Search the Web

Searching works best if you enter very specific terms related to your topic. You'll find different results in the different search engines and they each offer unique features. These search engines let you know which of the results are really advertisements so you can avoid them if you choose. Ads are labeled as "Sponsored Listings" or "Sponsored Links."

Google Google help page	Ask.com

These are good starting places if you have a broad topic and want to browse. Because individuals select the sites in the directories, they contain fewer sites than the search engines. The sites they do contain are often good starting places for further research.

Librarians' Internet Index Lii help page	Web Sites by Topic	Yahoo Yahoo help page

These can be useful for simultaneously retrieving the results from a number of different search engines. Vivisimo clusters the results from other search engines into categories.

IXQuick	Vivisimo

Daypop	World News

Hieros Gamos	MEDLINEplus
More sites

Infomine	BUBL Link

Ditto	Google Image Search	Picsearch

Help for both beginning and experienced searchers.

Internet Resources for Seniors
Includes a collection of tutorials for learning to use computers and the Internet.

Generations on Line - Available in the Library only
Available at all Alameda County Library locations, this software is designed to get seniors started in using the Internet for searching and email.

Choose the Best Search for your Information Need
This chart by Debbie Abilock is one of the resources at the NoodleTools site. It gives advice on when to use various tools and includes direct links to the recommended search tools.

Finding Information on the Internet
From the Teaching Library at UC Berkeley, this has a very good section on Evaluating Web Pages that can help you to judge the reliability of information you find on the Internet.

More About Search Tools
Want to know more about search tools? Search Engine Watch will keep you up-to-date with evaluative articles and industry news about search engines and portal companies.

Search Engine Watch