

The Voices of Search videos are practical for my understandings on search concepts as well. The librarians have their own thoughts and opinions about different concepts in the field of searching

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I can’t believe we’re in Week 9 of the semester! We’ve covered a great deal of material here, and I find myself implementing learned search tools when I can:

In terms of internet search tools, I love the site and format search feature through Google! I’ve used it many times at work to pinpoint particular documents or singular web pages within a web page. And I even taught some of my coworkers about Google Custom Search Engines, and what powerful tools they can be in guided search instruction.

In terms of portals and curation, I love Curlie and the effort of web organization. I’ve found that, as I’ve been searching for resources for my LibGuide, portals like Curlie supply resources that I can browse and branch out from. As a Google native, I’ve never considered moving through the web like that.

In terms of traditional databases, I think the search strategies we’ve practiced -- laying groundwork, combining facets, using thesauri -- are immeasurably valuable to our work as information professionals, as well as information consumers.

The exercises we perform each week are all explorative and engaging, and I’m glad when I’m able to invest appropriate time and effort into them. I’ve found many of them to be rewarding!

There’s still so much for me to learn, and I look forward to the coming weeks!

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This class has certainly broadened my view of search. I came in not knowing how to search very effectively and struggling with the language and concepts of database searching. I definitely think I have crossed some thresholds during this class. I certainly feel a lot more comfortable with information structures and can understand how databases and search tools are structured, and how to retrieve content. I also feel like I am getting much better with information vocabularies (though I definitely have work to do here!).

The Voices of Search videos have been helpful in understanding how useful search can be in a wide variety of disciplines. Each VOS interviewee has come from a different background, and interacts with search in a different way. Learning from them has been great, and I look forward to watching more of these interviews through the semester.

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What a semester this has been! A couple months before this semester started, I began a new job with more intensive hours than I previously had, which was not so much of an issue when it came to the winter break, since I didn't have any other major time sinks. But once the semester started, boy oh boy! It has been a long and somewhat difficult semester, full of running back and forth between work and scholastic commitments! If that wasn't enough, we are now under massive quarantines as COVID-19 has placed us all under siege. This has truly been a draining experience.
That being said, I don't think that this has been a bad semester. I have really enjoyed this class, particularly in the Voices of Search portion. Hearing people within the field talk about their jobs and explain different things that they do on a regular basis has really opened my eyes to the simultaneous diversity of the field and similarity in skills needed for a number of different jobs within it! I have been enjoying this semester, and I think that the fact that this is my final semester has definitely heightened my experience in this class. Taking the material that I have developed from here and applying information and skills that I have previously learned, both in the classroom and out of it, has been a wonderfully enriching experience for me, albeit a slightly exhausting one. I would not trade this for the world, and I want to thank all of you for being a part of it!

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So far, this semester has flown by. For me, the biggest takeaway has been my improvements in being able to use information vocabularies. Before this class, I must be honest and admit that I was not familiar with how to use boolean searches, truncations, or wildcards. But after the first few weeks, I was pretty good at using these devices to retrieve more precise searches. I was amazed that I could make a refined search with very few results that gave me the exact information I desired. This has definitely been the most rewarding part of the class. I have an increased confidence when it comes to searching, and I feel I am better prepared to work in the reference department at my library.

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Learning how to make video tutorials and learning to search different kinds of databases with information vocabularies were my biggest takeaways so far. I've already been able to help other people skills I've gained in this course. For example, I've shared about Loom with people who had not yet heard of it and are needing to setting up online learning on the fly. Also, I've already had an opportunity to assist someone using a Google tool I learned about through a VOS interview (Google Lens). I've really enjoyed Voices of Search in general and have learned something new and helpful with every interview I got to view for VOS.

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What I Found at the Half-Way Point: Mid-Semester Reflection

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What I Found at the Half-Way Point: Mid-Semester Reflection

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Even though search has been an essential part of my life, I don't know if I have thought about it in quite the same way as I have been this semester. Throughout my academic career, I have learn the fundamental building block of search, such as information retrieval and Kuhlthau's theories on the emotional struggle of the information search process. I have also learned about information literacy and how understanding how to access information is only one part of the picture. I think most people view an internet search as one that happens with only a few keywords on Google, but in fact, there are many ways to do research. Honestly, I think the upcoming readings for our unit on social media interest me the most. Academic research is important, and I have learned a lot about techniques that I had never thought about before, such as truncation or wildcard searches, but searching through collective information that is not peer-reviewed is also a good resource. Just now, someone I know was trying to get involved with local grassroots activism and knowing how to look for certain resources outside of databases is really helpful for this kind of search.

