Resource Discovery: Comparative Results on Two Catalog Interfaces

Authors

  • Heather Hessel
  • Janet Fransen University of Minnesota

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v31i2.2165

Abstract

Like many libraries, the University of Minnesota Libraries-Twin Cities now offers a next-generation catalog alongside a traditional online public access catalog (OPAC). One year after the launch of its new platform as the default catalog, usage data for the OPAC remained relatively high, and anecdotal comments raised questions. In response, the Libraries conducted surveys that covered topics such as perceptions of success, known-item searching, preferred search environments, and desirable resource types. Results show distinct differences in the behavior of faculty, graduate student, and undergraduate survey respondents, and between library staff and non-library staff respondents. Both quantitative and qualitative data inform the analysis and conclusions.

Author Biography

Janet Fransen, University of Minnesota

Librarian for Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and History of Science & Technology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

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Published

2012-06-12

How to Cite

Hessel, H., & Fransen, J. (2012). Resource Discovery: Comparative Results on Two Catalog Interfaces. Information Technology and Libraries, 31(2), 21–44. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v31i2.2165

Issue

Section

Articles