Patent Search

After reading Ready2Invent's "My Journey" under 'Tell Us Your Invention Story', and other extremely helpful posts in this forum, I felt ready to start heading towards a license for my idea.

I started using the USPTO's patent search tutorial,  http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/ptdl/CBT/ , to learn to how do the hard part- the patent search. Along the way I came across this patent search tool to supplement my USPTO patent search- Espacenet, http://www.epo.org/searching/free/espacenet.html.

I'd appreciate any advice on conducting a patent search, especially as my idea may involve developing 'new' technologies, calling for a patent search to include all manner of publications atop patents and patent apps.. I may need to drive a distance to reach the nearest patent & trademark depository library for help searching publications.

Thank You