Sometimes when searching the web, the results list of your search engine is cluttered with websites that aren’t relevant. For example, if you are searching for historical information about your suburb, you may find the results filled with real estate sites mentioning houses for sale in your area.
One way to overcome this in Google is to add a minus sign in front of words you want to exclude from your search. For example, searching for “Kirwan –real –estate” should help weed out unwanted websites.
Another way to overcome this is to build your own search engine, and include only the sites you want to search. Rollyo is just one of many free services that you can use to create a personalised search engine.
Click the ‘Create Searchroll’ link on the Rollyo homepage and then fill in the form. You can add up to 25 web addresses that you would like to search. Once completed, your personal search tool can be used in a number of ways. All of your search rolls are saved to a dashboard, so you can create a number of different ones depending on your hobbies, job or study.
If you have your own blog or website, you can add your new search tool to your site. Rollyo can provide the HTML code which you can paste on your website, which will produce a search box just like a search engine.
Rollyo already has quite a few search rolls prepared which you are free to use. These include topics like golf, cars, news and computer games.
Another similar service to try is the Google Custom Search Engine.
Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:
CityLibrary Aitkenvale 4727 8312
CityLibrary Flinders Mall 4727 9665
CityLibrary Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au
Monday, November 24, 2008
Information you can trust
The Librarians’ Internet Index (www.lii.org) is a subject directory where the web sites have been chosen and reviewed by librarians. The slogan of LII says it all – Websites you can trust.
LII is organised into categories for easy browsing such as business, computers, sports, and environment or you can enter a search term to search LII only. By entering a search term or browsing a category you are taken to a list of sites which have been described by an information specialist. Beneath each description is a list of subject terms used to catalogue the site - by clicking on these you are taken to all the sites with that subject in their description - much like browsing on the shelves in a library.
A very useful feature on the LII homepage is the Featured Collection section which provides many resources on topical current affairs such as the 2008 US Presidential Election. The LII homepage also shows new sites that have been added or you can opt for a free subscription to receive a weekly email newsletter or RSS feed showing new resources added to LII.
LII is an excellent resource for reliable information for everyone. School or university students should find it useful for assignments. It is a great site to have in your Favourites but bear in mind that it is an American source and not many Australian sites are included. Of course, this can be an advantage if you are researching a topic such as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. If you get no results from your search, as LII itself explains, "lii.org has records for about 10,000 of the hundreds of millions of available websites … it's possible the resource you are looking for isn't described."
LII provides a More Search Tools section for recommended search engines and news engines where you may have more luck.
Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:
CityLibrary Aitkenvale 4727 8312
CityLibrary Flinders Mall 4727 9665
CityLibrary Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au
LII is organised into categories for easy browsing such as business, computers, sports, and environment or you can enter a search term to search LII only. By entering a search term or browsing a category you are taken to a list of sites which have been described by an information specialist. Beneath each description is a list of subject terms used to catalogue the site - by clicking on these you are taken to all the sites with that subject in their description - much like browsing on the shelves in a library.
A very useful feature on the LII homepage is the Featured Collection section which provides many resources on topical current affairs such as the 2008 US Presidential Election. The LII homepage also shows new sites that have been added or you can opt for a free subscription to receive a weekly email newsletter or RSS feed showing new resources added to LII.
LII is an excellent resource for reliable information for everyone. School or university students should find it useful for assignments. It is a great site to have in your Favourites but bear in mind that it is an American source and not many Australian sites are included. Of course, this can be an advantage if you are researching a topic such as the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. If you get no results from your search, as LII itself explains, "lii.org has records for about 10,000 of the hundreds of millions of available websites … it's possible the resource you are looking for isn't described."
LII provides a More Search Tools section for recommended search engines and news engines where you may have more luck.
Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:
CityLibrary Aitkenvale 4727 8312
CityLibrary Flinders Mall 4727 9665
CityLibrary Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
National Library card unlocks wealth of online resources
We all know that there’s more information available on the internet than you could ever sensibly need in one lifetime, but did you know that there is a genuine treasure-chest of quality information locked away to select users? Fortunately, all you need to unlock these vaults is a library card, which is usually free.
Now most people will be familiar with visiting their local public library to borrow materials, and regular Searchlight readers will also know about the range of online services they can use their library card for. But did you know that you can now become an online member and use the services of one of Australia’s most important libraries? The National Library of Australia, situated in Canberra, has a role in collecting and making available information for all Australians. Recently they have taken an impressive leap forward by allowing people around Australia to register for a library card, and then use that card to unlock dozens of websites where the quality information is stored.
Head to www.nla.gov.au/app/eresources and fill out the online application form. All you need is a residential address in Australia, so they can post the card to you. It only took four days for a card to be delivered to North Queensland – and remember it’s all free!
Some of the treasures waiting to be unlocked cover business directories, art, history, music, book reviews, bioethics, economic data and much more. Mixed in with these databases are a selection of the very best free websites available, so if you can’t wait to get your library card, you may still find something useful from the free site.
Your National Library of Australia card will be good for two years, and the eResources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just the thing for last minute business reports or homework research.
Don’t forget that the State Library of Queensland also has an e-Services Card. Visit www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/ecard and complete the form. Once again a card will be sent in the mail and you can then unlock a wealth of online databases and e-books from the State Library website.
Need help searching the web? Contact your local CityLibrary branch:
Citi Library Aitkenvale 4727 8312
Citi Library Flinders Mall 4727 9665
Citi Library Thuringowa 4773 8601 or infodesk@townsville.qld.gov.au
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