How Researchers Search for Manuscript and Archival Collections

ABSTRACT

By conducting a survey of a cross-section of researchers at six major research libraries, the author sought to determine the usefulness of specific online resources to find primary sources, to ascertain researchers' awareness of these sources, and to uncover their discovery methodology. The survey results demonstrate that the majority of researchers continue to utilize traditional methods of uncovering primary sources and do not take full advantage of online resources. The author offers four recommendations that archivists can implement to assist researchers with online discovery.     

Map Library Usage in Europe

Abstract

During the 2002 Helsinki meeting of the LIBER Groupe des Cartothecaires Working Group for Education, it was suggested that a survey of map usage in European libraries should be undertaken, using Jan Smits' 1987-88 survey as a basis. The goal of the survey was to re-examine map usage in the early twenty-first century in map libraries in Europe, and to identify changing requirements induced by the rapidly changing technological advances being made in cartography. Principal differences with the 1987-88 survey were identified, as were those areas where change has been limited. A main concern with the 2003 version was the poor response rate of questionnaires returned.     

Assessing,Analyzing, and Adapting: Improving a Graduate Student Instruction Program Through Needs Assessment

This article highlights an assessment of library instruction needs among graduate students in the social sciences. The article addresses the development and implementation of the assessment and the application of assessment results to an established set of library instruction workshops. The article provides a detailed summary of assessment findings and a discussion of how the findings were successfully used to create a user-centered instruction program. The findings were used to make significant changes in workshop content, as well as refinements in the overall number and format of workshops offered, schedule of workshops, and marketing of the instruction program.     

The Faceted Catalog as a Tool for Searching Monographic Series: Usability Study of Lens

This study explored the functionality of the University of Chicago's faceted catalog, Lens, in respect to monographic series. A user study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of Lens in searching for monographic series and also to determine whether controlled series access in the catalog record improves the search results. The results of the study indicate that while Lens could be considered an adequate tool for searching series that are known to be published under the same title, some changes would make it a better search engine for a series that changes series statements from one volume to another.     

从中文问答社区信息内容透视公众针对突发事件的信息需求——基于问题胶囊事件的实验研究

提出一个用于分析突发事件网民信息需求的框架,并利用网络问答社区数据进行实验分析。结果表明该框架可以有效分析突发事件网民信息需求。从信息引用情况来看,我国网民引用官方、媒体和公益组织信息来回答突发事件问题的比例很低。在突发事件中网民最关心的还是生理需求和安全需求方面的信息。本研究的意义在于为突发事件危机沟通提供相关启示。     

Human Library服务设计问题与对策研究

基于对国内图书馆Human Library服务案例的分析,总结Human Library服务在我国图书馆服务应用中存在的问题,包括缺乏统一组织、资源建设与保存模式不明确、缺少服务质量评估标准等,结合实际分析以上问题的成因,并针对Human Library服务管理制度、Living Book保存机制、Human Library服务评价体系、Human Library服务设计思路等提出对策与措施,以促进Human Library服务在图书馆中的应用,提高我国图书馆Human Library服务质量。     

互联网同义词搜索中的词义聚类问题研究

从互联网中搜索同义词具有非常重要的理论意义和应用意义,但同时也存在一词多义情况下无法对不同词义的同义词进行区分的问题。针对这一问题,提出一种对互联网同义词搜索结果按照词义聚类的方法,该方法利用术语间的词义关系转化为图结构,实现词义自动聚类,无需人工干预和学科领域知识,能够达到较高的聚类准确性。     

网络视频检索的用户信息行为研究

借助用户实验和行为观察技术,采集用户的网络视频检索过程,从检索行为的总体分布情况、视频检索入口、检索入口的跳转行为与翻页行为、检索结果的处理等不同角度描述用户视频检索的行为和心理,讨论分析视频检索的途径、用户的定势心理、检索任务对检索过程的弱影响和相关性判断的行为特征等问题。     

Motivations for Library Use: Dover,Delaware, Library User Identity‐Motivation Pilot Study,December 2005

Under State Librarian Annie Norman, the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) has made notable progress in planning, measuring and advocating for programs and funds that have improved the libraries of that state. A visit to the state library's homepage (http://state.lib.de.us) immediately demonstrates the DDLS sense of purpose in the tagline motto, Delaware Libraries: Infrastructure + Capacity = Sustainability. DDL planning is ongoing, including a 2008 plan to move all the state's libraries forward in the critical areas of economic development, lifelong learning and health information. One document in this planning process was the 2005 pilot study to examine and categorize the motivations for why individuals use the public library. It is that study, a market segmentation study of the reasons why people use the library, that is published here. The study that is the basis for this report was produced under contract by the Institute for Learning Innovation (http://www.ilinet.org/display/ILI/Home). DDL would like to give a special thank you to Dr. John Falk of the Institute for Learning Innovation for his significant help with this study. Presented here in its entirety, the study report can be found on the Delaware Division of Library Services Web site at http://state.lib.de.us/For_libraries/planning/Dover%20Library%20Pilot%20Study%20Final%20Report1.pdf. The editors gratefully acknowledge the willingness of Delaware State Librarian Annie Norman and the Delaware Division of Libraries for the right to reprint this significant methodological example for PLQ readers.

The study is based on two surveys: the first a “user interception survey” of 113 pre and post interviews collected at the Dover Public Library across 20 hours through one week in November of 2005. The second part of the study involved follow‐up telephone interviews with over 25 percent of those who had participated in the first study.