Metasearch

To successfully complete Metasearch (also known as Federated Search)

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities.

Your total time commitment is about 50 minutes.

Introduction to Meta Search

How you ever made travel arrangements online through a third party website like Expedia? Then you're a pro at metasearch. One-stop shop!

Metasearch engines / tools are built with this concept in mind. They do not crawl the web. They enable users to enter search criteria once and access multiple search engines (and / or databases) at the same time. Then, they combine the results into a single display or list them separately according to their sources.

For web-based searches, a metasearch has a broader scope but the results are not always better. A metasearch engine uses its own algorithm to choose what it thinks are the best results from multiple search engines and / or databases. The results returned by a metasearch may not be as relevant as those returned by a standard search engine.

There are tons of custom metasearch engines on the web. Find one easily with a quick Google search. Type the following limiter commands into the Google search box: inurl:cse inurl:cx site:google.com sports (or any topic of your choice).

Instead of searching with giant metasearch engines on the Internet, you can make your own metasearch engine with Google custom search. Your search will focus on selected websites within the Google database. It's easy but you will need a Google account to get started.

The Joint-Use Library catalog is a metasearch engine or tool. It sends your search requests to both VBPL's and TCC's Library Information Systems then displays the combined results according to the owning library. The search provides a single easy-to-use interface that saves the end user both time and effort by providing combined library content.

Learning More about Metasearch

1. Read Metasearch at Wikipedia (5 minutes)
2. Optional: Visit NISO Metasearch Initiative (20 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (15 minutes)

Part 1, Dogpile (Internet Metasearch)

1. Visit Dogpile
2. Using the web tab, search for wildlife sanctuaries.
3. Answer these questions and discuss with a co-worker: How were your results listed? Does it make sense? Do you see patterns? Are ads clearly labeled? Is there any knowledge graph influence apparent (fact and social context)? Did you find what you expected?

Part 2, JUL Catalog (Specialized Metasearch)

1. Visit the JUL Catalog
2. Using the keyword query, search for wildlife sanctuaries.
3. Answer these questions and discuss with a co-worker: How were your results listed? Does it make sense? Were you surprised by the results? Why?

Get credit!

After you have completed the activities in this post, please fill out this form.

Make a 30 Second Video

To successfully complete Make a 30 Second Video

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities.

Your total time commitment is about 50 minutes.

Introduction to Make a 30 Second Video

Society uses visual media more and more to communicate. Our stories can be recorded and shared. As the old adage says, "seeing is believing." As information consumers, we use the Internet, our laptops, smartphones, and other devices to "look and see" for ourselves. Technology makes it possible for almost anyone to be a visual media producer -- yup, we can all make movies. After all, pictures trump words and video trumps pictures.

Learning More about Make a 30 Second Video

1. Watch iMovie for iPad Tutorial (8:32 minutes)
2. Watch Storyboarding for People Who Don't Draw (6:31 minutes)
3. Check out the JUL iMovie and Storyboarding training handouts - pick one up from Cindy (5 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (20 - 40 minutes)

You and your partner / group will create a short video booktalk or PSA about reading or libraries. Your group should include at least one TCC and one VBPL staff member. In size, it should not exceed six people. Your video should not exceed 30 seconds in length. It can be a booktalk or a presentation designed to persuade an audience to read a book. Or it can be a PSA or a multimedia message designed to inform and educate the public about a topic (reading / libraries).

To complete the lesson --

1. Storyboard your project using either a paper template or the Storyboard That site.
2. Sign out an iPad from Cindy.
3. With the iMovie app, create a movie project. (Use group ID in project name)
4. Take pictures and video and add to your project.
5. Add appropriate music, voice or sound effects to your project.
6. Add appropriate text and titles.
7. Save and share your project to iMovie Theater in iCloud. From the project details screen, tap the share button (square box with up arrow) then tap iMovie Theater.
8. Upload.

Get credit!

After you have completed the activities in this post, please fill out this form.

Location-based Experiences

To successfully complete Location-based Services:

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities.

Your total time commitment is about 50 minutes.

Introduction to Location-based Services
Location-based services are computer applications and sites that use the geo-location functionality of a mobile phone, smartphone or tablet to provide people with information, entertainment, or a social media service. LBS are used in many different contexts within our lives. They are available through mobile applications or built into a mobile device's hardware and software.

Many people navigate the world with location-based services. According to Pew Research Center’s Internet Project, 74% of adult smartphone owners ages 18 and older use their phone to get directions or other information, such as nearby restaurants or businesses, based on their current location.

There are both tangible and intangible rewards associated with location-based services. Many social media users have their accounts set to include their location in their posts. Pew Research Center’s Internet Project shows that 30% of adult social media users ages 18 and older currently allow their location in their posts. They tell their friends where they are and keep a record of what they do.

