So, yesterday I ran across an article about the browser Opera. Opera is a browser (like Explorer or Firefox) that has a smaller version that runs on cell phones (but not the iPhone).
Opera has selected Yahoo as the official search engine of the browser. This might just seem a little bit odd, since Google is the king of search, but I think it’s more than just odd. The search that Opera has partnered with Yahoo to provide is informational rather than directional. Instead of searching for “library” and getting millions of URLs for library websites, you’ll get facts, maybe a definition. They’re changing what “search” means on their phone to being about information rather than websites. This might be a small change, but it’s growing. Google has provided ways to access definitions, calculator functions, movie showtimes, etc. for some time now. Yahoo will be doing this over the phone. Google offers ready reference via text messaging. People are realizing it’s more about answers than millions of results.
What does this mean for the reference interview? For our patrons when they come to the reference desk? Information literacy? Big changes in the information world!
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