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Peter White Public Library holds computer class to help with web searches

Google it!

People can learn perform better Google searches by following a few tips. (Journal stock photo)

MARQUETTE — How often do you see the words “Did you mean…” while performing a Google search? Are you often stymied while looking for a product or topic on the popular search engine?

To help people hone their Google search skills, the Peter White Public Library on Monday hosted a computer coaching class, “Amazing Google Searches,” in which participants learned how keywords make a difference in an internet search as well as how to refine a search and choose the best websites from a search list.

Teaching the class was Jeremy Morelock, reference library assistant and session coach, who explained how Google uses tags associated with topics, searching websites for specific words.

He led off the class by performing a search on the history of BMW motorcycles.

What came up was an image of a 1945 BMW motorcycle.

Tips on performing a successful Google search are taught Monday at the Peter White Public Library. Computer coaching takes place periodically in the computer lab on the second floor. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

“It knows that it’s a BMW motorcycle,” Morelock said.

Users have Google search options like “all,” “images,” “news,” “shopping” and “videos.”

Morelock said: “I would normally just do ‘all.’ It searches everything. If you’re just looking for images of that, you search ‘images.'”

However, he pointed out a user should be aware that some search results are paid advertisements, plus they should be on the lookout for fake news.

And a result shown at the top of the screen isn’t always what the searcher wants. Sometimes it’s an ad.

“To a novice computer, obviously they’re going to think that that’s the first result, but really the first result is down here,” Morelock said when pointing to one particular search.

One student asked whether an ad would always look like that, with Morelock saying that typically is the case.

Library staff performs many Google searches, he said. On Monday, somebody came in looking for a specific manual for a snow thrower from the 1960s or even the late 1950s.

“This was a bit of a challenge,” Morelock said.

The search was on for a manual for an Ariens brand of snow thrower.

“One mistake I notice people make is: too specific, too many words in the search using ‘the,’ ‘and,'” Morelock said. “I always leave those things out.

However, he acknowledged that an incorrect term a user might use at first — in his case, “Ariel” — could prompt Google to suggest the correct name, in this case, Ariens.

The search ultimately led him to the Ariens website.

Morelock also talked about other helpful websites for finding items and services, such as the Michigan eLibrary at mel.org, which provides residents access to millions of ebooks, articles digital images and library collections from around the state

He also said PWPL uses the Chilton Library at ChiltonLibrary.com for information on auto repairs.

“You can spend all day just exploring this stuff,” Morelock said.

Even Google itself has tips to easily find information using the search engine.

They include:

– Starting with the basics since the user can always add a few descriptive words if necessary.

– Choosing words carefully. For instance,  using “headache” instead of “my head hurts” is a better bet because a medical site would use that term.

– Not fretting over the small stuff. Google’s spell checker automatically uses the most common spelling of a given word regardless of how the user spells it.

– Finding quick answers. Putting “define” in front of an word shows its definition. Even math calculations and making unit conversations are possible using Google.

The next event in the Computer Coaching series at the library, “Download E-books & Audio Books,” is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday and Dec. 19 in the library’s computer lab. Participants can learn how to use the OverDrive app to connect to the library’s online collection with an e-reader or phone.

For more details, call 906-226-4312.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.

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