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Kaitlyn Meehan - End of Semester Takeaways

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Kaitlyn Meehan - End of Semester Takeaways

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I am incredibly grateful to have taken this course and learned about the search process and the information landscape. As someone that will be unable to take the reference course, I feel as though this course prepared me and enabled me with skills to not only conduct searches but be able to lead and assist others along the search process more confidently. While I used to think of myself as a skilled researcher prior to this course, I learned just how skillful reference librarians and researchers must be to navigate through sources and databases. As seen in my chosen image/meme for this final reflection, the “words in a box” mean much more than that; they are carefully chosen and placed in certain positions to yield the best and most positive searches. It is not as easy as it looks, as surely the “students” in the meme would assume. In reality, the ability to search and to search well is an underappreciated superpower in its own right.

As we’ve learned this semester, there is a precise how, when, and why to placing search terms into the search box; now that I am able answer and explain these specific processes, I truly see the progress I’ve made this semester and recognize the hard work and effort going into the reference desk every day. It’s a true craft and art to be able to swiftly maneuver through the weeds of sources, and now I know more to continue to improve my own search skills to make me a better searcher. For instance, our search activities using multiple research facets was a difficult yet enlightening challenge, especially since it highlighted my own shortcomings when it came to searching. As I came to learn, learning advanced queries takes skill, time, and effort to generate meaningful content to find the right niche in a search. Therefore, I now know this course significantly improved my ability to search and provided me with such a rich toolkit and guide for successful searches. I now feel prepared to fulfill the role of the librarian in the meme rather than the role of the ignorant students. Ultimately, this course makes me like a better librarian because I am now better equipped to search for materials and research for both teachers and students in my future school library.

Overall, reflecting on the entirety of our time together in 530, I think back to the Roy Tennant quote guiding us through the semester. In the first weeks of the course, I explained my love for what I called “the hunt,” which was weaving through research to find the pearl, that perfect article that launches research into a passionate and positive direction. As I began to learn and appreciate the deep depths of searching and how to utilize different strategies to yield a great search, I now realize that “the hunt” I was referring to was ultimately the search process and experience. Of course, everyone loves to find and finally see the fruits of our labor. However, what sets us information professionals apart is the journey that gets us there, not the destination, and that’s what Tennant has been referring to all along.

Thank you for a wonderful semester and the opportunity to learn with you.

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Roy Tennant was right, I am a librarian who likes to search

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Roy Tennant was right, I am a librarian who likes to search

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I'm really happy to have taken this course, as I've learned a lot about searching and information as it relates not only to my practice as an information professional but also to my everyday life. Some of my biggest ahas were related to specific search tricks (like proximity searching and specifying a Google search with operators like site:) but it also made me realize how deep and vast the information landscape truly is. No one will ever truly know anything, but librarians/info professionals can try their hardest to find whatever kernel of knowledge is necessary! I've been lucky enough to apply some of what I've learned through this class to my professional work already-- as a children's library assistant, I've taught some kids about kid-specific databases I've learned about through this course!-- but I plan to keep my search knowledge flowing. Before this class, I never really made use of a PLN but now have some great Twitter accounts, blogs, and social media pages that I check up on to learn more about the field. I want to make myself available to help my patrons with any information need they come to me with and serve them to the best of my ability. Search matters so much because it connects people to information that's important to them, so knowing the best search strategies possible & being able to instruct others in how to search effectively is incredibly important.
I see the information landscape as an ocean (basic, I know) where search strategies and help from information professionals act as navigational aids like maps, sea charts, buoys, and boats. Over the course of my career, I want to learn how to be a captain and expert navigator of the search ocean!

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This course has taught me so much about the elements of the search process that we all do inherently and without much thought; selecting a facet of the concept we're looking for, deciding which keywords when put together will give us our desired results, etc. This course, particularly through the search activities, forced me to become aware of these processes. Being able to understand the parts of the search process that we do automatically allows us to understand how to implement strategies to the steps we were already doing, to some extent, to produce better results. This course has also taught me how much there is to know about searching in databases. I feel like I've only just started in learning about database searching, so I will keep learning in the future! Search matters because it decides what answers we get. Each step in the process can change where we end up, so every move is equally important.

