Search Directories are different from Search Engines... although the average person thinks they are one search tool, but in reallity engiones and directories are two different tools. In the previous posted wikispace I used the website - http://www.windweaver.com/searchguide.htm , to describe as helpful for beginner users of search engines... that web site is ALSO useful for beginner users of search directories as well. The web site gives useful hits on deciding which search tool to use, directories? or engines?
I found the following information helpful (more helpful hints can be found on the web site lister in the above paragraph)

to browse a subject area?
USE Yahoo, Lookmart or the Open Directory

to search Newsgroups?
USE Yahoo, Google Newsgroups, AltaVista, HotBot

to include older gopher files in your search?
USE Webcrawler or Altavista

to search as much as the Web as possible?
USE Google or AlltheWeb.com

to search every word on a site or in a document?
USE AltaVista, or HotBot

to locate an obscure or hard-to-find document?
USE AltaVista,

to locate a fairly popular site or easy-to-find document?
USE Webcrawler or Yahoo

to retrieve a large number of results?
USE AltaVista or a metasearch engine such
as Savvy Search or Metacrawler

to retrieve few but relevant results?
USE Webcrawler

to search only titles, urls or keywords?
USE Webcrawler, Yahoo OR Alta Vista

to specify in what part of a site your search terms will occur
(including titles, urls and summaries)?
USE AltaVista (adv) or InfoSeek

to search reviewed and evaluated sites?
USE Looksmart's select directory)