Researching the Back Roads of Business Information

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Anyone approaching business research in today’s global and fragmented environment needs to understand the wealth of information available outside the normal channels. The search roads less traveled will lead you to data on companies, industries, markets, and management that will enhance your traditional results. For high-quality results, you must consult specialized as well as general search engines; exploit social media resources; choose to search “outside the box” resources; consider fee-based tools; and concentrate on creatively conceptualizing the search problem. This seminar, taught by an experienced business searcher, concentrates on resources but also includes practical techniques for using these resources.

WebSearch Meets Embedded Librarianship

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The shift to web searching has freed librarians and other information professionals from the confines of a physical library. This workshop explores the concept of embedded librarianship, in which information professionals work outside the library or in a virtual team. They collaborate closely with teams of information users, such as academic faculty, marketers, corporate R&D groups, reporters, and others who rely heavily on information to do their jobs. As digital, mobile use of information becomes the norm, librarians are finding new opportunities to apply their skills, increase their value, and add to their job satisfaction. Learn how you can succeed at becoming embedded within your organization and how this evolving field can affect your future.

People Searching and Finding People Online

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The web is a tremendous resource for quickly finding basic information about people, but it can also reveal more obscure, esoteric, and sometimes surprising information. This workshop examines special techniques to use in general search engines such as Google and a variety of other resources, including social networking and other “Deep Web” sites. It also addresses tools specifically designed for searching for people, including “people search engines” such as Pipl, ZabaSearch, Spokeo, and others. Ran Hock covers sources for easily finding people in the news (including “local” newspapers), biographical databases, resource guides for people searching, and public records sources, both those that are free and where to go if you are willing to pay. You don’t need a private investigator’s license for this session on people finding.

Cloud Computing Tools for Searchers

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

What does the promise of cloud computing hold for researchers? How does SaaS (software as a service) relate to the needs of information professionals? Are you already putting some of your data in the cloud? You might if you’re putting your photos on Flickr, your written work on Google Docs, your videos on YouTube, or your presentation slides on SlideShare rather than storing these items on your individual computer. Some elements of cloud computing apply to everyone who uses a computer, while others have special resonance with researchers. Greg Notess sorts this out for you, explaining what cloud computing is and how information professionals can effectively make use of the cloud. Learn both how to do more in the cloud and to better evaluate what you find in the cloud.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Search Engine Update

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

The old adage about change being the only constant is definitely applicable to web search engines. Everything you thought you knew about efficient and effective searching can change radically overnight. A tried and true technique ceases to work as it did before. A feature you loved disappears. Your ability to access a particular type of resource is compromised by a technical glitch. Spam interferes with good search results. Search companies, striving to remain competitive, alter how their search algorithms operate. Other companies simply go out of business, while new companies take their place. How to keep updated with all the changes? The easy way is to listen to Chris Sherman’s explanations. His insider knowledge of search engine companies alerts you to developments in the search engine landscape and gives you an edge in your professional life.

Pivoting for Better Search Results

10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Can you pivot? Think basketball here. Your path toward the basket is suddenly blocked, so you quickly switch and go in a different direction. As more information is digitized and appears on the internet, web researchers 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? What guides your decision about the direction to pivot? Is it intuition or something more structured? Search expert Mary Ellen Bates looks at some of the typical decision points and offers some tips on choosing the best path.

Mobile Platforms and Resources for Information Delivery

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Mobile devices are the new exciting platform for just about every form of research. Whether you (or your ibrary’s users) own a cell phone, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or other forms of mobile device, you need to know how to provide excellent mobile search experiences. You also need to learn the intricacies of using mobile devices for information delivery. Libraries are optimizing their catalogs for mobile, proprietary databases are creating apps for mobile search, and text messaging is being used to find answers. Perhaps you want to read the latest news, find real-time information, research professional literature, or follow online social media conversations. Gary Price, a longtime mobile device evangelist, reviews new and exciting mobile initiatives. He shares his knowledge of mobile resources for specific disciplines and his insights into the present and future of mobile search as it applies to serious research.

Book ’Em Ranno

1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The transformation of printed books into electronic versions is accelerating. It’s not just that ebooks are readable on Kindles, Nooks, Sony, Kobo, Androids, iPhones, and others. If you consider Project Guten berg, electronic books are not even that recent a phe nomenon. However, Google Books, which contains over 15 million books, has fundamentally changed the landscape for electronic books, not only as a research tool but also as a bookstore. Renowned author and trainer Ran Hock describes how Google Books released his inner reference librarian and why you should be amazed at the new reading and down loading capabilities that have important implications for research.

Passports to Global Search

1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Search engines, social media, and a growing understanding that we live in a highly connected, global world necessitates an international perspective when it comes to research. Knowing where to find relevant information and data not originating from the U.S.— or in English—is a survival skill. Whether it’s political news, corporate information, government statistical sources, science policy, multinational companies, or information on arts and culture, you need to consider not only where, but how, to search non-U.S. and nonEnglish language sources. Cultural blind spots, information black holes, and data comparability are just a few of the concerns Marydee Ojala addresses in this session on global research.