I see the information landscape as a spider's web. The information we want is at the center, but there is an infinite number of routes you can take to get there. You might get stuck, might hit a dead end, might take a detour, but you're still on your way!

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The information landscape is unimaginably vast and new materials and content are added by the hour. I knew this before the course but the iceberg analogy fits well; there is so much more under the surface. More than anything, this course taught me that if there is an information need, no matter how obscure, then there is probably a tool available online to meet that need. The sheer number of databases catering to niche subjects and studies, while mind boggling, is a beautiful thing to see. And learning best practices for searching these resources is something I’ll carry with me throughout the program and into my career. I’ve already put the skills learned here to use at my job in an academic library and in researching for the finals of my other courses.

The Voices of Search videos deserve a special mention as well. The value of gaining an understanding of what professionals in the field think about their work and the future of information science cannot be overstated. Not only are you gaining diverse and varied perspectives but you are being exposed to a great deal of ways to do this work.

I’m so glad I took this course in my first semester.

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Doozers = Web Developers, Marjorie the Trash Heap = Matheson, Librarian, Fraggles = Youth, Flowers = Knowledge, Seeds = Wishes, Lungs of Air = Your Question

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Fraggle Rock Theme Song = Youth Services

Before taking this class I thought Google was practically synonymous with the internet. When we learned that the deep web (plus the dark web) constitutes the vast majority of the stuff online, and that Google indexes less than 5% of the internet I was shocked !

Because Google is so ubiquitous, I found it extremely useful to hear (from the authors and experts we consulted) an honest assessment of what databases do better than Google (comprehensive scope, discipline-specific controlled vocabulary), when Google "does it better," (discovery) and how/when Google's strengths can be used in combination with other tools.

Beginning a search by visualizing the document of my dreams is not something that ever would have occurred to me as a useful first step. Learning that I can search by file type and top level domain was definitely a threshold crossing. It was like gaining super powers ! From this course I take away that strategizing is a big part of searching.

I am still not sold on using a voice assistant that is "always listening" in my home-- but it is VERY useful for me to hear there is a consensus among many information professionals that voice search is going to become increasingly popular.

I remember in the early 2000s (before I got my first cell phone) hearing about how popular texting was in Japan, and thinking, why would you want to write to someone when you could just call them? In 2022, I could write you a long list of reasons why texting is preferable ! And I just have to remind myself of this imagination gap when it comes to the adoption of new technologies, and how we adapt our values around the benefits they offer.

Instead of resisting the voice search trend, I want to investigate the trend. I want to understand how this trend is developing, and how I can guide others in using it in a variety of contexts.

So, what's the story behind the visual metaphor I created ? This is my rendering of the information ecosystem.

I compare librarians (and myself) to the compost heap: assimilating many sources of information and breaking it down in ways that that are directly relevant and beneficial to the library user. The Fraggles often come to "Marjorie the trash heap" with a half-formed question or something weighing on them, and she usually helps them ask a better question or embark on a quest.

Meanwhile, most of the time, Fraggles (children) are these playful creatures that casually eat the elaborate crystal structures manufactured by these little beings called doozers. I compare the doozers to web developers, who we can count on to keep churning out new apps, software, networks, etc.

The Fraggles eat their little buildings without thinking about what they are, who built them, or why.

Just as identifying the facets of a research question allows us to construct many possible queries in search of the info we want, I think part of being an info pro is developing an understanding of how the information landscape is constantly transforming, eroding, and recombining. But we can't just be passive observers. Proactively creating a wishlist of features we'd like to see in the world of search, and disseminating those ideas is one way that we can contribute to its evolution.

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visual metaphor, information search landscape v3

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The biggest takeaway is that there are so many people making such specific and cool stuff that is helpful to librarians' work and just figuring things out and using the internet in more productive and fun ways. Another big takeaway is how much search matters. I think I always sort of thought information literacy was a poor choice of words. Now I think when it comes to search, the skill of finding and using resources operates similarly (if written words are a communication technology, then perhaps learning how to find and disseminate information is the same principle at work). This frames it as an issue of equity too. I think people often limit their information horizons from a lack of inspiration or knowledge, and changing this can profoundly impact peoples' lives. This extends offline too, of course, but what’s exciting is how broadly available much of what we covered this term is and that people are inclined to learn search tips and tricks that they might not in a physical library or another such place.