I think I have been making progress at crossing Tucker's thresholds. I think I still need to practice more with the finer points of database searching, but I hope to gain more of that experience as I create the LibGuides for this class.

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This class is an information-and-idea loaded class. The information and ideas are worthy for the future research, like HIB as demonstrated by the interview of Dr. Kaitlin Costello’s patients’ information searching behavior.  Indeed, every interview warrants a research topic to pursue.  The searching exercises are practical, and have helped me tip the toe into a very different and fluid searching landscape to get the first feel and understanding even though each had taken me more time than I thought and planned, no exception.

Among the video streams, I guess Tucker gave a very important theoretical understanding of the learning experience of becoming a searching professional.  It has helped me assess myself generally about where I am.  I would say that I have a mixed experience of all the four concepts at this point.  Or, in terms of the five stages that Tucker described in the interview, I have certainly passed the transformative and irreversible stage, and in a kind of mixed experience of the other three stages – integrative, troublesome and bounded.  I guess it is quite a regular and normal experience to many, including me.

Another video, I guess, was very remindful to me was the interview of Dan Russell and his series.  The important lesson I got is more than about Google.  The interview and series have reminded me that I should take a long and balanced view of each search engine in connection with its database, and evaluate each by its own merits in order to extract the maximum benefits from it as designed while knowing its limitations and weaknesses.  I still remember the excitement I had just got right before watching Dan Russell’s that took me to make a harsh criticism toward Google, which I might do the same to others if that  kind of perception was not halted.  Indeed, no search engine, searching strategy and database are perfect, but always have room for development and improvement.  I guess this makes the searching professional even more critical and essential in the landscape of search, as well as playing a functional role in the creation of deliverable contents, whether for the open access or individuals’ searching needs, as Sarah Glassmayer for former and others, like Bates and Affelt, for the latter say.

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Mid-Semester Reflection: Kaitlin Wood (Section 90)

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Mid-Semester Reflection: Kaitlin Wood (Section 90)

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As I reflect on the first eight weeks of this semester, I am amazed and impressed with how much I have learned so far in this class. Although I knew that my search skills could be improved prior to starting this course in January, I had no idea of the extent of my limitations, nor how little I actually understood about prominent search tools, especially Google. For instance, just within the past few weeks alone, I have discovered several simple yet powerful features on Google Web (e.g., how to search by date, how to effectively use Google Images, how to search by color, how to use the “find” bar, etc.), plus I have been introduced to numerous valuable resources like Google Books, Google Scholar, and Talk to Books. In fact, watching Dan’s MOOC videos, along with completing one of his search challenges two weeks ago, was probably my favorite moment in the semester up until this point. However, there have been many other moments in class that I have greatly enjoyed as well, including right from the outset when I listened to Mary Ellen Bates, who was the first speaker that truly caught my eye. Her advice to persevere in our search attempts and to cultivate a sense of mental resiliency really resonated with me, and I intend to keep this recommendation in mind whenever I encounter tricky search problems in the future. Other key moments in the class so far for me include when I practiced command line searching for the first time (a difficult but rewarding experience); I fully understood the meaning and purpose behind facet analysis (thank you, Markey!); I felt pride when looking at my final product for Assignment #1 (I spent so much time refining and polishing my project, but it was definitely worth it in the end to behold my professional newsletter on Smore); and very recently, I learned about the difference between the Dark Web and the Deep Web, as well as realized that the former is not necessarily an evil place where only cyber criminals live.

Furthermore, in regard to threshold concepts, I believe that I have crossed several of them. For instance, I am unsure whether I will ever completely “perceive” the “total information environment” (Tucker, 2013) in its entirety — after all, it is quite expansive, perhaps even limitless — but I nonetheless believe that I have a solid grasp now of the most important aspects, features, and tools that I should be aware of. Similarly, I have developed a great understanding of the current “information vocabularies,” including the “fluency in search behaviors related to language,” such as “finesse using proximity, truncation, and other language- based tools.” I think that completing the search activities every week is the biggest reason for why I feel confident using these tools now, because whenever I worked on the aforementioned assignments, it allowed me to put what I had learned earlier in the week into practice, and to try it out firsthand. On a final note, I am eager to see what we will be taught in the final eight weeks of the course, because if it is anything like the first half of the semester, then we are in for a treat!

