Electronic Resources: : Use and User Behavior

Citation

Peacock, J. (1999), "Electronic Resources: : Use and User Behavior", Asian Libraries, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 56-58. https://doi.org/10.1108/al.1999.8.2.56.3

Due to the accelerated growth of electronic resources and the subsequent reliance on them by users, it has been difficult to assess the impact such technology has played on the search effectiveness of the average user. This publication selectively highlights a range of issues associated with these trends. Iyer has collected seven articles, ranging from theoretical models through practical perspectives, on user behaviour. While emphasis is on the use and management of a variety of electronic resources in libraries, specific attention focuses on the organisation and searching of the Internet.

The introductory article by Palmquist and Kim examines the theoretical aspects of the topic. The authors review the literature relating to cognitive learning styles and system design and outline a range of system‐ and user‐oriented studies and survey methodologies. Palmquist explores the cognitive aspects of searching further in her second contribution, where she investigates the organisation of the Internet using visual mapping.

Ingrid Hsieh‐Yee has contributed two articles on searching the Internet. Her first study analyses the effectiveness of eight common search engines to answer a series of “real” reference queries; the second paper considers specifically the search strategies employed by users when searching for text and graphics, and known items and general subjects. The closing papers explore the management of electronic resources in libraries, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their impact on reference services. A well‐rounded explanation of the potential and functions of GIS is provided by Lixin Yu. This paper, by Lixin Yu, clearly positions GIS in the context of reference services, supported by reviews of “real‐world” library projects. The author further explores the relationship between GIS and physical map collections and identifies the challenges associated with including GIS resources in libraries.

Research has yet to keep pace with the rapid evolution of electronic resources. Current literature in this area reflects traditional collection development issues, including storage, access, selection and bibliographic control, as well as information literacy issues for K‐12 and school libraries. This book provides a fresh perspective, and the articles in it are certainly thought provoking. For those interested in the fundamental complexities of a user’s search interaction, the contributors provide some illuminating data on search tactics and success rates. The discussions of cognitive models and methodologies for studying users make for challenging but noteworthy reading.

However, there has been a plethora of research exploring Internet search methods and behaviour, much of which is available on the WWW itself, and this book reflects some duplication of effort in the area. Notably absent is the consideration of users’ search effectiveness in electronic databases, as addressed in Nicholls and Ensor’s CD‐ROM for Library Users (1995). Also, few of the contributors are practitioners in the field, although some research and data collection was in collaboration with local reference staff. This may account for the esoteric thread running through the collection and the use, for example, of survey queries. In this regard it is not as comprehensive as the practice‐based Electronic Resources: Access and Issues (1997) by Mary Fecko.

Iyer’s book addresses users’ approaches to, and expectations of, the electronic resources at their disposal and attempts to highlight the impact on the role of the librarian as teacher and trainer. To the ever‐expanding body of literature on this topic, it offers a worthy contribution. However, it is perhaps better suited to the study of library and information science, rather than as a reference for practitioners, thereby qualifying as a justifiable addition to tertiary level library collections.