I see the information landscape as a galaxy. We can only grasp on loose descriptors of how information operates; we can only view it from one point; it remains shadowy, changing, and expanding (are galaxies expanding? a search I didn’t do). Despite this, we find it worth theorizing. Found this tweet that also feels recent to an information context where there is always an information overload we must gesture into (and give tools and ideas for locating individual points).

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"It's a huge landscape, Hobbes ol' buddy...Let's go exploring!"

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Before this class, I certainly knew that the "Information Landscape" was vast, and I was kind of intimidated by it. But now I know it's way way vaster than I had ever imagined, and yet I'm far less intimidated by it. One reason is of course because I have added so many tips, tricks, hacks, and strategies to my search toolkit, thanks to many of the readings and exercises we've had here. But it's also because I have learned to see the Information Landscape less as a kind of jungle that I need to navigate with a machete and a torch, and more like a virtually infinite world with so many treasures to be discovered-- which is to say, kind of like this Calvin and Hobbes strip.

I especially felt this way while making my LibGuide, which was on a subject I had been knowledgable about for over 20 years. And yet while researching materials for my guide, I kept on discovering sources I had no idea existed-- and which sent me down curious rabbit holes of my own enjoyment. It not only honed many of my skills as a searcher, but further ignited my passion for the joys of discovery. Lately I've even noticed that joy has spread to my work in the public library. In fact it has felt less like "work" when a patron comes to the reference desk with a query, and I actually get excited to be able to show them how I found their answers using, say, Wolfram Alpha to find a stock price from a particular date in 1979, or Google Books to find the source of a particular quote.

I will always remember Roy Tennant's quote about how "Only librarians like to search; everyone else like to find." And on top of all the practical skills I've learned in this class, it's been just as valuable for me to be reassured here that librarianship is an ideal field for me.

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I used to think that search was a means to an end, an important step but one that just got you to the information you were searching for. But now, I think that search is a process itself that is ever evolving and can provide so much more than just an answer. We might end up learning much more while conducting our search than we thought possible and this new information might lead us to all sorts of places we didn’t know that we wanted to go.

Throughout this course I had several main highlights. One, for sure, was the Office Hours with Dr. Valenza. Since I am studying all virtually I haven’t gotten the chance to connect with as many of my classmates or professors and I loved being able to connect every week to discuss our work and also just get to know everyone. Another highlight was getting to create resources that I will be able to continue to use outside of this course. A final highlight was the quality of discussions in the different modules. It was so interesting to hear different voices and opinions about topics we can all engage with.

The meme I chose definitely represents something that I think is currently happening in the information landscape. It’s easy to get lulled into just stopping at page one of search engine results but there’s so much more out there than Page One of a Google search. We just have to make sure we’re passing that along to others!

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The information landscape looks varied depending on the user. Each user has very different needs depending on things such as age and experience. I used creative commons licensed images that did not require attribution to visually represent the needs / experiences of different ages of users.

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Lili Hermeline (90): End of Semester Thoughts

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Lili Hermeline (90): End of Semester Thoughts

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This course has been very challenging but also very informative and helpful for me as a current and future information professional. Here are some of my specific takeaways.

1. It has taught me that search matters because it helps us to accurately find and assess information and understand where it's a coming from in a time where there seems to be an overload of it.

2.  I used to think that search was something that I could never be really good at but now I see that with the right tools and some patience and resilience, I can be a good searcher.

3. In response to Roy Tennant's assertion, "only librarians like to search. Everyone else likes to find." I would have to say that I would not be in this profession if I didn't enjoy the trials and tribulations of searching, failing and then getting really excited when I find something. However, I might not go so far as to say that I prefer searching over finding. My ultimate goal is to find otherwise I feel like a failure to my students.

4. Lastly-what does the information landscape look like to me? Exciting, full of opportunity, but also very scary and intimidating.

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This course has been really informative. The saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” has proven to be true for me as far as searching the open web. I’m excited to share the things I’ve learned with others to increase their knowledge of the many uses of everyday tools!

On the other hand, it was quite evident in the beginning of this course that there were gaps in my knowledge when it came to searching databases. I found it most helpful to learn about near operators and controlled vocabulary thesauri.