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I am in my second-to-last semester here in the MI program, and I am happy that I waited until now to take this course. I feel like so many concepts covered in this course build on other courses I have taken in a way that supports deeper understanding through practical experiences. In basic Reference class, we got an overview of the information environment; in Search, I have learned a great deal more about specific types of databases, search engines, portals, and their functions. If I hadn't taken Info Tech and learned the very basics of databases, I might not have gotten as much out of our readings and discussions about information structures. In Cataloging & Classification we learned about controlled vocabulary in the context of original cataloging; this experience set the stage for our use of controlled vocabularies in a search. (After writing that, I'm amazed that we're only halfway through the semester!) It has also been immensely useful to learn about all of these concepts while remembering to look through the lens of the user - remembering their concerns, limitations, needs, and what kinds of questions they will ask versus what kind of information they need. I am very happy to have learned about "personas" and can see myself using this more in the future. If it's not obvious where I'm going with this yet, I do believe there is concept fusion already occurring at this stage in the semester. I look forward to seeing where the rest of this course takes us!

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So far, this has been a transformative semester concerning the way I think about search.  I can't pinpoint an exact turning point, but I do believe that I have a much broader and deeper understanding of search resources and techniques, both in paid databases and on the open web than I did before this semester began.  However, I have also gained an appreciation for how much I don't know in these fields, which in itself is valuable.

One of the things I have found to be the most beneficial about our work this semester is the wide variety of learning tools, readings, videos, lectures, interviews, assignments, activities, database exploration, etc. that have been part of our learning.  This wide variety of resources and activities has helped us gain a sense of the vastness of the world of search, that I can't imagine I would have acquired otherwise.  I have particularly appreciated the Voices of Search videos because they have provided such interesting windows into a wide array of aspects of professional searching.  The other thing I have particularly appreciated has been the search activities.  They are such a good way to encourage us to explore what we are learning and gain valuable first-hand experience. I am eager to see what the second half of the semester has in store for us.

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Crossing Thresholds! - Mid Semester Reflection

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Crossing Thresholds! - Mid Semester Reflection

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Reflecting on the first half of the semester, I must admit.. This is probably my favorite class at Rutgers thus far. In this class, I have learned so much information that will translate to my day to day professional life as a public librarian. Every week, the lectures are engaging, the content is current, accurate, and informative, and the exercises have actual purpose and aren’t just busy work. Because I enjoy this class and see so much value in it, reflecting back on what I have learned is somewhat of a journey. Indeed, many of the topics were familiar to me, but it seems I had barely begun to scratch the surface of knowledge ability and expertise with searching and the information landscape until now. I find myself saving every scrap of information, reading it multiple times, and committing it to memory so that I may utilize the skills again now, tomorrow, and down the road. I can’t just link to one individual lesson, document, exercise, or lecture that was the most beneficial; it all has been.

With that said, I have definitely crossed thresholds in this class; I believe I began this class hovering between threshold one (information environment) and threshold two (information structures), to where I knew about the information environment and was able to understand how it was structured and used. Before, I definitely did not have enough of threshold three (information vocabularies and specificities), and this I believe I am on the way to mastering. From now until the end of class, I can see myself easily crossing into threshold four (integration) such that all three thresholds have been traversed and am fully competent in the search environment and the skills, aptitudes, and foresight to be the best searcher possible.

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The past several weeks has broadened my view of search. One of the most interesting topics covered is the wide range of search strategies available. Prior to this class, my search strategy followed the same routine, basically an advanced search on JSTOR or Academic Search Premier. Studying search strategies, like building blocks and facet analysis, has not only given me names for the strategies I’ve been using for years, but has also expanded my “search tool kit” which allows me to conduct more efficient searches. Another takeaway is about databases and discovery search. I had no idea that databases had so many features and ways to search, like image search, command line search, and thesauri. Until now, I only used advanced search and never explored beyond that. The search activities have been particularly interesting by providing the opportunity to explore databases and use search strategies. In addition to search strategies and databases, this course has also changed my understanding of the internet. The model of the internet as a vast ocean of information is familiar, yet it never occurred to me that the ocean model also illustrates how the internet has levels. It also never occurred to me that the dark web could be useful to librarians, particularly as tool to find information not readily available on the surface web. Additionally, understanding the internet as a hierarchy helps demonstrate how access to information changes throughout the web. Overall, this course has been incredibly insightful, and I look forward to learning more.

