Computer and Library Learning (Archived)

The Toronto Public Library's Web Basics classes are a great way to learn the fundamental skills for searching the web.  Participants learn to search using Google, Yahoo and other search engines as well as through search directories such as the library's Recommended Websites.

Once you are comfortable with these basic skills, you may want to learn more tips and tricks for finding information on the web.  This is where Google's Inside Search comes in handy. 

Inside Search is a part of Google's website and great place to find out about its search features.  You can find out how to searching websites that are in different languages, search using photos or your voice instead of text, and how to find related webpages.  There are also tricks to finding movie times, sport scores, the weather and currency conversion with just a few keywords.  Once you've mastered all these techniques, keep up to date by reading Google's Inside Search Blog.

To start working on these search skills right now, consider registering for the Power Searching with Google course which is starting July 10, 2012.  It's a free,  community-based course consisting of six 50-minute classes.  You can'take the classes according to your own schedule during the two-week period the course is offered. Registrations will be accepted until July 16th and the course activities end on July 23rd.  You will need to have a free Google Account to sign up.

Of course, the Toronto Public Library has books available to help you become a power seacher.  Here are a some titles to get you started:

Books:

• How to find out anything: From extreme Google searches to Scouring Government Documents, a guide to uncovering anything about everyone and everything by Don MacLeod
• Google secrets: do what you never thought possible with Google by Yvette Davis

eBooks (a valid Toronto Public Library card is required to access):

• Using Google Advanced Search by Michael Miller
• Google Power Search by Stephan M. Spencer