I think knowing how to search well has become essential because memorization is no longer as important since we have computers in our pockets, in our cars, and even in our homes, just standing by waiting for us to ask our questions. The world-wide web has become a kind of surrogate for our memory. Computers, however, contain SO much information; it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it. As reliance on digital resources increase, it’ll only become more and more necessary that we learn how to search for the information the web contains.

At the beginning of this course, I didn’t completely agree with Roy Tennant's quote that "only librarians like to search. Everyone else likes to find." I still don’t completely agree. I think everyone likes to find. That’s what makes search fun- the end goal (and maybe some of the rabbit trails along the way as well =)! It can, however, be a complicated and frustrating endeavor. Now that I know how to search better, I can teach others those skills, and I think that’ll help them to find the task more enjoyable as well.

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Squid Game Old Man Sitting Meme Template

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As a future school librarian, I know that I will be applying so much of what I have learned about assessing credibility, filter bubbles and echo chambers, and how to teach digital/media literacy. Before this class, I knew it was important but films like Trust Me and our unit on propaganda and mis/dis information have really driven that point home. Being introduced to resources like CORA makes me feel that I will have the tools to start teaching students how to think more critically at the media they consume. Suffice it to say, I will be saving lots of Dr. V’s PearlTrees for future use!

In our very first module and VOS with Mary Bates she discussed that librarians need to have a “permeable comfort zone” and I like to think that this class has really challenged me to sit with my discomfort with a particular skill or concept and be okay with challenges. I think that is going to be essential as an information professional as the landscape and future horizons of this field are constantly evolving.

My image of the Mars rover (on the Nasa Website) was meant to capture this feeling. We, the information professionals, are the rovers exploring uncharted terrain looking for both familiar and foreign resources. Our skills are like the technology used to design and build these rovers… Some aspects are foundational skills that, no matter how the landscape changes, the skills will be relevant as they are. Other parts are constantly being modified and updated as needed to meet the challenge we encounter.

I had entirely too much fun making these memes (hence why I’ve included two) but I think that is actually indicative of how much growth I’ve made since beginning this program. My confidence with technology has really grown. This was a big ‘Aha’ for me as I was really initially drawn to the profession by a love of reading and books but am finding more and more joy in the art of search and exploring the tools that provide a means to connect the user and the information.

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Here we are at the end! It’s a little hard to believe. As I reflect on this course, I realize just how much I learned this semester.

Some of my biggest takeaways are that there are so many databases that can provide useful information, more than I realized, and so many that I have yet to explore. Simultaneously, there were so many I was introduced to through this course, both on Rutgers list of databases and Jersey Clicks, among other databases. Patrons and users have a vast variety of needs and this class helped me to see the value in fully understanding these databases, their scope, and modifiers for searching in order to utilize and suggest these databases to an appropriate audience. Through this class I also learned that that there are so many sources that individuals can gain information from outside of scholarly sources, such as a vast variety of blogs, twitter posts, and open-source sites that provides professional articles at no expense. Through this class, I also received a lot of insight on why misinformation spreads so quickly online, in large part due to filter bubbles and an individual’s own confirmation bias. I think that understanding why mis and disinformation spreads helps give me a better sense of how I could try to combat it in a library environment.

Before this class I used to be very reluctant when it came to social media. For my own personal reasons, I was never quite comfortable with social media in most regards, hoping to avoid it when I could. I feel that this class was able to change my thinking a bit in regard to social media platforms. I now see that social media can be an excellent source for curation and a necessary tool to reach out to broader audiences, including connecting with other librarians. I also see that these platforms can truly be a great source of information, giving insight that other sources may not be able to provide. Granted, I still think I will be cautious using these tools as a source of information in the future, but only to assure that the information gained is valid, as I would with any source of information.

My meme reflects some of my feelings on the vast variety of information sources on the web. There are so many sources to discover and explore, and while it can be exciting, it’s also hard not to be a little overwhelmed.

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I’ll be honest, before I started this class, I used to think, “How are they going to fill an entire semester with search?” But now, I think, “I need some more time.” What most people see and understand of search in their daily lives is such a small percentage of what is out there (I liked the iceberg infographic we had earlier this semester), and most people will never even know. I think some of the biggest takeaways for me are that 1) the search landscape is way vaster than I ever imagined it to be and so 2) a library professional really needs to understand a patron’s query (facet analysis) to provide helpful search service; reference and search services really go hand in hand, with reference being sort of front of house and search being more back of house (for anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant). I’ve never made a meme before, but I thought that the haystack was a good representation of what the search landscape looks like to me and how it feels to look for something obscure or really specific or how it feels when patrons have really high expectations of the “all-knowing” librarian, and you don’t want to let them down. Hopefully, everything I learned in this class will help me know where in the haystack to look and how, so that I can meet whatever patron need arises.

