Searching 2.0

Here master trainer Michael Sauers applies the super-search strategies he is known for to the latest generation of Web tools. Blogs, RSS, wikis, Flickr, podcasting, mashups, the read/write Web, kartoo, BitTorrent, Google Book Search, the WayBack Machine, visual search engines, folksonomies, Firefox Search Plugins, Del.icio.us.... if you aren't intimately familiar with these tools and how to fully exploit them in your daily reference work, then this book is for you. Irreverent and fun to read, with a wealth of screen shots, this is a comprehensive guide to searches that make the most of the Web 2.0 environment: from improving basic search skills and evaluating search results to making the best use of search engines, both common and cutting-edge. Sauers reviews each Web 2.0 tool for reliability and appropriateness in different search tasks and shows you how best to organize them for quick access at the reference desk. You (and your patrons, once you show them how) will use Sauers's advanced and special search methods again and again, and Sauers's enthusiasm will have you running from the book to your computer every ten minutes. Exercises in each chapter will help you cement your new knowledge into practical skills.