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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Turock, Betty J., Shelton, Hildred C.
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 1984
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED249996
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author Turock, Betty J.
Shelton, Hildred C.
author_facet Turock, Betty J.
Shelton, Hildred C.
Turock, Betty J.
Shelton, Hildred C.
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents Subject Access in the Small Library. Turock, Betty J. Shelton, Hildred C. Information Needs Information Retrieval Library Catalogs Library Research Microcomputers Online Systems Public Libraries Search Strategies Subject Index Terms Use Studies Vocabulary Development This pilot study on the subject access problems of patrons of small to medium size libraries was designed to measure the extent to which users' vocabularies matched the search vocabulary of bibliographic records in the card catalog, and to enhance subject access by develooping a microcomputer system which integrated Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) with the natural language of the users. Three public libraries in Virginia were selected as test sites because their users encompassed a heterogeneous population that cut across demographic and socioeconomic indicators. Data collected on exception cases (times when users asked librarians for assistance in finding information) revealed that of the 412 questions analyzed, almost 60% produced no match between the language of the information seekers and the information organizers. The online system which was developed allows directed browsing and puts descriptors into context. It contains eight fields: Subject, the primary access point containing the users' vocabulary; Enter, which serves a cross-referencing function; LC, a selection of relevant Library of Congress subject headings; Broader, Narrower, and Related, three fields which supply hierarchically oriented connections; Scope Notes, which define the meaning of records in the Subject field; and Bibliography, which lists other pertinent holdings. (Author/THC)
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_ED249996
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 1984
record_format eric
spellingShingle Subject Access in the Small Library.
Turock, Betty J.
Shelton, Hildred C.
Information Needs
Information Retrieval
Library Catalogs
Library Research
Microcomputers
Online Systems
Public Libraries
Search Strategies
Subject Index Terms
Use Studies
Vocabulary Development
Subject Access in the Small Library. Turock, Betty J. Shelton, Hildred C. Information Needs Information Retrieval Library Catalogs Library Research Microcomputers Online Systems Public Libraries Search Strategies Subject Index Terms Use Studies Vocabulary Development This pilot study on the subject access problems of patrons of small to medium size libraries was designed to measure the extent to which users' vocabularies matched the search vocabulary of bibliographic records in the card catalog, and to enhance subject access by develooping a microcomputer system which integrated Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) with the natural language of the users. Three public libraries in Virginia were selected as test sites because their users encompassed a heterogeneous population that cut across demographic and socioeconomic indicators. Data collected on exception cases (times when users asked librarians for assistance in finding information) revealed that of the 412 questions analyzed, almost 60% produced no match between the language of the information seekers and the information organizers. The online system which was developed allows directed browsing and puts descriptors into context. It contains eight fields: Subject, the primary access point containing the users' vocabulary; Enter, which serves a cross-referencing function; LC, a selection of relevant Library of Congress subject headings; Broader, Narrower, and Related, three fields which supply hierarchically oriented connections; Scope Notes, which define the meaning of records in the Subject field; and Bibliography, which lists other pertinent holdings. (Author/THC)
title Subject Access in the Small Library.
topic Information Needs
Information Retrieval
Library Catalogs
Library Research
Microcomputers
Online Systems
Public Libraries
Search Strategies
Subject Index Terms
Use Studies
Vocabulary Development
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED249996