Diving the Deep Web

At ALLA last week I attended a program by SLIS and Tuscaloosa Public Library on researching in the Deep Web.   The Deep Web includes content that is not indexed in a way that standard web crawlers and search engines can find it.  Not only does it contain an estimated 4-5000 times the information as "the surface web" but it is primarily put together by academicians, government agencies, or organizations.  You get more info, better info, and best of all, it's really easy to access.

You can use Google or Bing or any of the other search engines.  Start with a broad topic.  The example used, to find information on the Battle of Lexington, was American Revolution.   Then specify the type of information you are looking for, such as documents, images, etc.  Then add the magic words:  the Deep Web descriptor.  You can use database, archives, or search engine.  So, in our example, in the regular Google search box you'd type American Revolution  documents  database.   This type of search takes you to the very best information available, very quickly, where you can use your amazing library skills to pinpoint the exact information your patron requires.

Try it, and happy diving!

Kelly Laney, Springville Road

Comments