Other social media sites such as Foursquare allow users to “check in” wherever they go – shops, events, restaurants, hotels, airports, or even private residences. People check in to tell their friends where they are, keep a record of what they do, and often earn rewards like badges for participating or points from businesses.

While LBS offer convenience and interactivity that was not possible before, they have also raised concerns about user privacy. As LBS apps relay a user’s location data to networks, they also have the ability to build a precise and personal user profile based on the collected data. The trade-off is a high-quality user experience at the expense of one’s privacy.

Learning More about

1. Watch Location-based Service Explained (6:22 minutes)
2. Read Location-based Service at Wikipedia(10 minutes)
3. Read Location-based Services at Pew Research Internet Project (10 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (10 minutes)
Find information for the library or a business on Yelp, Foursquare, Trip Advisor or Google maps.

1. Read at least two reviews. Is the information accurate?
2. Write a review that accurately describes your experiences there.
3. For Google maps, find the "claim your business/location". Look at the process. How hard is it to claim a business? Who can do it? Why would someone claim a location?

Get credit!

After you have completed the activities in this post, please fill out this form.

Web 3.0

To successfully complete Web 3.0:

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities.

Your total time commitment is about 50 minutes.

Introduction to Web 3.0.

The Internet paradigm is shifting again. We're riding the Web 3.0 wave. Information is searched for, filtered, personalized, and delivered to end users based on preferences, feedback, and location. Web 3.0 utilizes rich applications and social media introduced with Web 2.0 and delivers it to mobile devices and networks -- even digital signage.

The semantic web is an evolving extension of Web 3.0. It focuses on common formats for integration and a combination of data drawn from diverse sources and language for capturing / labeling how data relates to real world objects. Information is tagged in relationship to use and context. As a result, similar information can be delivered more effectively to humans and their devices.

In Web 3.0, search will retrieve tagged micro content that solves part of the ambiguity of homonyms and synonyms. Search will be more vertical with contextual information based on user preferences delivered across platforms and to devices based on their individual characteristics.

Learning More about Web 3.0

1. Watch Web 3.0 - The Internet of Things (4:29 minutes)
2. Read (or at least skim)Web 3.0 Has Begun, an online article at ACM Interactions. (20 minutes)
3. Read Semantic Web at the W3C web site. (10 minutes)
4. Read Google Brings Intelligent Search to Google+ Photos (5 minutes)
5. Read Knowledge Graph at Wikipedia (5 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (5 minutes)

1. Visit the Whitney Houston community page on Facebook. Not on Facebook? Do this activity with a co-worker.
2. Find friends who listen to her music.
3. Locate friends' photos that include her name in a caption or any posts mentioning the artist.
4. Visit the biographical and the discography sections of Whitney's community page.

Get credit!

After you have completed the activities in this post, please fill out this form.

Cloud Computing

To successfully complete Cloud Computing

READ this blog post.
DO and THINK about the information in the "Learn More About" activities.
LEARN by completing the Hands-On Activities..

Your total time commitment is about 45 minutes.

Introduction to Cloud Computing.
Do you shop or bank online? Do you post to a social media site like Facebook? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you're using cloud computing. These are all services hosted on cloud computing platforms. Introduced in the 1960s, the cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. You'll see it graphically represented as a white cumulonimbus cloud.

How's cloud computing different? Your data and applications are stored on a remote host that can be accessed at any time - from any location - using the Internet and a web browser. You are no longer limited to the storage capacity and applications on your hard drive or your home / office network. Not since the emergence of the World Wide Web has a single technology caused such a significant shift in how businesses operate. At the simplest level, cloud computing changes the way that you interact with your data and applications.

Learning More about Cloud Computing

1. Watch Cloud Computing in Plain English (2:50 minutes)
2. Read Cloud Computing at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (10 minutes)
3. Read 8 Things You didn't know you Could do with Google Drive at Mashable. (10 minutes)

Hands-on Activities (5 - 10 minutes)

1. Set-up a Google Drive Account at https://www.google.com/drive/index.html. With your free Google Drive account, you'll have 15 GB of Google storage and can back up and access your files from any phone, tablet, or computer. NOTE: If you do not have a Google Account, you'll be asked to make one. To use Google Drive, you do not need to install it on your computer. If you have a Google account, select the "Not now, maybe later" link to go directly to Google Drive.
2. Create a document in Google Drive. Select "Create" then "Document" from the menu options. You are basically using MS Word in the cloud. NOTE: Older versions of Internet Explorer are not supported by Google Drive. Try using Google Chrome instead.
3. Share it with a couple of co-workers. (Click on "Share" on the top right. Enter some co-workers' email addresses under "Invite people.") Ask them to edit your document and explore real-time editing.

Get credit!

After you have completed the activities in this post, please fill out this form (created on Google Drive!).