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An early study of user frustration in a library

This article discusses an early study on user frustration in libraries and its relevance to present day brick-and-mortar and digital libraries. The study analyzed user requests for books and identified barriers that prevented users from finding the requested items. The findings highlight the need for improved performance and user experience in libraries.

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An early study of user frustration in a library

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  1. An early study of user frustration in a library Any relevance for present day brick & mortar and digital libraries? Tefko Saracevic, Ph.D. Distinguished Professor Emeritus School of Communication and Information Rutgers University tefkos@rutgers.edu

  2. Reminiscences • A long while ago Paul & I worked on a research project • Some interesting results came out • Here is a recount • And some implications • And best wishes

  3. History:Information utilities - Project INFUT • NSF Grant to Complex Systems Institute, Case Western Reserve Univ., Sept 1972 – March 1975 • Objectives (among others): • methodologies for evaluation of the utilization of information in a University • experiments – involving real users requesting know items (books) from a university library • Results: • 12 publications in various Proceedings & 9 journal articles • model & data: availability of library resources for users

  4. Major publications

  5. Data collection • Studied users in a science & technology library who came with a request for a book (know item) • And then analyzed how many of these requests were actually satisfied • And for those that were NOT satisfied, why not? • On two occasions: • 1972: library had a semester long loan policy • 1974: library changed to a four week loan policy

  6. Model: Branching diagram from no. of total (W) to no. of satisfied (S) requests & what happened in between

  7. User requests for a specific book(1972: book loan for a semester) W = 423 (total requests) V = 371 (acquired by libr. ) Da = 52 (libr. did not have) Pa = 88% (V/W)i.e.12% NOT actually acquired U = 286 (total available) Dc = 85 (in circulation) Pc = 77% (U/V) 23 % circulating T = 255 (libr. operation) Dl = 31 (library error - missing, mis-shelved...) Pl = 89% (T/U) 11% library error S = 203 (satisfied requests) Du = 52 (user error) Pu = 80% (S/T) 20% user error Ps = 48% (S/W)(of requested satisfied)

  8. User requests for a specific book(1974 change: book loan for four weeks) W = 437 (total requests) V = 399 (acquired by libr. ) Da = 38 (libr. did not have) Pa = 91% i.e. 9% NOT acquired U = 342 (total available) Dc = 52 (in circulation) Pc = 87% 13 % circulating T = 299 (libr. operation) Dl = 48 (library error - missing, mis-shelved...) Pl = 86% 14% library error S = 245 (satisfied requests) Du = 54 (user error) Pu = 82% 18% user error Ps = 56% (S/W)(of requested satisfied)

  9. Performance

  10. An application 30 years later • Branching diagram applied • but measures of performance called “barriers” - elaborated • data analyzed pretty much the same way

  11. Can it be applied today?To B&M libraries? • Yes, definitely • Same reasons for not finding known items pertain today • But should be modified to include all kinds of information resources • Users still look for books & other resources in libraries basically the same way. But they also do now many different things

  12. Can it be applied today?To digital libraries? • Yes, but with modification to account for new(er) information resources & capabilities • Branching still exist • we know that many additional variables now affect performance & present “barriers” to users • but we do not have, yet, good models & methodologies to study them & get useful data • However, today users use great many information sources in addition to libraries • But performance?????

  13. Conclusion • Wide and constantly increasing diversity of digital libraries & related collection & portals suggests several issues • traditional libraries are not traditional any more • but come in many digital library forms; many/most are hybrid • many new players have entered the arena • particularly in subject areas • but all need to account for performance • A new branching model is needed • old branching model may point the way for developing one

  14. Over the years ... Conference Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) Dubrovnik & island Mljet Croatia

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