It is only when someone knows differently that they can use the correct variation for a particular database or website. Why? With almost everyone I observed at the reference desk–both patrons and the other librarians on duty–one normally defaults to using the lower case due to typing simplicity (usually, lower case does work in popular databases). However, most of the time these variations, when they occur, are not obvious and cause searches to be hampered because the operators will not work properly. Occasionally, you can find them in a sidebar on the advanced search menu. These variations can usually be located under the “Help” menu. Some might even recognize multiple variants. Still others might use symbols instead of words (ex. Others use upper case letters (the original version of Boolean was all upper case). Some require the letters all be lower case. What the non-librarians may not know is that databases sometimes vary how Boolean operators are used. These skills are not only useful when locating data, but are often the first information literacy skills taught to patrons, especially in K-12 schools and higher education. While not Boolean, enclosing phrases in quotations marks (” “) means the searcher is looking for an exact phrase instead of those two words anywhere in the document. Just to recap, “AND” combines terms to limit a search (ex. Knowing how to use “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” are keys to searching digital data. Every librarian knows their Boolean Operators.
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