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
    €     8 weeks on-line @ your desktop, starting April 4, 2005
    €     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
    €     Why popular search engines are making searching harder not smarter
    €     Rules-of-thumb for using search engines
    €     A simple 3-step method for finding good information fast
    €     When you don't know where to start -- top subject starters for resource discovery
    €     Finding phone, e-mail and address information
    €     Finding facts: Fact-finding tools and search portals
    €     Timesaving tips and tricks - no special software required!
    €     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:
    €     Advanced search techniques and "best practices" for finding relevant reference and related resources on the Internet.
    €     Great, largely unknown resources that you can use and share with your library patrons.
    €     Resources and mechanisms for staying up to date on Internet developments affecting librarians.
    €     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.

  ____________________________________________________________

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
[log in to unmask]

Professional development of librarians and information professionals
  _____________________________________________________________