Googling for Answers
The Ins and Outs of Using Google
Effectively
(as seen at the LLA 2013 Conference)
What are you going to show us?
Some cool Google tricks to find what you need

Different aspects of Google
Quick Answers from Google
Defining a word
define:term
Calculating
Remember PEMDAS
Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract

Converting units
Number unit in converted unit
Google can even Answer Questions…
When is daylight savings time
What day of the week is Christmas
Who won the Super Bowl

What is the capital of Vermont
And tell you the status of your flight
I literally learned this yesterday at the LOUIS
Users Conference in Baton Rouge.
Google the airline and the flight number:
United 1405
Did you know that Google can be
used to limit to…
• A particular site
• A particular type of file
• A time period
You can also exclude words and search for
related terms.
Site:
In Google, you can actually specify a particular
type of site to search.
Site:
For instance, you can search for government
information on any topic by using site:.gov.
Examples
Campaign site:.org
(we’ll come back to this search throughout)
Now you give me terms, and I’ll search…
.edu
.org
.gov
Specific site:
You can also use Google to search a specific
website…
Campaign site:pew.org
Search UNO site for tuition 2013
Now Google… tuition 2013 site:uno.edu
Filetype:
Sometimes, you remember an awesome file that
you ran across on a website…but you can’t
remember the name or what site it was on.

Google can help with the Filetype search…
Filetype:
Examples
african american history filetype:pdf
twitter filetype:ppt
citation filetype:pdf
government citation filetype:pdf

Unlike the site search, the filetype search does not
use a period between the colon and the file type.
Time Period ..
You can also limit a search using the time period
search.
..

I have to admit that this doesn’t work the way
you would expect. It limits to the search to
those with that time period in the context of the
page. To limit the time frame that an item was
posted, use the Advanced Search options.
Example
Bill Clinton presidential campaign 2007..2009

Better with the Search Tools…
Excluding And back to…
campaign site:.org
But we keep getting Wikipedia! I know…
Campaign -wiki site:.org

Or, if you like other wikis…
Campaign site:.org -site:wikipedia.org
Using Search Tools to Limit Your
Results
And back to…
campaign site:.org
Limit by time
Limit by types of results
Limit by location
Advanced Search Screen
Demonstration
Advanced Searching of Images
Now you can search images with Google like
never before…
Limit to Size, Color, Type, or Time.
Let’s do a search for Privateers…
Other Google Searches
Videos
State of the Union
Books
Basic Business Library
Patents
Windmill
The Other Google
Google Scholar
Option to search articles
library mission statements

Or legal documents
world wildlife fund world wrestling federation
Other Google Sites
Translate
Finance
Offers

Drive
Even More…
Demonstration
Problems with Google
You cannot let yourself become complacent.
The moment you fall in love with a service and
come to rely on it without thinking…
They discontinue it.
Examples?
Google Reader

Google Notebook

iGoogle

Google Uncle Sam

GOOG-411

Google Health
So what am I supposed to do?
Use Google services and enjoy them while you
can.
If they get rid of something, it’s usually because
they have incorporated it into Chrome.
And don’t think that you don’t need to keep up
with new services elsewhere. You might need
them in the future.
Bing!
What works…?
Campaign site:.org
Campaign site:pew.org
Campaign -wiki site:.org

African american filetype:pdf
Bing!
What doesn’t…

Bill Clinton presidential campaign 2007..2009
Bing!
What I like…

What I don’t…

• Becoming more
Google-esque

• Becoming more
Google-esque

• Image and Video searches

• Doesn’t bring up the same
content as other search
engines

• Pretty picture
• No working Advanced
Search Option
Yahoo!
What works…
Campaign site:.org
Campaign site:pew.org
Campaign -wiki site:.org

African American history filetype:pdf
Yahoo!
What doesn’t work…

Bill Clinton presidential campaign 2007..2009
Yahoo!
What I like…
• “All Search Services” option

What I don’t…
• The Trending Now section

• Yahoo! Search Resources
• Yahoo! Advanced Web Search
• Yahoo! Finance
• Yahoo! Help
• Yahoo! Search Help

• Yahoo! Dating
Google Search Education
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation

Power Searching Courses
http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/
Thank you!
Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents & Microforms
Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans
sebrown3@uno.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnet
Shameless Self-Promotion
Gov Info 4 Schools
govinfo4schools.blogspot.com
Federal Documents @ Earl K. Long Library
feddocs.blogspot.com

