[WEB4LIB] Re: metasearch engines

[John Dooley, Automated Services]

I agree with Ward Price's observations and would like to add
that as a librarian, I prefer to focus on using and learning
in depth a few search engines (Yahoo, AltaVista, & HotBot). 
I find this to be more efficient since I can better interpret 
search results and better refine further searching.  
To me the result sets with metasearch engines are too large
and very difficult to interpret and refine a search from. I 
think this is true for neophytes and expert users.

I use Yahoo to find sites I have heard of but do not know the
URL, or when I am unfamiliar with a topic and appropriate
subject/search terms.

I use AltaVista to find very specific things or topics I 
am familiar with.

I use HotBot which indexes move pages than AltaVista as a 
backup to AltaVista when a search turns up too few hits.

I know from logs of customer use of our public web browsers 
that the great majority are going to one of the 3 sites 
mentioned above. Also our web site logs show that most visitors 
referred from a search engine come from the above plus 
American Online.

Most search engines are constantly being enhanced so it is 
a challenge just to keep up with a few.  I see metasearch 
engines at this point to always be several steps behind 
incorporating these enhancements if at all.  The dynamic 
nature of what is on the world wide web constantly pushes 
the envelope of what is expected of a search engine.  
Metasearch engines just add another development cycle to 
the gap between what exists and what the user can find.

That said, I would like to hear if anyone has found any 
advantages to metasearch engines they would like to share.

 John Dooley
 Computer and Network Manager
 Automated Services
 Memphis Shelby County Public Library and Information Center
 1850 Peabody Avenue
 Memphis TN 38104. 
 Telephone: (901)725-8817 ext 740. 
 Internet:  dooleyj at memphis.lib.tn.us
 Web:       http://www.memphislibrary.lib.tn.us
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Views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent those of 
the Memphis Shelby County Public Library and Information Center.
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