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I used to think that I need to know everything there is to know about a field, before I could claim to be an information professional or librarian in the field. Through all the Voices of Search introductions to librarians and information professionals I learnt that it's more about being an expert in skill and strategy, rather than an expert in a field. Although, I did use a lot of the skills and tools we were being taught in t my field itself (i.e. Middle Eastern Studies). I took this course after Human Information Behavior, and so, coupled with my fellowship with the SC&I training and Mentorship program (through which I learnt how to conduct reference interviews) I'm quite ready to be a reference librarian. One of the best things to come out of this course was the LibGuide though, because it allows me to create the portfolio that I need to apply to jobs, and increase my "marketability".

As far as the information landscape is concerned, it is still and forever will be a jungle, and with each search, each new skill I learn, I'm really just clearing a small path in front of me until I can get through the jungle. I have no real aspiration of soaring above the landscape and becoming a "master" in the field, especially since even researchers that have been 30y ears in the field don't feel like they are, and that's quite humbling.

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The search techniques I learned have already come in handy for materials in other classes that I am in this semester. As someone with a keen interest in info literacy instruction, this class not only exposed me to new techniques but also allowed me to explore one’s familiar to me in new ways. Brown’s chapter on Google Image search was helpful in particular as it showed me how you could use the tool in ways I had never thought of before. For example, Brown talked about how you could use Google Image to look up maps as a way to trace the history of a country and its’ shifting borders. I also really enjoyed Leslin Charles’ talk on Voices of Search. Leslin told a story about when she was teaching a class of grad students she mentioned oft-hand the technique of citation growing. They had never heard of it before and were really excited to start using the technique in their search. It was a great reminder that we should never assume that just because something is obvious to us that it is not necessarily obvious to others. This is a reminder to set outside of ourselves and our worldview. This is also key to the subject of search. So many of us view search in one way as an amalgamation of our experiences and perceptions, but search lies beyond that. It is when we push past that, do we really begin to search.

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My biggest overall take away from this course is the that the amount of back-end work required for search is truly remarkable. This class introduced us to many of the skills needed by information professionals, but also the general searcher, but could not cover everything! I think that coming to the end of this class, what I have will takeaway is that though I have learned a lot, there is still more learning to do. Our explorations have no doubt given us the tools and skills that we need to keep up-to-date with search news, but this is just the beginning.

I am already applying what I learned this semester in my work at the public library. Looking back at my search process and ability to coach search at before/at the beginning of this class, to how I approach search now looks vastly different. For example, I had a great search experience with a teen patron just last week. They were trying to locate some books for independent reading at school. I really noticed that my line of questioning and how I interacted with our catalog and NoveList was more professional. It was the first moment where I realized that I was doing a reference interview without consciously trying to do one. My interactions with patrons have started to become more natural and authentic as these search skills have become ingrained in my practice.

Search matters because search is inevitable, but effective search is not. Almost any user can interact with a google search bar, but there is much more to effective searching than typing a question into it. Knowing where and how to search has become critical in our democracy to stay informed, and it something that I definitely took for granted before having formal instruction in search.

This meme represents how I felt when I first started building more sophisticated searches. There are many tools in databases not only before you get results, but after. Most importantly, I think it is a reminder that sometimes you just need to take a breath and look around when you are searching.

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This class has been a real eye-opener for me, in terms of how I do my searches and how many different ways to do research are out there! Sure, I've used Google Scholar and Google Lens in the past, but the fact that there are thousands of other ways to find information is incredible, as long as you know where to look. And that's where I see myself in this vast landscape of search - as a facilitator and helper, an intermediary, a teacher. My biggest AHAs were just how vast this landscape is and how knowing the language of the database can help you find what you're looking for. I now think of searching in a more sequential, thoughtful way, instead of throwing a bunch of words at Google and seeing what sticks. And I plan to impart this knowledge on the next generation of young searchers, to help them see research as a fun (even if occasionally frustrating) activity and to learn to enjoy the ride. My other big takeaway is just how important it is to teach others about mis- and disinformation - there's just so much bad information (created maliciously or accidentally by amplifying others' unverified information), that it is so vital that we teach our young students to filter it from all the good information that's out there. And no, Google doesn't know everything.