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I came in knowing very little about search except for the overused Google. I think Mooer's Law summed up my experience of why I never went further with my search practices. I found it very difficult for me to retrieve the information that I needed to be successful. However, for personal reasons, this class has benefited me as I have had to search medical information. Originally, I would get the vague superficial results provided by the surface Web (a term I learned this week). I have now come to understand that controlled vocabulary is important to conduct  successful subject searches (Markey).
I also didn't realize that not all libraries  didn't have access to all databases. Nor did I realize that databases may use particular search terms for their particular system. As a librarian, I must be familiar with the system and the terms used for the system. This comes with practices. Originally, I thought there would be some kind of guide for librarians to follow  and not necessarily the application of skills and practice that helped them.
I think my biggest learning takeaways are that Google has 3 interfaces. Since this is the search engine that I use most, I thought this was interesting that I was unaware of the of the other interfaces. I also found it interesting that many other people don't know of these interfaces either.
I also thought the tricks to search provided by Amy Affelt were helpful awhen using command line searches.
My last major aha and the most helpful was connecting with groups using search portals, directories and the dark web. Understanding that the dark web was not necessarily illegal information. This is where I was able to find valuable information to help understand what was going on in my family. It also gave me a better understanding as the search process of potential users and the frustration they may encounter prior to asking a librarian. The frustration is real and librarians may need to understand this aspect of serving users when serving them.

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It was a rough start for me in this class. I felt very overwhelmed, but it was able to get through it and understood what was expected. The first take away is how much I do not know about search methods. I thought when it came to researching on search engines and databases that it was pretty straightforward, but in this class, I have learned how to do more effective searches using search strings. This was something entirely new for me, and I found it exciting to learn. My second aha moment was that I know very little about Google's capacity. I was introduced to using different techniques and features leads, which has led me to a better experience. Its advanced search page and its reverse image lookup are items that I started using in my everyday life, and I no longer need a coin to do a coin flip. The third has to be all the little challenges the class presents with its search activities. They make you think outside of the box. I didn't know I would enjoy them so much.

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It was a rough start for me in this class. I felt very overwhelmed, but it was able to get through it and understood what was expected. The first take away is how much I do not know about search methods. I thought when it came to researching on search engines and databases that it was pretty straightforward, but in this class, I have learned how to do more effective searches using search strings. This was something entirely new for me, and I found it exciting to learn. My second aha moment was that I know very little about Google's capacity. I was introduced to using different techniques and features leads, which has led me to a better experience. Its advanced search page and its reverse image lookup are items that I started using in my everyday life, and I no longer need a coin to do a coin flip. The third has to be all the little challenges the class presents with its search activities. They make you think outside of the box. I didn't know I would enjoy them so much.

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I wasn’t sure what to expect with this course.  Coming in I knew I was not a strong searcher.  I stumbled through with a decent amount of success and felt that I had Google pretty well mastered but nothing more than that.  I fell comfortably within Tucker’s first tenant, I understood more was available but did not go too far into any of it. Right off the bat Mary Ellen Bates caught my attention with her conversation about her approach to searching.  I liked that she broke it down into easy steps for me to understand.  I found her enthusiasm catching and liked that she admitted she started with the basics to see what she could find.  As the course progressed I was fascinated to learn more about truncation and wildcards.  Boolean terms were already my friends but I quickly found that I could make them work even harder for me.  I loved Dan Russell’s lessons on Google and found several things I could bring back to my classroom lessons about basic Google searching.  I have enjoyed the discovery of so many directories which I admit I thought were a thing of the past.  I found some great resources to pass along to fellow staff members and to use for myself.  Learning how to locate the directories and the portals has been a great Aha moment for me.  But I think out of everything we have done my absolute biggest takeaway has been how to evaluate the databases.  As a lone librarian in a district this will be a skill I will use continually.  I have found that I look at directories, databases even just the search results differently now.  I come into the experience with a much more analytical approach.  I notice things I never did before.  Without any real intention I look for the ability to translate, who is the audience, what are the search options and how does controlled vocabulary play a part in the site.  I have left the first tenant to feel comfortable in the second and the third.  I hope by the end to feel more confident in my searching and better able to make informed decisions on how to search and where to search effectively and efficiently.

