OCLC Office of Research

Annual review of OCLC research by OCLC( )

in English and held by 551 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

OPACs and beyond : proceedings of a joint meeting of the British Library, DBMIST, and OCLC, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., Dublin, Ohio, August 17-18, 1988 by DBMIST, and OCLC Joint Meeting of the British Library( )

5 editions published between 1988 and 1989 in English and held by 165 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Assessing information on the Internet : toward providing library services for computer-mediated communication by Martin Dillon( Book )

3 editions published in 1993 in English and held by 134 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Investigates the nature of electronic textual information available through remote access using the Internet, and the practical and theoretical problems associated with cataloging them

Research report on the process of subject searching in the library catalog : final report of the subject access research project by Karen Markey( Book )

6 editions published in 1983 in English and held by 98 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Dewey decimal classification online project : evaluation of a library schedule and index integrated into the subject searching capabilities of an online catalog by Karen Markey( )

6 editions published between 1985 and 1986 in English and held by 95 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

In this research project, subject terms from the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) Schedules and Relative Index were incorporated into an online catalog as searcher's tools for subject access, browsing, and display. Four features of the DDC were employed to help searchers browse for and match their own subject terms with the online catalog's terminology: (1) subject terms in the DDC Schedules; (2) hierarchical arrays of related terms in the DDC Schedules; (3) subject terms in the DDC Relative Index; and (4) class numbers in the DDC Schedules and Relative Index. The effectiveness of the DDC in an online catalog was tested in online retrieval experiments with library patrons and staff at the Library of Congress, the New York State Library, the Public Library of Columbus and Franklin County (Ohio), and the Mathematics Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The research findings chiefly address subject searchers' use of a library classification in the information retrieval environment of an online catalog. These findings provide insight into searchers' problems with online displays of the DDC Schedules and Relative Index, bibliographic record displays enhanced with subject information from the DDC, and online catalog capabilities necessary to support searching, displaying, and retrieving library cataloging and classification information. As a research project studying online catalog use, the DDC Online Project furthers general knowledge of library patron use of online catalogs, regardless of the extent to which these catalogs have been enhanced by a library classification. (Author/THC)

Current utilization of online catalogs : transaction log analysis by John E Tolle( )

4 editions published between 1983 and 1985 in English and held by 90 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

As a continuation of research into online public access catalog systems (OPAC's), this study focused on the actual use of OPAC's and on refinement of the methodologies used in carrying out transaction analysis studies. Current patron use patterns were obtained via machine-readable catalogs from four online public catalog systems: The Library of Congress, Syracuse University, Dallas Public Library, and The Ohio State University. Data were also collected in the searching of 76 oclc public terminals at 53 additional libraries. Such data included terminal identification, user commands and codes, system commands and codes, the search key, session beginning and ending, user and system response times, search text, and dates. Results indicate that accurate information on the amount of time spent at the terminals is unavailable except at The Ohio State University; time spent at terminals is higher than time spent at card catalogs at the same institution; errors frequently occur in sequence; and transaction log analysis is an effective tool for studying user behavior. Utilizing the opac transaction tapes, statistical measures have established the relative use of commands within the systems and the sequences of actions to determine user patterns. This report includes 71 illustrations and 46 tables. (Author/LMM)

A comprehensive study of online public access catalogs : an overview and application of findings by Neal K Kaske( )

5 editions published between 1983 and 1985 in English and held by 85 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

This report covers the background, scope, and findings of a multifaceted research project which focused on data collection and analysis related to online public access systems (OPAC's); the ultimate goal of this project is to improve information access through opac design and enhancement. To assist library decision-makers when planning for the initial installation of OPAC's or the enhancement of existing systems, this volume evaluates and integrates the findings detailed in the first two. Because the system/patron interaction is central to the study, a conceptual model for online catalog research which illustrates the user interface for an interactive system is presented. A project overview discusses objectives, methodologies, data collection and analysis. Summaries are provided of findings obtained through self-administered questionnaires for opac users and non-users, as well as through focus group interviews and transaction log analysis. Findings are discussed both generally and then specifically in a question-answer format, and areas for additional research are suggested. Six references are listed. Four appendices include pretest and final user and nonuser questionnaires. (Author/LMM)

Research report prepared for OCLC on end user behavior on the Ohio State University Libraries' on-line catalog : a computer monitoring study by Christine L Borgman( )

2 editions published in 1983 in English and held by 80 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Online catalog use : results of surveys and focus group interviews in several libraries by Karen Markey( )

5 editions published between 1983 and 1985 in English and held by 71 WorldCat member libraries worldwide

Indexes to the established titles, variant titles, obsolete uniform titles, and work numbers in the Library of Congress name-authority file for the works of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Telemann by Jeanette Marie Drone( )

3 editions published in 1988 in English and held by 65 WorldCat member libraries worldwide