Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Users and Uses, Research

Speaker: Karen Markey

Dr. Markey is a professor at the School of Information at the University of Michigan. She recently published at article in D-Lib magazine on the future of the catalog that had some very provocative statements. "The Online Library Catalog: Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained?" D-Lib Magazine 13, no. 1/2 (2007).

Markey didn't make it. This is a quick review of her paper, which will be posted on the web.

The paper creates a matrix that identifies types of information seekers. From low domain expertise and low procedural knowledge to high expertise and high knowledge. She concludes that the real novices account for 77% of information seekers. The real experts account for .5% of users.

The recommendations are similar to those in her D-Lib article.

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