On-line @ your desktop....REGISTER TODAY....SPACE IS RUNNING OUT!
Beyond Google: Searching Faster and Smarter on the Web
Instructor: Rita Vine, Workingfaster.com
You know about the "invisible" web. You've heard about the limitations
of even the "best" search engines. You understand how advertisers
influence search results in popular search tools. You've heard that
Google has gone public, but what will happen if your favorite search
tool changes its focus? How do you put that knowledge into practice to
help you save time and search the web more efficiently? How can you find
value in (or even spot) the rubble of useless links and crass
promotions?
WHEN
EUR 8 weeks on-line @ your desktop, starting April 4, 2005
EUR 8 weeks on-line @ your desktop, starting July 11, 2005
REGISTER ON-LINE TODAY for this program at www.thepartnership.ca.
Scroll down to 2004/2005 programs and click on April 4th to register.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Learn the secrets of effective web searching without leaving your desk!
Designed by Canada's leading on-line searcher and trainer, this on-line
program is designed for experienced web searchers who want to expand
their web search horizons and go beyond search engines to other high
quality sources of information. Participants will be introduced to a
wide variety of resources and top web starting points, and will discover
the best ways to search them effectively.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course will benefit experienced web searchers who want to refine
and improve their searching, and discover new top-quality FREE web
search resources from one of North America's leading experts in
effective web searching.
KEY TOPICS YOU'LL EXPLORE AT THIS WORKSHOP
EUR Why popular search engines are making searching harder not
smarter
EUR Rules-of-thumb for using search engines
EUR A simple 3-step method for finding good information fast
EUR When you don't know where to start -- top subject starters
for resource discovery
EUR Finding phone, e-mail and address information
EUR Finding facts: Fact-finding tools and search portals
EUR Timesaving tips and tricks - no special software required!
EUR Tools to help librarians stay up to date on web developments
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
Each week, you'll receive an e-mail with the lesson for that week, plus
practice exercises that will help you work through the week's sources
and reinforce your learning. A web-based bulletin board will enable you
and other participants to ask question of the instructor and to provide
on-line feedback about problems incurred. The course will include a
teleconference call with you and your fellow participants, hosted by the
instructor, to give advice and clarify the learning experience.
BENEFITS OF THIS PROGRAM
You will come away from this session with new ways of thinking about web
searching, including:
EUR Advanced search techniques and "best practices" for finding
relevant reference and related resources on the Internet.
EUR Great, largely unknown resources that you can use and share
with your library patrons.
EUR Resources and mechanisms for staying up to date on Internet
developments affecting librarians.
EUR Computer features and tools that dramatically enhance
on-line searching efficiency and productivity.
FEES
Members: $199.00 + GST
Non-Members: $254.00 + GST
Instructor Biography
Rita Vine is Canada's best-known Internet search trainer. She is the
co-founder of Workingfaster.com, which helps professionals break through
the clutter of the Internet and access information that matters. Rita
has been a professional librarian for over 20 years, and has held
positions at the University of Calgary and University of Toronto
libraries. She is also the lead selector of the Search Portfolio, a web
site selection service for libraries seeking to deliver the best of the
web to their staff and users. Rita is a sought-after keynote and
conference speaker and continues to bring her unique brand of energy,
humor and commitment to the topic of web research.
Our Students Comment on this On-line Course...
This on-line course is wonderful and should be a 'must' for every
librarian! It was so well organized and presented, allowing each learner
to take what he-she needed. I loved that I was able to work on this
course as time permitted in my life... I did not have deadlines that
'had' to be met - rather I had work that could be accomplished on my
timetable - that is a bonus! Looking at the 'big picture' it is designed
for so many different professionals - not just librarians! I even tested
the course often with queries for some of my hobbies and was still able
to work well Beyond Google!
I thoroughly enjoyed your excellent course. I learned a great deal and
felt my existing knowledge was reinforced. I will recommend this course
whenever I can. The structure of the course was excellent, clear, well
organized and easily accessible.
Excellent program. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to work
with the Internet on a regular basis (and thinks they know what they are
doing!) It was on-line so I could learn when convenient and go over
material at my pace (be it early morning or late night) and be assured
good feedback at any time.
This was an excellent course. I was able to stay on top of assignments
and learn as I went. Course reflected a good understanding of what we
face on the reference desk - types of questions, time constraints, etc.
The concrete examples added to a show, don't tell mode, so the learning
points were made and then reinforced.
This on-line course was the first one I have taken that involved
interaction on a bulletin board. This aspect was worthwhile in itself.
The course quality and quantity was excellent and I will recommend it to
my colleagues. I liked the emphasis on the various tools - search
engines, subject starters, quick lookups, and specialized databases. The
session on how to keep focused on the question and how to do research
was outstanding. Even seasoned searchers of print resources, who know
how to keep on track, still get thrown off topic by all the interesting
links that come up when Web searching.
This was worth my time and gave me time to research for my own benefit.
I now have something to share with the other library personnel in our
board and some good ammunition against the Google freaks!
[The course] inspired me to keep working and exploring new search
engines and subject starters. [It] clarified my thinking re various
types of searches, and increased my awareness of the commercial aspects
of free search engines.
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The Education Institute
The learning programs of the APLA-BCLA-LAA-NSLA-OLA-SLA Partnership
http://www.thepartnership.ca
If you have questions please contact the appropriate Association
or Meredith Gilbert at Ontario Library Association at
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Professional development of librarians and information professionals
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