Government Goodies

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

It’s no secret that the U.S. government is a prolific publisher. However, budget constraints are creating a dire situation for both collection and dissemination of data, with serious consequences for researchers. The government’s inclination toward information transparency and disclosure is being tested by financial realities. Despite ominous signs on the horizon, government data at the federal, state, and local level remains an important information source. 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.

WebSearch Clinics

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Everyone approaches searching from a slightly differ ent angle, depending on the question, the reason it’s being asked, the setting, the time frame allocated to finding the information, and budget. In WebSearch Clinics, we’ll examine, from a real-time perspective, how power searchers execute searches on the same topic. Come prepared to ask your own questions and participate in the discussion.

The Best and the Brightest for Business

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Business research encompasses a multitude of avenues for exploration. It can include company, industry, market, and management topics. It ranges from Wall Street to Main Street, from multinationals to small businesses, from finance to management best practices. As the economy improves, Harvard Business School librarian Ann Cullen is finding important, innovative approaches to business research., Learn about the newest, most improved, exciting resources that will help you be more effective in researching business topics.

Browsing Through Browsers

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

While many of us were concentrating on search engines, wondering whether to use Google, Bing, Yahoo!, or something else for our research, new generations of browsers have been sneaking up on us. New versions of established browsers have been introduced—Explorer 9 and Firefox 4, for example. Google, with its Chrome browser, clearly wants to be more than a search engine. Safari, originally developed by Apple for the Mac, now works on PCs as well. A new browser, RockMelt, incorporates elements of social media. Browsers for smartphone and other mobile devices bring out innovative elements. In addition to looking at browser features, searchers should look at speed, available add-ons, information availability, search switching, and other tools that facilitate searching.

Networking Reception

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

When Searching Isn’t Enough: Adding Value to Results

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Information professionals have long distinguished themselves as providing accurate, relevant, and timely information. The abundance of web-based information, however, has altered this proposition. To fully demonstrate their value, information professionals must strategize and think beyond information retrieval to packaging information results in a fashion that aligns with their organizations’ or clients’ expectations. Maybe it’s text, or charts and graphs, or slideshows. Mary Ellen Bates will guide us through how to add value to our search results.

Social Networking and Real-Time Research

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Use of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn has skyrocketed in the past year. Millions of people worldwide use social media to generate content, share ideas, and keep in touch with family, friends, work colleagues, companies, associations, and causes. Companies see social media as just another marketing avenue. Information professionals, however, see social media as a tool for realtime research. Marydee Ojala addresses the best practices for social networking research, including authenticity, trust, and information overload, along with some real-world caveats and success stories.

Maps: The New Information Visualization Power Tools

10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Online maps first emerged to help people get directions and navigate in the offline world. No more asking for directions, just read the map. Both Google and Bing incorporate maps into search results, but that’s not the full extent of maps as visualization tools. Increasingly, maps are being enhanced with other types of information, such as historical images, current events and news, academic course materials, merchant product inventory, and more. Chris Sherman point outs specialized databases and websites devoted to geographic information, what’s happening with street view data, and which apps have value for information professionals.

All the News That’s Fit to Search

10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

The digital world has opened up many different types of sources for news and current awareness. This both opens up possibilities for retrospective research and finding historical news and poses challenges when sources are not sufficiently aggregated. A veteran news researcher fills you in on news research sources that lead you to the next step in a project, searching news with an eye toward finding experts, specific documents, and primary sources.11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Seeking Science and the Environment?

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

WebSearch Seminar

11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Tired of listening to WebSearch University faculty? Have questions not yet answered? Want to contribute your own ideas, experiences, and knowledge? What are the hot topics to discuss out here in the desert? What do you think about the intricacies of internet research? What has worked for you and what hasn’t? How have you proved your value within your organization? This “unsession” is your opportunity to be heard and to share knowledge with your colleagues.–.

Expert Web Search Techniques

1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Learn about the newest advanced search techniques for web search engines and the key differences among them. Explore the latest developments in how web search engines are changing, particularly when it comes to advanced search capabilities. Remembering it is the ability to perform sophisticated, complex research queries that sets information professionals apart from those who merely enter a word or two into a search box, learning about the power of advanced search and where shortcomings exist are critical.

Alternative Search Engines

2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

A key component that sets professional researchers apart from the general public’s use of search engines is our knowledge of alternatives to the major search engines. While many people rely on Google, with some branching out to Yahoo! or Bing, professional searchers search specialized content using not-sowell-known search engines. The abundance of alternative search engines, often with exotic names, leads to alternative content—images, audio-visual information, niche databases, conversations, blogs, forums, podcasts, people, and user-generated content. There are huge search opportunities just off the beaten track. Come trek with Ran and see where alternative search engines fit best with your research objectives.

Websites You Can Use to Add Value

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

By now, you’ve heard about lots of important websites. In this closing session, Laura and Gary concentrate on the best resources for a variety of research endeavors—from the social sciences to news to business to humanities to science to, well, just plain cool. This closing session for WebSearch University expands on idea and invites the audience to contribute their favorite sites. They take a look at the resources with practical value, ones that attendees should bookmark for use at their individual workplaces.