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Mid Semester Reflection - Cassondra McCarthy

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Mid Semester Reflection - Cassondra McCarthy

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This semester so far has been a challenging one but also one that has already improved my search abilities.  Mostly, I have trying to relearn what I thought I knew about things I have already had experience with. This mental reorganization of schemas is what has been the most challenging. I think most of us in this class can say that we have experiences searching on databases or have interacted with Google in a search capacity. But understanding them in this general way is very different to understanding how they work and how to best use them in a professional capacity.  Even though this has been challenging, it has also been the most immediately rewarding. I have already implemented some new search tools like truncation and word proximity to my searches and I am finding it much easier to find the information I want.  I also did not necessarily think before about the specific techniques I was using. I was already using several of the techniques, but I was unsure that what I was doing actually constituted searching. It helped increase my searching confidence to be told that I was employing the correct search techniques and not wasting my time in the process of enjoying the search. Overall, my hesitancy around searching is evolving into more confidence and I am finding that my search results are improving because of the experience I am gaining in this course.

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Mid-Semester Reflection - Meredith Magenheim

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Mid-Semester Reflection - Meredith Magenheim

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This course has been incredibly interesting, challenging, thought provoking, and enlightening.  When I enrolled, I never anticipated how much I would learn about my own search techniques and habits as well as the amazing resources out there to support our explorations of the search landscape.  I've mentioned this in many of my discussion posts, but my biggest takeaway so far is the importance of pre-search planning.  In the past, my pre-search planning was basically nonexistent.  I usually jumped right into a search without thinking too much about my initial search terms or visualizing my perfect results.  Through the Voices of Search conversations, readings, lectures, and other resources, I have realized that I have been missing out on an important step that can drastically improve and influence my search strategy.

One of my other biggest takeaways is that search is both an art and a science.  It is important to be analytical, logical, and thorough, but it is also important to be adaptable, creative, and intuitive.

I am continually amazed by the resources and tools available that I have never known about before.  While I know there is still so much more for me to learn, I do feel more confident in my own search skills now and look forward to sharing the many new tools that I have added to my search toolkit with future users and patrons.

I look forward to the rest of the semester and all the new topics we have yet to cover. I am also very excited to continue working on my LibGuide.

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This semester has been a challenge yet worthwhile in so many ways. I feel each week, I come away with a slightly clearer image of the search world, though, until I am using these techniques frequently and in practice, I think they will still feel somewhat cumbersome. Prior to this course, I had a fairly simple view of searching and my knowledge remained firmly in within the first threshold of Tucker’s four concepts. I know where to look for information and could typically find what I needed with time and trial and error, though my searches were not efficient. My knowledge of content, index structures, and retrieval algorithms was virtually non-existent. While it all makes sense to me, I did not give the type of information structures much thought. I have learned a lot about the different types of databases available and what to look for depending on the inquiry. Having dabbled a bit in information vocabularies, I feel much more confident now in using proximity, truncations, and other language tools and filters. This is something in particular I thing will transform my abilities as an advanced searcher. I also think that my new knowledge has allowed me to balance those abilities in concept fusion in many ways. And where I might be deficient in one area, strengths in other areas have given me confidence to still be able to find information I need. Our foray into google search techniques have been some of the most useful to me thus far. I really think this will be extremely useful in practice. My library does not have access to databases yet (it’s on the to do list) and I really want to be able to provide some support on no-cost solutions to finding valuable information. I particularly liked the Google Advanced Power Search MOOC activity in week 6. I feel better prepared to handle the everyday search challenges of my patrons after completing this challenge. I think this course has been extremely practical and has offered many opportunities to authentic experimentation of searching skills. I look forward to building my confidence in the second half of this course.

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Its honestly difficult to start this as I have learned so much.  The search strategies will directly help me as a searcher and in helping my students understand more effective ways to find their info.  Learning the differences between many of the online sources has been critical: databases, search engines, portals/directories, etc and understanding how they all work together will stay with me.  I have LOVED learning about Google, its tools and its increasing capabilities.  Its exciting to know that we are now in the top 2% of all searchers!  I have also particularly appreciated understanding the difference between the surface, deep and dark webs as I can now share those distinctions with my peers and pupils.  Each week I feel so much more capable as a searcher which is really increasing my confidence to share the strategies, techniques and learnings with my future students!