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Overall my biggest takeaway is that I need to adapt to the digital landscape, I need to organize my resources, and get in control of information. Digital tools need to be utilized and social media isn't going away anytime soon, so I need to jump on board the ship, even though I'd prefer to stay on land. I still need to perfect my search queries and I plan on spending more time this summer practicing dialog command line searching. As a result of the information learned in this course, I've created a profile for the metaverse The Art Research Librarian associated with a Bitmoji version of myself. The information landscape is a little bit overwhelming for me, there is so much data out there, so many issues for concern, privacy, security, credibility, and access. The landscape is less controlled and more organic. I just need to accept that the digital landscape is deeply flawed and not as easy to maintain as a physical space inside a public library, with bound books, real chairs, real patrons, and in-person dialog. However, I am now ready and prepared for the metaverse!

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Going into this class, I was excited to learn search skills for reference services but I am leaving with much more than I had anticipated. My biggest takeaway from this class is how to search beyond Google and create queries that will most likely produce the results I hope to find. I learned to look at databases from a lens of affordances and constraints, and how to determine the most appropriate ones for each audience. Another takeaway is the important role information professionals have in creating a culture of information literacy for our respective audiences. Part of this effort includes evaluating information with a critical eye, recognizing sources of biases or misinformation, and ensuring that we guide people towards reliable and relevant sources. Lastly, the Voice of Search talks provided a look at the diverse range of careers that expertise in search and information can lead to, each speaker had unique insights into this field and I find it exciting to consider the prospects outside of librarianship that could be pursued with an MLIS.

I have already begun to apply what I have learned in this class in my job at the library. Some of the application has been as simple as applying advanced search techniques but the most recent example was a reference search on chickens and whether they understand human language. Normally, I would have started and ended my search on Google but now I am conscious to consider search facets and wield search operators that would provide reputable results. I also consider other sources of information such as databases and scholarly articles that may not be considered in a Google search. Beyond this, I feel comfortable considering and using social media as a source of information, discerning reliable sources from biased or deceptive sources.

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One of my biggest takeaways from this course has been the change in how I think about going into a search, both for myself and patrons. Learning to identify facets and use different types of strategies to negotiate the process of search is something I hope to successfully implement going forward. Another takeaway is the importance of and familiarity with different types of databases. Despite having used different databases for much of my life, I feel more confident that I know how and when to use these tools more effectively. I have already started to apply what I’ve learned in this course in my job on the public reference desk, and when dealing with more in-depth local history research questions.

I have always and still do like searching. Before taking this course, I liked getting lost down rabbit holes and following different clues to find an answer. I still like those aspects, but have since learned to also appreciate the satisfaction of figuring out how to begin a search, and revise it, in a way that leads to more accurate results from the start.

I made the above meme because it represents how I feel after our discussions concerning misinformation, bias, and etc. Learning about information and media literacy and being aware of mis-and-disinformation tactics and algorithmic/search-engine bias has significantly shaped my understanding of the information landscape, and will continue to inform my decisions when helping others to navigate it.

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a feeling every academic/information professional has at one point in their life

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This class was so fulfilling and I am so thankful to have taken it. Endless tips, tricks, and applications of what we have learned. Super enriching experience. I think the biggest takeaways from here are:  really fine-tuning and working on my reference interview so that I can best serve someones information need, always keep learning - the data and tech world works FAST and programs and applications are always changing, and stay INVOLVED! I will certainly be applying search strategies and techniques learned in this course throughout my professional career. Especially the different information presentations (pearltrees, s'more, etc.)

The meme I made definitely represents a part of the information landscape to me.
Open Source information is something I've become really interested in over the last however many odd weeks of our course, and I made it a point to include almost exclusively OS information on my LibGuide. As an academic and budding information professional, I do a lot of researching. Constantly I am being hit with these paywalls! It's so discouraging when you find a great abstact and then the article is hidden behind a $49.95 paywall.

