Google Search tools

I'd looked at Google Search tools years ago when I first started using Google, they were pretty basic back then and I hadn't thought about then much since then. But there are now some pretty handy tools that could be very useful and they are well worth exploring.
There are multiple options under each tab. You can limit by Size, Color, Time, Usage rights, very handy if a you were asked to find something "that I saw on TV/radio/newspaper a few days ago"





Copyright and Usage rights -  very handy for searching for images that have no copyright restrictions

How Google decides you want when you enter your search terms

We had a look at how Google decides you want when you enter your search terms
Search engines like Google decide which websites appear first in a list of search results based on:

• our search terms and word order
• what they know about websites – how reliable they are and how many times they’re linked to by other sites
• what they know about us – our location, basic information on our computer, online profiles, browsing history etc

Search operators and limiters are also helpful to use to get a more defined search

Another simple way to refine your search is to use search operators – symbols you include with keywords to tailor the search.

Here are a few common search operators:

• find a specific set of words by using quotation marks (“second wave feminism”)
• search a specific site with a site specific query (essay plan site:ergo.slv.vic.gov.au)
• search a specific web domain by adding the last part of the domain name (measles site:.gov.au)
• find word definitions by adding define (define pedagogy)
• find related or similar resources by adding related: to a URL (related:theage.com.au)
• type simple sums into the search bar and hit Enter for calculations.

The more we understand our topic and search parameters, the better our search terms will be and, in the end, our results. 

I have used limiters in Google but would typically go to a site like slv.vic.gov.au then search for want I wanted but a Google search with what I was looking for then slv.vic.gov.au would search the site for the term much faster than I would. Without all of the serendipitous wanderings or side-tracking that I take :)

Starting and sharing Jump Start

I was asked to participate in the inaugural  Jump Start program: digital literacy training for public library staff, I was pretty chuffed to be asked but wondered how to keep all of the info together and yet make it available to share with colleagues. So when another Jump Starter mentioned that they had put their learnings on a blog and I thought what a great idea