Online catalogs: what users and librarians want

Abstract

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want summarizes findings from research conducted by OCLC on what constitutes quality in library online catalogs from both end users and librarians' points of view.

In 2008, OCLC conducted focus groups, administered a pop-up survey on WorldCat.org - OCLC's freely available end user interface on the Web - and conducted a Web-based survey of librarians worldwide.

The Online Catalogs report presents findings from these research efforts in order to understand:

· The metadata elements that are most important to end users in determining if an item will meet his or her needs

· The enhancements end users would like to see made in online library catalogs to assist them in consistently identifying appropriate materials

· The enhancements librarians would recommend for online library catalogs to better assist them in their work

The findings indicate, among other things, that although library catalogs are often thought of as discovery tools, the catalog's delivery-related information is just as important to end users.