{"id":68318,"date":"2015-03-27T14:53:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-27T19:53:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=68318"},"modified":"2015-03-27T14:50:23","modified_gmt":"2015-03-27T19:50:23","slug":"which-boolean-search-are-you-operator-as-mantra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=68318","title":{"rendered":"Which Boolean Search are you? Operator as Mantra"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Katie Blake
\npreviously published 4\/16\/14
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Which Boolean Search are you? Operator as Mantra<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"katieblake2013\"<\/a>Remember your delight when you really dug into how we search for information? Boolean terms are\u00a0relevatory in providing tidy parameters for search patterns. They are so often applied in our everyday,\u00a0we Information Professionals might forget to savor them.\u00a0Let\u2019s review:<\/p>\n

Or
\nAnd
\nNot<\/h3>\n

Think again for a moment about what each mean when applied in a search or decision-making. While\u00a0we\u2019re on the job hunt, without these being used, your search term \u201cLibrary jobs\u201d (notice my fancy use\u00a0of quotation marks?) you might come up with too many results, and maybe you should.<\/strong> During early\u00a0job hunting, I actually think this is a good exercise because it opens you up to the variety of jobs where\u00a0some form of recognized library is an aspect of that profession. It is exciting to realize how many kinds\u00a0of libraries are employed out there! Hopefully too, you already noticed that the theories taught in your\u00a0masters were meant to be applied in any situation involving information creation, organization and\u00a0retrieval; so why not think about shining bright with those skills in any job that interests you? If looking\u00a0weren\u2019t fun chances are you wouldn\u2019t be in this field in the first place so go for it, make an alert for that\u00a0company or library that makes you giddy.<\/p>\n

OR<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve already decided you need to narrow things down but only a little bit, let \u2018or\u2019 be your mantra.\u00a0This, the most expansive of operators indicates you are still open to possibilities. It just means that now,\u00a0after you have done some digging you think there are particular jobs you have identified as ones-to-\u00a0watch. \u2018Or\u2019 says that substitutions have value and you are not settling. It means you are gearing your\u00a0cover letters and resumes towards these desired jobs but maybe aren\u2019t ready to eliminate skills and\u00a0experiences that will read as general or inapplicable because employers might be \u2018or\u2019 people too and\u00a0see those as transferable.<\/p>\n

AND<\/strong><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve been at it for awhile, job hunting and the application process can prove to be time\u00a0consuming. It might be time to whip things into shape with \u2018and\u2019. This says you are being more judicious\u00a0about choosing job titles to apply within. Using \u2018and\u2019 as your mantra says you are still going to keep\u00a0your eyes open for but now you are focusing on some specifics. It means your application materials\u00a0are directed to those chosen positions, clearly pointing the search committee towards key experiences\u00a0which will turn them on to what makes you a strong candidate. As an \u2018and\u2019 person, to the employer your\u00a0application should show them the reasons you are excited about this particular job, in this institution as\u00a0well as how your background and interests make you capable of a lot more given an opportunity.<\/p>\n

NOT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of us have heard \u2018never say can\u2019t\u2019, suggesting that negative words mean there is an absence of the\u00a0possible and we should go out of our way to think of what can be. Our mentors and peers want us to be\u00a0positive in the face of adversity. \u2018Not\u2019 initially might seem like saying \u2018can\u2019t\u2019 but with Boolean operators\u00a0as your mantra this lovely little connection means you are focused and driven. For the job hunt you\u00a0maybe have gotten to the point where submitting \u2018just in case\u2019 is no longer something you want to\u00a0spend your hard earned time on. It says you know something about the job and you don\u2019t want to waste\u00a0any search committee\u2019s time by submitting what for them would be deemed an arbitrary application.\u00a0It says you have value for particular reasons, you have built your materials to showcase those big ticket\u00a0experiences which they are looking for; and it probably means you\u2019ve done the difficult task of editing\u00a0your resume down to really the pertinent items. Yes, \u2018not\u2019 is elegant in its decisiveness. It values known\u00a0item searches and as a mantra it says you have a clear vision.<\/p>\n

Think carefully about how you are conducting your hunt and start to let your mantra shine through.\u00a0Boolean operators in the library and information world are one example of a simple yet incredibly useful\u00a0tool which function to not only tie us to our field but act as a mantra for how to approach the hunt, our\u00a0application materials and how we respond to the Nos and someday, the YES.<\/p>\n

Further Reading:<\/strong>
\nThere are many tutorials on using these Boolean gems from libraries everywhere such as Bowling Green\u00a0State University\u2019s Library Basics: \u201cGuides to getting started at University Libraries. Search tips, source\u00a0evaluation and more.\u201d June 4, 2013. http:\/\/libguides.bgsu.edu\/content.php?pid=20573&sid=145033<\/a> .\u00a0Many of these guides helpfully include images for patrons to understand how their choice affects their\u00a0outcomes, but my favorite so far is the video tutorial by Emily Wixon and Lexy Spry, Chemistry Library at\u00a0the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2008, \u201cBoolean Operators\u201d http:\/\/youtu.be\/xsSZps3NH-M<\/a> ). These\u00a0ladies put them into the context of everyday life and really make it easy for searchers to understand\u00a0how often we use these operators.<\/p>\n

\n

Katie recently graduated with a masters in Art History from Pratt Institute. She is a Library and Information Science graduate from the University of Washington\u2019s iSchool as well. She has worked in many states across the country for libraries, teaching, in the film industry, office job amazingness and was even once outfitted as Miffy for Nickelodeon during a Kid\u2019s Choice party. Having just completed her thesis, Katie is currently living and making art in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Katie Blake previously published 4\/16\/14 Which Boolean Search are you? Operator as Mantra Remember your delight when you really dug into how we search for information? Boolean terms are\u00a0relevatory in providing tidy parameters for search patterns. They are so often applied in our everyday,\u00a0we Information Professionals might forget to savor them.\u00a0Let\u2019s review: Or And…<\/p>\n

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