Week 3
Search Tools                                                        

              There are some search tools that we're using widely all over the world to search every information we need.These are:

• Library Catalog               
• Internet

LIBRARY search tool includes:

• A Library Card Catalog- a file cabinet containing individual cards with bibliography information about specific items in the library.

• OPAC(Online Public Access Catalog)- Computerized online catalog of all the materials held in a library and can be searched quickly and efficiently using a computer. We can search based on the criteria of author, subject or title, publisher and date of publication of the books in the library through this OPAC.

Advantages of using OPAC

1. We can do a better job of locating books and other materials available through our own libraries as well as other libraries.
2. It can be a big help and time-saver in your search for information that is needed for papers or projects.

Other types of searching in Library search tools  
      

• Browse
• Keyword
• Reserve: a reserve item( an item that the instructor has set aside for use by his or her own students only)
• Expert 

INTERNET - also known as Information Superhighway is the electronic network that connect personal computers and organizational computer/ others around the world.


 

            









Search tools of Internet

• Search Engines- is used to search information on the World Wide Web. e.g-Google(www.google.com), Bing, Baidu etc.

• Meta-search Engines- is multiple data source.It searches multiple search engines from a single search page. In a meta-search engine, you submit keywords in its search box, and it transmits your search simultaneously to several individual search engines and their databases of web pages. e.g- Excite(www.excite.com),  MetaCrawler, Dogpile

 

• Information Gateways- which provide a central access point to the internet for a wide range of internet sites covering many popular news and information resources. It includes internet catalogues, subject directories, virtual libraries and gateways. e.g, ELDIS(the gateway to develop information), SOSIG(Social Science Information Gateway)

 

• Subject Directories- a collection of links to large number of internet resources organized by topic area. e.g, INFOMINE(http://infomine.ucr.edu), The Internet Public Library(www.ipl.org)     
• Specialized Database - also known as "invisible web" because it is out of the reach of the "spider" and their search tools.It includes statistics, maps, schedules and figures. It is indexed that can be searched, much like the search engines. e.g- Bibliographic Database, Google Scholar.