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I will be forever grateful for this class. I have learned so much in these short 15 weeks that will stick with me. One takeaway is that I have learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. We grazed over so many topics that I feel each could have its own course and I’m excited to see my discoveries on my journey of being an information professional. Our time spent learning the tools on Google has been something I’ve used the most in my everyday life so far. There are so many I had never heard of that are now an unconscious practice. Furthermore, I used to think that Wikipedia was a big NO when it came to search. I’ve learned that Wikipedia can be a great place to start, but should not always be the place you stop.

In the future, as many of you know, I plan to work with kids. I will take what I’ve learned from this course (everything from misinformation, to curation, to search knowledge, skepticism, and beyond) and pass it down to the next generation. I also plan to subtly embed what I’ve learned into conversations with friends and family. I’ve already taught my husband a few things!

I’ve also learned that the world of search is messy and organized all at the same time. There are so many rich and valuable resources out there, but we have many obstacles to getting there: this includes paywalls, biased sources, knowing what’s out there, etc. I think the movie Trust Me will always stick with me. It shows how powerful information can be, whether it is true or not. We have a responsibility as information professionals to help others see the information world through a rightfully skeptical lens. We need to help teach people how to search, not just find.

I also want to thank Dr. V for pushing us all outside of our comfort zones and growing our information tool kits. This course covered so many topics across many disciplines that many of us wouldn’t otherwise have seen. I’ve learned about so many sites, databases, networking tools, and curation tools that they’re hard to keep track of! I also want to thank all of my classmates for their contributions as well. It’s been a wonderful semester of learning and growing.

I took my photo from this youtube video that has nothing to do with search. I know we’ve talked about the information landscape as an iceberg but I see it more as an anthill. All the twisty tunnels and turns are the way we navigate through the surface, deep, and dark web the further you get into that ground. The scavenger ants are constantly bringing in new resources (information), the worker ants are digging new tunnels and pathways, and it's constantly expanding. Different entrances to the hill are different search engines and databases; some paths lead to certain sources whereas others do not and you need to find a different path to it. This may be a stretch but it makes sense in my brain because I've been dedicating the past month and a half to animal resource curation!

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1. I used to think I knew how to use databases. But now I think that databases are warehouses of information that I never truly had access to because I lacked a particular skillset. I can’t believe I didn’t understand even the most important search concepts—such as limiting results to full text or using parentheses in queries—and now I feel so much more capable of using them. There was always a cloud of cluelessness between me and my search results, and now I feel like the cloud is gone and I know how to find what I’m looking for.

I’ve truly enjoyed so much about this course, and I appreciate how relevant everything felt. Each week, I gained some tools and strategies to use in my future career, and I feel confident that my search skills will support a community of learners one day. My biggest takeaway from this course, though, is this: info pros are necessary. Going through the course materials and listening to the voices of search videos reminded me of all the ways that search permeates various personal, academic, and professional landscapes, and having these tools will bolster our success regardless of the specific paths we choose.

2. The information landscape looks much like Charlie’s cork board in the meme I created. The information we want is out there in the universe, and there are so many strategies, avenues, portals, search engines, social media platforms, etc. that I feel energetic about being able to find that information. I realize that search is not always easy or straightforward, but by adopting an open mind and adaptable attitude, coupled with the basic knowledge of info pros, I can harness that energy to search in ways that supports everyone’s goals in my future learning community.

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I am hoping to see a totally free information landscape in my lifetime. 

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I really enjoyed this course and I learned so much in just one semester! I went into this class feeling pretty confident about my search skills but I learned how to step back and really reflect on searching and databases (and I learned some new, fun tricks, especially with Google searching!). Most of my “ahas” were from the weekly search activities, especially ones in which we had to break down our searches and consider facets. I felt like this really helped me visualize my searching and it makes difficult searches seem so much more approachable. It also reminded me that sometimes I need to slow down when searching and think about what is being asked and what the results should look like. I also liked the database-related search activities. I feel a lot more confident using new databases now that I know that all of them should have a search guide that I can look at if I am stuck. I also appreciated the assignments and the flexibility we had with them. I was able to explore, in-depth, databases that I use and are relevant in my field. Not only do I feel more confident using them, I “discovered” a few features that I had never used before.

