Where are the search engines going? Is it different from where they’ve been? Where are they putting their emphasis? What’s up with personalized, specialty, vertical, blended, and
federated/universal search? Who better to explore the future by sharing his in-depth knowledge and insights into the search engine world than Chris Sherman? His long-established relationships with those at search engine companies gives him a good sense of what’s coming and how new features will affect our working lives.

As more information is digitized and appears on the internet, web researchers often face the problem of having too many places to go to find information. When do you move from search engines to specialized search tools, to government resources, to fee-based sources, to print, or even the telephone? This session will look at some of the typical decision
points and will offer some tips on choosing the best path.

Use of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, and LinkedIn has skyrocketed in the past year. Social media are used by millions of people worldwide to generate
content and to keep in touch with family, friends, work colleagues, companies, associations, and causes. Their popularity makes them a candidate not only for communication but also as a source and a tool for research. Bob Berkman will address the where, when, and how aspects of social research, including authenticity, trust, and information overload.

When is legal research necessary? Even topics that appear far afield from the law can have legal implications. Those not familiar with the intricacies of searching legal topics—and who lack subscriptions to Lexis and Westlaw—will find Dan’s explanation of when to consider legal sources, where to start, how to search, vocabulary differences, and the philosophy behind them extremely valuable.

As a platform for information delivery, mobile devices, from PDAs to pocket computers to cell phones, present information professionals with increasingly sophisticated opportunities to find and present relevant information to their clientele. However, there is little consistency among device manufacturers about how this is accomplished and what techniques need to be employed. Mobile search is an exciting—and growing—new area.

Geographic curiosity may spur some of the usage of online maps and globes, but there’s more to it than getting directions from point A to point B. Aside from its fascinating images,
Google Earth contains extensive associated subject content that isn’t necessarily easy to find. Ran will share his knowledge of Google Earth and Virtual Earth content, examine how to effectively search and browse geospatial sources, and consider evaluation points such as age of the image. Expand your horizons about Google Earth, file type searching for KML and KMZ files, and the geospatial community.

WebSearch University sponsors explain their newest offerings and take questions from the audience.

It’s no secret that the U.S. government is a prolific publisher. With a new administration comes a new attitude toward information transparency and disclosure that affects not
only federal government information, but also filters down to the state and local level. The implications for searchers are vast. If you ever thought government data was boring, dull, or lackluster, this session will open your eyes to exciting opportunities of maximizing the value of government information.

Some speculated that books would disappear in a web world. Instead, they are enjoying a resurgence, albeit frequently in electronic form. Google Books, Amazon’s Kindle, and
individual publishers’ initiatives have not only encouraged book buying and reading, they have significantly added to the professional researchers’ repertoire. Greg takes an in-depth look at searching within book covers for subject specific information.