RESEARCHINGON THEINTERNETHelpful hints & safety tips

ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG (OPAC)

The OPAC is an electronic database of materials held by a library or library system.

What is a database?A database is a large collection of data

organized especially for rapid search and retrieval. (as by a computer) (Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online, March 17, 2009)

ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG (OPAC)

Examples of organizations that maintain an Online Public Access Catalog include:

Your school library media center http://mayflowerk12ar.booksys.net/opac/mms/

The Faulkner County Library System http://www.fcl.org/

The Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/index.html

BOOLEAN LOGIC Takes its name from a British

mathematician George Boole. (1815-1864)

Refers to the logical relationship among search terms.

Boole used words that he called logical operators to define searches.

Operators included: AND, OR, NOT, NEAR

GeorgeBoole.net, March 17, 2009

BOOLEAN OPERATORSAND, OR, NOT

AND AND operates in a different way when

used as a search term. In the English language, if we say we want

pictures of a dog AND cat. We think:

AND In Boolean logic if we say, we want

pictures of a dog AND cat. We get:

AND AND is used to connect terms when

both or all of the terms are present. Your results will be smaller.

Dog Cat

OR OR also operates in a different way

when used as a search term. OR operates much like the English language use

of AND in Boolean logic. If we say we’ll eat hotdogs or hamburgers…

We are saying that we will accept either choice.

OR In Boolean logic if we say, we want

Hot Dogs OR Hamburgers.

We get:

BOTH!!!!

OR OR is used to group terms when at

least one term must be present. Results will be larger.

Hot Dog Hamburger

NOT NOT works in the way you may believe

it would when used as a search term. If we say we want pictures of

chocolate cake NOT candy, we will get:

NOT NOT eliminates results containing the

specified term. The results will be smaller.

Cake

OTHER TECHNIQUESBound Phrases & Truncation

BOUND PHRASEA series or combination of words

used in a search.Quotation marks are used to

indicate a bound phrase.

Examples:“Statue of Liberty”“Mayflower Middle School”“Honda Odyssey”

TRUNCATIONTruncation means to shorten or cut off.An asterisk is used at the end of a

stem word.The system will search using each

variation of the stem.Examples:

Swim* will produce results including swim, swimmer, swimming, etc…

Short* will produce results including short, shorts, shorthand, shortness, shortish, etc…

RESEARCHING TIPSLet’s Review What To Do!

RESEARCH INFORMATION REVIEW Online Public Access Catalog: electronic database of

materials held by a library or library system.

Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT President AND Lincoln Book OR Video Weather NOT Vane

Bound Phrases: search using a phrase. “Abraham Lincoln” “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

Truncation: a search that uses all variations of a term jump* - jump, jumper, jumps jumped, etc…

INTERNET SAFETYTips & Reminders

Would you answer your door for a

stranger?

If you are home alone…

(Real World)

So, why wouldyou chat with a

strangeronline?

(Net World)

Would you give

your phone number

to a stranger?

If you were in public…

(Real World)

So, why wouldyou post yourphone numberin a chat room?

(Net World)

Would you takesomething

withoutpaying for it?

If you are in a store…

(Real World)

So, why wouldyou download

someone else’swork?

(Net World)

Would you accepta sip of a

stranger’s drink?

If you are at a park…

(Real World)

So, why wouldyou open

an email or programfrom a stranger?

(Net World)

INTERNET SAFETYLet’s Review What To Do!

INTERNET SAFETY PLAN

If I come across any information that makes me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused, I will…

If someone online asks me for a picture of myself, I will…

If someone I first “met” online asks me to meet him or her in person, I will…

If someone online asks me for my personal information, I will…NetSmartz.org, March 18,

2009

INTERNET SAFETY PLAN If I see any messages that are mean or make

me feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused, I will…

If I receive a file over the Internet from someone I don’t know, I will…

In order to set up rules for going online, I will…

NetSmartz.org, March 18, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Visit Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s Website: www.ArkansasAG.gov

More fun with Clickty & Router visit:

www.netsmartzkids.org

REFERENCES Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.(2009)

Retrieved March 17, 2009, from Merriam-Webster Online Web site: http://www.merriam-webster.com.

Boolean logic. (2009) Retrieved March 17, 2009, from www.georgeboole.net.

All images downloaded from Microsoft Clipart.

All NetSmartz videos downloaded on March 17, 2009, with permission from www.NetSmartz.org.