[WEB4LIB] Re: [USABILITY4LIB] Wanted: OPAC Testing Results

[Thomas Edelblute]

We designed it that way because, in a public library at least, the most common question I experience at the Reference Desk is "Do you have this title?"  However, I will admit that the Children's Room tends to be more keyword oriented than the Adult Reference Desk is.

I would suspect that the College/University level searches would also be more keyword oriented.

Thomas Edelblute
Public Access Systems Coordinator
Anaheim Public Library
500 West Broadway     phone (714) 765-1759
Anaheim CA 92805      fax (714) 765-1730


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of K.G. Schneider
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 12:17 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: [USABILITY4LIB] Wanted: OPAC Testing Results


> I find that interesting as our OPAC statitics for the public library shows
> that Title Browse searches outnumber Title Keyword searches by a ratio of
> 2.5 to 1.
> 
> Thomas Edelblute

Is it possible this is influenced by position as well as the suggestion that
this is the preferred search? I notice that in your opac the first (and
selected) search is title browse, while title keyword is three choices later
(at first glance, before scrolling, the "last" choice in the list). 

Karen G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com