I’ve really enjoyed our Voices of Search, as they provide us (especially someone like me with no real experience in the field as of yet), the opportunity to hear from professionals who have been in many different sectors of information careers and have a vast amount of experiences. Similarly, our search activities have really encouraged me to think hard about why I choose specific methods when it comes to information search, and how I can refine those methods and incorporate new ones I’m learning to fit each specific inquiry. Search doesn’t have to be over in an instant, where you enter a few keywords and get your results. You should dig into different sites, use field codes, truncation, proximity searches, and Boolean operators, and explore with different keywords or facets. See what’s out there, and continue to adjust and seek new ways of looking at things. I’ve really learned through our search activities that there’s so much more to the concept of search than meets the eye, they’ve been very enjoyable.

Tucker’s threshold concepts got me thinking about my own experiences and thought process: the two that stand out most to me are information vocabularies and concept fusion. As I mentioned, there were so many times this semester thus far where I’ve recognized an idea or concept, but did not have the proper vocabulary to discuss or explain it - now I feel much more confident in that respect. Concept fusion, the integration of information vocabularies, environment, and structures, has also been relevant to me as I've come to better understand how different aspects of search work off of each other (understanding the search environment to gather insight into search content, algorithms, and index structures, for instance). It's been a very eye-opening, informative process, and I have no doubt it will continue to be for the rest of the semester!

I’ve also learned a lot about search strategies. This was never something that I thought about, but I can see now how people employ different strategies – sometimes unconsciously – to find information. This also includes things like wildcards and truncation, which I had never tried to use before in searching. There is a lot more to searching than I ever realized, and it has left me looking forward to being able to put these skills to use.

I think the search activities have been particularly useful in helping me reach these understandings. I like the way that they break a task down into several smaller parts. You may not consciously go through all these steps when you’re doing a search normally, but it is helpful to be able to step back and analyze the different pieces of what you’re doing and how they come together.

One aspect I’ve really enjoyed is the Voice of Search videos. It’s really great getting all of these perspectives and seeing search and information professionals talk about their roles. Search is everywhere and part of me did wonder if some aspects of this work would be obsolete with how accessible certain areas are. I see that it is actually more important than ever, especially as we look at misinformation and disinformation, information literacy and how most people (such as myself before this class to a large degree) are unaware of nuances of search and advanced searching, as well as the ability to utilize controlled vocabulary. 

In terms of thresholds, I think we are always crossing them to some degree, but from our modules we are definitely working through integration of concepts and building upon our information environments, structures and vocabularies. I think a real positive to this class is seeing how many resources there are. Sometimes this makes me feel a bit behind where some classmates were already aware of those resources, but the class libguide makes me feel like I can always refer back to many of the materials for my own use as I move forward in this field. The fact that we are creating our own lib guides and working through concepts in a structured and practical application through search activities is such a wonderful way to apply concepts. I am still working through vocabularies and command line searching, I feel more confident but still feel like sometimes my searches are not as comprehensive or efficient as they could be. Sometimes I struggle with deciding when and where to utilize truncation, proximity and keywords for certain searches. I guess that just goes to show you that there’s always areas to improve and practice. With more use, we can build upon the foundation. I think it also speaks to the inherent trial and error work behind search and how the journey can be as fruitful as the end result. 

Specifically, learning about the vast array of specific databases, how to read their About pages, and how to assess their individual scopes, will make me a much better librarian who is able to guide patrons toward the information they need. 

 

Discovering and unlocking Google’s many tools have saved time and increased precision. The programmable search engine and Advanced Search are just two Google tools that I have shared more than once. 

 

Although this is my final course in the MI program, I hadn’t yet encountered LibGuides in any sort of depth, and I think they are an amazing resource. I am so glad to not have missed this class before getting my degree. It will make me a better searcher, a better librarian, a better amateur genealogist, even a more knowledgeable citizen.

Overall, this course has been a changing experience for me and I can't wait to see what I learn in the second half!

I have gained so much more fluency in search- both the tools used and the language used to describe the process. It has been so instructive and inspiring to learn from the search experts through the “voices of search” series.  I keep going back to Mary Ellen Bates’ joy in the search process, and “the first search is for you” as I explore new topics and sometimes need to take a circuitous route to find what I need. I have learned to be more persistent in search, and to take time to think about search terms and pull from a new toolkit of search techniques when there is a tricky question. It’s been helpful to learn the google search tips, too- which as a classmate mentioned provides an opportunity to share new skills with friends. 
I have also been learning so many new online tools this semester -from Wakelet to Padlet to Pearltrees, and on!

I think the biggest breakthrough moments in this class have been tools and techniques we have learned (mostly Tucker concept 3). This course forces you to learn new techniques each week and to move nimbly through a wide range of different tools, and you don’t have time to sulk about having to adapt to a new platform; you just do it. (This has also sort of been the story of the past year.) At the same time, each week we learn different specific techniques for search, whether concrete things like truncation or broader concepts like pearl growing, and develop a mental library of tactics and techniques. Sometimes you are learning to describe a behavior that you had been using all along, and other times the behavior is new. I didn’t really understand how to find or use controlled vocabularies prior to this course, so that tool has been a big one for me. 

The other thing I am really enjoying is Voices of Search. Those conversations humanize the search process, teach us about new professions and at the same time allow for expressions of ambiguity and doubt. I think the Mary Ellen Bates conversation did this best. These are things that you lose in an online course, regardless of the activity level on the discussion boards, so the Voices of Search have been a great way to inject some humanity into the course. 

My perceptions of the information environment are also evolving.  I am seeing familiar resources in new ways, uncovering unexpected aspects of their powers.  Voices of Search increases my information horizon through the human faces and voices exploring professional possibilities and common themes. I try to listen to as many as I can.  Then I feel, as I do so often, that the more I learn the more I realize the less I know!

The accumulation of information vocabularies has also been invaluable.  Like many of my fellow students, my understanding and proficiency increased exponentially, and I’m just getting started.  Controlled vocabularies and truncation in particular are two database search tools which I have already shared with students, and the opportunity to apply my learning both in class and on the ground is thrilling.  “Finesse” is my goal, and I love languages so I hope to reach fluency in these new ones. 

This semester, my respect for algorithms has increased, as has my concern about them.  The application of search is a critical part of this course for me: not just how we find information but how, where and why we use it.  Librarians cannot be neutral although we can try to be fair.  Serving our patrons means being their advocates.

Thus far, the entire course has been ongoing concept fusion.  As readings, discussions and activities build upon one another, I keep thinking about Brenda Dervin’s descriptions of how we sense make and unmake as we seek information and construct new understandings. This “we” centers on the people whose lives librarians touch.  For me, one level of this semester is the argument for how patrons deserve our knowledge, generosity, creativity and open-minded empathy.  After all, our job is to help them create their own information landscapes.

I have also really enjoyed the Voices of Search episodes that we have watched. In particular MJ Bates and Amy Affelt because they both highlighted an area of librarianship as information professionals that hasn’t been a focus for me before this. Those talks helped clarify for me the importance of reference interviews so that you go beyond the surface to get to the heart of what the client (or patron) needs. 

My next big “aha” was all the additional functionality of Google searches. I knew about Google Image search, but the search fields and advanced search features were not ones that were familiar to me. 
Finally, I really enjoyed creating a Google Custom Search English - I can envision so many possibilities for that!