Abstract
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to expound on search engine limits and to offer more novel approaches to searching the web.Design methodology approach - Examines alternative search engines to Google.Findings - Not only does Google have competitors and augmenters, but they keep on coming. The web is a vital and fertile turf where new ideas continually lead to innovations - some good, some not. While Google continues expanding and evolving, others persistently appear on the horizon with their own slant. As always, librarians need to stay aware.Originality value - The paper offers examples of more specialized search engines that provide a valuable alternative to Google in many areas and across all file formats.