Twitter: @feddocs and @sonnetireland

St. Charles Parish Library 2013: Googling for Answers

  • 1.
    Googling for Answers TheIns and Outs of Using Google Effectively (as seen at the LLA 2013 Conference)
  • 2.
    What are yougoing to show us? Some cool Google tricks to find what you need Different aspects of Google
  • 3.
    Quick Answers fromGoogle Defining a word define:term Calculating Remember PEMDAS Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract Converting units Number unit in converted unit
  • 4.
    Google can evenAnswer Questions… When is daylight savings time What day of the week is Christmas Who won the Super Bowl What is the capital of Vermont
  • 5.
    And tell youthe status of your flight I literally learned this yesterday at the LOUIS Users Conference in Baton Rouge. Google the airline and the flight number: United 1405
  • 6.
    Did you knowthat Google can be used to limit to… • A particular site • A particular type of file • A time period You can also exclude words and search for related terms.
  • 7.
    Site: In Google, youcan actually specify a particular type of site to search. Site: For instance, you can search for government information on any topic by using site:.gov.
  • 8.
    Examples Campaign site:.org (we’ll comeback to this search throughout) Now you give me terms, and I’ll search… .edu .org .gov
  • 9.
    Specific site: You canalso use Google to search a specific website… Campaign site:pew.org Search UNO site for tuition 2013 Now Google… tuition 2013 site:uno.edu
  • 10.
    Filetype: Sometimes, you rememberan awesome file that you ran across on a website…but you can’t remember the name or what site it was on. Google can help with the Filetype search… Filetype:
  • 11.
    Examples african american historyfiletype:pdf twitter filetype:ppt citation filetype:pdf government citation filetype:pdf Unlike the site search, the filetype search does not use a period between the colon and the file type.
  • 12.
    Time Period .. Youcan also limit a search using the time period search. .. I have to admit that this doesn’t work the way you would expect. It limits to the search to those with that time period in the context of the page. To limit the time frame that an item was posted, use the Advanced Search options.
  • 13.
    Example Bill Clinton presidentialcampaign 2007..2009 Better with the Search Tools…
  • 14.
    Excluding And backto… campaign site:.org But we keep getting Wikipedia! I know… Campaign -wiki site:.org Or, if you like other wikis… Campaign site:.org -site:wikipedia.org
  • 15.
    Using Search Toolsto Limit Your Results And back to… campaign site:.org Limit by time Limit by types of results Limit by location
  • 16.
  • 17.
    Advanced Searching ofImages Now you can search images with Google like never before… Limit to Size, Color, Type, or Time. Let’s do a search for Privateers…
  • 18.
    Other Google Searches Videos Stateof the Union Books Basic Business Library Patents Windmill
  • 19.
    The Other Google GoogleScholar Option to search articles library mission statements Or legal documents world wildlife fund world wrestling federation
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
    Problems with Google Youcannot let yourself become complacent. The moment you fall in love with a service and come to rely on it without thinking… They discontinue it.
  • 23.
  • 24.
    So what amI supposed to do? Use Google services and enjoy them while you can. If they get rid of something, it’s usually because they have incorporated it into Chrome. And don’t think that you don’t need to keep up with new services elsewhere. You might need them in the future.
  • 25.
    Bing! What works…? Campaign site:.org Campaignsite:pew.org Campaign -wiki site:.org African american filetype:pdf
  • 26.
    Bing! What doesn’t… Bill Clintonpresidential campaign 2007..2009
  • 27.
    Bing! What I like… WhatI don’t… • Becoming more Google-esque • Becoming more Google-esque • Image and Video searches • Doesn’t bring up the same content as other search engines • Pretty picture • No working Advanced Search Option
  • 28.
    Yahoo! What works… Campaign site:.org Campaignsite:pew.org Campaign -wiki site:.org African American history filetype:pdf
  • 29.
    Yahoo! What doesn’t work… BillClinton presidential campaign 2007..2009
  • 30.
    Yahoo! What I like… •“All Search Services” option What I don’t… • The Trending Now section • Yahoo! Search Resources • Yahoo! Advanced Web Search • Yahoo! Finance • Yahoo! Help • Yahoo! Search Help • Yahoo! Dating
  • 31.
    Google Search Education http://www.google.com/insidesearch/searcheducation PowerSearching Courses http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/
  • 32.
    Thank you! Sonnet Ireland Headof Federal Documents & Microforms Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans sebrown3@uno.edu http://www.linkedin.com/in/sonnet Shameless Self-Promotion Gov Info 4 Schools govinfo4schools.blogspot.com Federal Documents @ Earl K. Long Library feddocs.blogspot.com Twitter: @feddocs and @sonnetireland