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Its honestly difficult to start this as I have learned so much.  The search strategies will directly help me as a searcher and in helping my students understand more effective ways to find their info.  Learning the differences between many of the online sources has been critical: databases, search engines, portals/directories, etc and understanding how they all work together will stay with me.  I have LOVED learning about Google, its tools and its increasing capabilities.  Its exciting to know that we are now in the top 2% of all searchers!  I have also particularly appreciated understanding the difference between the surface, deep and dark webs as I can now share those distinctions with my peers and pupils.  Each week I feel so much more capable as a searcher which is really increasing my confidence to share the strategies, techniques and learnings with my future students!

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This semester has increased my search skills. My understanding of Tucker’s thresholds has also increased, and I feel like each week I am becoming more comfortable with each. I have learned not just multiple search, but I also have discovered new tools, resources and databases that have expanded my search world. I must admit that it can be difficult keeping up with the technology and updates of resources. It is hard when you go to use a resource just to find that it no longer exists or has changed in such a way that it is practically a new resource to learn. My go-to sources and databases have changed too. I now rarely use any basic searches and tend to immediately go for the advanced searches. I am ready to learn more skills in the upcoming weeks!

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This semester has increased my search skills. My understanding of Tucker’s thresholds has also increased, and I feel like each week I am becoming more comfortable with each. I have learned not just multiple search, but I also have discovered new tools, resources and databases that have expanded my search world. I must admit that it can be difficult keeping up with the technology and updates of resources. It is hard when you go to use a resource just to find that it no longer exists or has changed in such a way that it is practically a new resource to learn. My go-to sources and databases have changed too. I now rarely use any basic searches and tend to immediately go for the advanced searches. I am ready to learn more skills in the upcoming weeks!

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This class has been an incredible experience for me--I had no idea how much there was to learn about the world of search!  My biggest learning takeaways so far fall into Tucker’s threshold concepts of Information Environment and Information Vocabularies.  In terms of information environment, I have learned a ton about what kinds of databases are available.  I had only used databases in the past to search for full-text academic articles, and I had no idea there were so many subscription databases that provided curated content on particular themes or for particular age groups.  I’m so excited to share these valuable resources with students and patrons when I become a librarian, and I am glad that we are exploring the best ways to do that as a class.  The Assignment 1 gallery gave me many great ideas.

I also have learned a lot about the tools available on the open web, and have been most impressed by the Google tools described in the Google News Initiative tutorials.  In some of our activities over the past few weeks, I have started to explore different tools and formats used for data visualization, and I am SO excited to learn more about this fascinating topic!

I knew almost nothing about electronic information structures before beginning this class, and now I have a basic understanding of things like index structures and web crawlers.  However, I would say I am still too new to this side of things to claim that I have crossed the “information structures” threshold.  I do think I understand enough about these structures to apply my knowledge in a search, such as by looking for the cached version of a website that is currently down or navigating the index of a database.

I have learned so much about information vocabularies this semester, especially with regards to using controlled vocabulary.  Truncation has also been a new strategy I have found particularly helpful.

I think the LibGuide final project will be a great opportunity for me to engage in concept fusion and apply what I have learned in each of these areas.  I’m looking forward to the second half of the semester!

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I have learned a lot this semester and we are only half way through. Before this course I was a very basic searcher. I would use advanced search options, if they were available, but I rarely, if ever, used Boolean operators or anything more complicated. I have since learned many more tools of search, facets being one of my favorites. Since starting this course I have also seen a noticeable difference in the way I search at work. Both in complexity of the searches but also in the tools I have knowledge of and use. I was unaware that Google had so many tools available other than the few well known ones. The week we spent on Google Tools was really exciting and the search activity that week was quite fun too.

Concerning thresholds, I feel like I have crossed thresholds 1 and 3. I do not think I have completely crossed threshold 2, because I still have some issues with remembering phrases to include in searches to better retrieve information. As a result of my remaining confusion over threshold 2 I do not think I can completely cross threshold 4. Though, I think I have to some degree.

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This semester, I feel like I’ve made some big strides in my understanding of the world of search.  I have really been able to see beyond the ways that I have generally done search to see new methods that I know I will use in the future.  Some examples would be the proximity search, the use of the site: and tag: searches, and using the advanced filters on Google.  All of these are things that I feel have really helped to develop my understanding of the methods that are required for search.  I think I’ve really underutilized Google for some things, and the methods that I’ve learned have really helped me to look at information and the way that it is organized in a completely different way.