I am already applying what I have learned because the assignments were practical and relevant. In the middle of the semester, I was able to figure out a complicated search at work (and before any of my coworkers) because I felt more confident building search strings and I knew to look for user guides and blogs that explained the search format. I don’t think I would have been able to figure that out so quickly had I not taken this course. I’ve built life-long skills in this class.

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The world of search can be really overwhelming to people. Google makes it easy for people who are willing to take the quick answer, but that doesn't work 4 all 

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I am happy I chose this class. I felt like I learned a lot, "met" a ton of search experts and will take these skills with me in the future.
I hope my biggest takeaway is to stop using google for everything. There are much better resources out there... but I also do not know how my information needs will change after I graduate. I also don't know how patron information needs will change to cause me to increase specialized search skills.
I like to search, with the result of finding things that make the patrons happy. Unfortunately, that is tethered (for me) with the faster the better. I will try to be better about it.

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I think I’ve used the phrase “blew my mind” a few times in this class. I’ve never taken a class with so much content and new information packed in, and have learned a mind-boggling amount. Before this class, I was a database doubter, but I’ve now learned their incredible value as well as the beauty of refining a search to get better results. Tennant’s statement, “Only librarians like to search. Everyone else likes to find” so resonates with me. I LOVE to search. I get such satisfaction out of tweaking my approach and seeing a whole new cascade of information open up before me. I think that’s probably why I have such a problem determining when I’m done - there is always so much more to discover, and the process is as fun as the product. One of the biggest things I’ll come away with is how one person’s results can look totally different from another’s based on their search history and algorithms, and the dangers of filter bubbles. Seeing the power of this in real life tragic examples was eye opening. Ultimately, one of the best gifts we can give our patrons is the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate their search results, and the ability to step back and pay attention to how they got the results they got and why they may be skewed. From all of the VOS videos, especially the last few, we have learned that we need to question what we’re fed and take an active role in how we receive it. I will use these skills in work and in life.

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I learned how to become a better searcher through this class! One of my favorite moments was learning about how to determine what is credible information and what is fake. I have been using that skill more often that I normally would to help patrons and even my own family with acquiring accurate information. Everywhere I am I am constantly searching and learning something. My biggest takeaway from this class is that I should always be curious about the world. Never stop questioning something as you are always going to learn more about something. The picture I chose to share is my representation of what the information landscape sounds like to me. The difference between find and search is that finding something requires that thing to remain unmoving and is easily located. Searching requires more digging, trial and error, and adventure through various tools of search.

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This class has opened my eyes to the world of search.  I know so much more than when  I started back in January.  I know how to make a better query, I know how to break down my searches into facets, I now know what a Boolean is!  I know and understand the vocabulary better.  This all helps me to be a better searcher for myself, but also for my students, teachers, and patrons.  I have learned how to give a better reference interview to get to the heart of what the searcher is looking for.  I used to feel that I was a below average searcher, but because of this class, I would say that I am a slighter above average searcher.  My confidence is starting to rise in this area and that is a good thing.

I think our Search Activities 1-5 really pushed me out of my comfort zone but taught me so much about the art of searching.  I found the VOS each week interesting, informative, and inspiring at times too.  I loved hearing about all the different places in libraryland and where this graduate degree could possibly take me.  I appreciated all of the reading lists and Pearltrees to reference anything and everything!  There was even a Pearltrees on how to make a meme!  What?!?!

I will take what I have learned and use it in my fields of practice.  Both in school libraries and in the public libraries.  I feel better equipped to teach my students about databases and how to do meaningful searches.

As for my metaphor, this iceberg picture kind of sums it up.  People just think that librarians are the keeper of the books and that we read all day.  Or that we can pull books for them when needed.  We are so much more than that.

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There is more to searching than just a quick Google search!

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I used to think that search was just a quick Google or a short query in the Rutgers Library database. But now, I think that search is all around us! While some questions are easily answered by these quick searches, the vast majority fare better with pre-search prep and multiple avenues of search across different platforms. I've already started using NoveList K-8 in my library for reader's advisory and will continue to familiarize myself with databases best suited for my community's needs (whether that be library patrons, students, teachers, or anyone else looking for information).
Search to me is like a seed. It looks plain and unassuming, but with the right amount of water and sunlight (techniques and strategies!), the seed can grow into something you may not have expected! It might even give you something you can plant again and again to use in new ways :)