Where I feel that I’ve really grown in this class within the four threshold concepts developed by Tucker is in #2 and #4.  After taking some other classes and from my own personal knowledge, I felt I had a good understanding of information environment and information vocabularies, but I think I’ve really made strides to better understand the structures that contain information and the fusion of these concepts.  Having a better understanding of the structure of information and the algorithms that present it has really helped me to understand the bigger picture.  As we move forward, I hope to further enhance my concept fusion ability in order to use all of these skills together without thinking about it.

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I am proud to say I feel as though I have crossed the four thresholds. Starting this course, I could not say that. While I dabbled in a few of the thresholds, I couldn’t say that I was fluent in them or seamlessly flowing through each of them. Now, I better understand information and searching as a whole.

I have gathered a number of search strategies that I had previously not used but have found immensely helpful over the past few weeks. Using a database’s thesaurus to familiarize myself with their vocabulary and there subject terms, having a basic knowledge of command line searching, using Boolean operators and techniques like truncation more efficiently, and being more confident in advanced search are all steps I’ve taken since the beginning of the semester. I feel better about searching databases and better about helping others search them, too.

Also, all I learned about the layers of Google and how I can be a more proficient Google searcher has been beneficial. Already I have put some of my new Google search knowledge into place. I am excited to see what the rest of the semester holds. – Angela Blasco

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My biggest learning takeaways is that I should always keep up with the new technology and new updates of the world around me. I am so glad that I chose this course this semester. The content of this course really opens up my mind and my eyes. I always felt that I didn’t learn much in this program, until I took this course. It is hard for me to keep up with and learn everything well in this course because of my language and culture as a non-native English speaker. I got to know that there are so many stuffs on the internet besides Google and databases. In terms of information vocabulary, I think different filed has quite different vocabularies. I need more experience and time to learn it. Now I realize that Learning new things is such an important ability, which is a key in my future job. I am not sure how well that I can learn new things, but I would like to spend sometime to learn new technology and form this habit to do it.

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Well, I believe I began the course at the beginning of #2, Information Structure. A previous course brought me there, teaching me the basics of indexing. Of course, everything is rather rushed, and even A grades doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have liked more time to delve into the lingo. The basics were absorbed, but it was still shaky. I can definitely say I’m at Information Vocabularies, now, having done several assignments that have not only forced me to work with the systems, but the terminology. I feel far more comfortable with the world now, and more importantly I feel I can use what I know in my job, which I have to an extent. I view searches in a more analytical light, and I think more about keywords than questions, which helps. I have yet to use some of the more advanced aspects at work, but I am certainly appreciating using them in class.

I would say my biggest takeaway, as I briefly mentioned, is the way I think about searches. I used to be more hung up on trying to type in complete questions, yet now I feel more at home searching keywords and using field limiters. Don’t get me wrong --  I still love and rely on Google. But the search world has definitely broadened for me.

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I have to say I am learning plenty and resourceful information from this class. I would not say it is cognitive overload, because I think the work each week really allows me to understand and grasp the material well. I have many AHA moments each week. I find myself looking forward to the Voices of Search and Search Activities each week. I think getting an outsider's perspective on the topic we discuss for that week for the Voices of Search, allow me to see how the material we learn is implemented into the profession more. The Search Activities really help me implement the readings and lectures into my work. I find them to be a great use of work during the week as well as my reflection on each. Some have been frustrating and I have expressed this in the reflection, however, others have been a learning curve, showing me different mechanics of databases, vocabulary, Google and the world of search.

Referring to Tucker’s four threshold concepts, I would say I have crossed half of them. Specifically the information vocabularies. I found this to be the biggest AHA for me thus far in class. Back in my undergrad, I only utilized the basic search. I never dived deeper into the Advanced Search or Command Line Search because I simply did not know how. I think having an understanding of how it is used now as strengthening my searches and challenging me to use them moving forward in my education and profession. Information structures, as well, I believe have been crossed. I am still learning about all the different databases and how to locate them, what they are used for and how to use each one. I like to tackle each database as it’s own person, with its own personalities. Even with Google! Everyone thinks they are probably well versed with the search engine, but I seem to keep coming across new functions of it every week! I love it! I am hoping towards the end of the semester I can fully clear the threshold of the information environment, which can be a never ending change as we continue to learn more about the informational environment in the next few weeks. Overall, I am really happy I took this class in my second semester of the program, as I can use what I have learned from here in the rest of my time in the program. Knowing this type of information can be a weight of the shoulders moving forward.

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I feel as though I have crossed several thresholds this semester, mostly regarding how I incorporate different search strategies while I am searching. I utilize advanced search options whenever available, and I tend to use a mix of the different strategies we have learned about/reviewed in all of my searches. I also consider how my results in Google compare now to results in different search engines, and I tend to do every search in at least 3 or 4 different search engines to see what is different about the results. I have had many aha moments this semester, and I think most of them occurred while viewing the Google Power Searching MOOC. The strategies Dr. Russell discussed are amazing and quite easy to utilize effectively, and I have found myself going back to the cheat sheets I found on his Google site to refresh my memory on them from time to time.

I have also been thinking about media literacy, and how so many of these strategies can assist in confirming the validity of sources and identify the purpose of the author, and determine the truthiness of sources of information, and something that will stick with me from the first half of this semester is how important it is to pass on this knowledge to others, both students and colleagues, and also friends and family.

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This semester has had me cross various thresholds thus far. One of my main takeaways at this point is how much I don't know about Google. I had thought I was pretty savvy when using Google, but man was I mistaken! Dan Russell especially fascinated me with all the advice he offered (I even bought The Joy of Search because I realized how much more my Google knowledge could grow). c
-Kelly Nolan

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I feel like I’ve been sharing so many AHA! moments in our weekly discussions that there’s not much new to say in my reflection. I’m not sure if I’ve crossed any thresholds yet, but I’ve definitely come a long way in terms of my understanding of information environment, structure and vocabulary. Before this course, I had a tenuous grasp on the basics of Boolean searching and tended to shy away from performing anything but the most simple database searches. However, within a few short weeks, I felt comfortable performing command line searches and playing around with things like terms, controlled vocabulary, limiters, and index fields. Now that I have names for and descriptions of a variety of search strategies, I am able to use them more intentionally and feel better equipped to explain them to others. I thoroughly enjoyed Dan Russell’s Google Advanced Search lessons and challenges and felt that they gave me a better understanding of how to utilize the many features of Google as well as how Google itself functions. Tasha Bergen-Michelson’s webinar on organizing your search is something else that I think will stay with me long after this semester is over and something that I hope to incorporate into my own instruction. Mary Ellen Bates’ Voices of Search interview has also stuck with me since Week 1 because I think that she was able to give valuable insight into the world of professional search that was both encouraging and realistic.

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My biggest takeaway of the semester is that there are so many “hidden” features in the databases. All of these years, I had never been using the databases to their full potential. The readings in Markey's and Brown’s books really opened my eyes to the strategies that I should be using beyond Boolean operators, such as truncation and proximity, as well as Can’t Live Without this Facet First, Pearl Growing, and more. I was also introduced to the benefits of utilizing the thesauri and controlled vocabulary, especially when your vocabulary is limited around a specific subject. I feel like I am better able to identify the features that databases have and determine which ones can best help me in my specific search. Each week, I feel like I’m crossing the Information Environment threshold all over again because I’m gaining more knowledge about the environment as a whole, whether that’s databases, search engines, or portals/directories. I also think I’ve crossed the Information Vocabularies threshold because I’m gaining more confidence in using different search features and strategies.

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This semester I’m crossing a lot of thresholds, especially Information Environment because of all the work we do learning about different databases, like the weekly activities and Database of the Week. I am becoming more and more capable of using search strategies, and differentiating the best strategies for databases versus search engines. What I realize most with this class is that there are a lot of tools and search skills that are simple and really really useful, but not many people know about them. For example, I didn’t use database thesauri before entering this class because I didn’t know that they were even there, let alone knowing how they could help me. And, we’ve all realized in recent weeks how many tools there are in Google that we don’t know about. I thought the custom search bar was really cool and I had no idea it was something I could do. Even really simple things like searching Google images based on color or using scope notes to find information about databases were things that I didn’t realize I could do, and many others don’t either, so it’s our job to teach others what is available for them to utilize. The weekly activities help me a lot, and sharing our experiences with them in the discussions adds even more help because we all have different experiences and feelings about the process for all the activities, just like all library patrons would. With every week, my knowledge about information searching grows and I become more comfortable using search skills.

-Carley D’Auria