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ERIC Number: ED198801
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Jan
Pages: 38
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
SCORPIO: A Study of Public Users of the Library of Congress Information System.
Pritchard, Sarah M.
This report describes a survey conducted in 1979 to determine user response to SCORPIO, part of the Library of Congress Information System (LOCIS) consisting of online catalogs that are used directly by the public and are integrated with regular reference services. A questionnaire distributed to 123 users of this system asked about types of users, frequency of use, waiting time, instructional methods, information desired, access points used, and the computer versus the card catalog. The results showed an overall positive reaction to the system. Only six percent of the users felt it was hard to learn, although 85 percent wanted more training and documentation. Most users learned from librarians or printed flip-charts; for future improvements, online or computer-assisted instruction was preferred over audiovisual or group instruction. Three-quarters of all users performed subject searches, a finding that contrasts with other catalog use studies. A list of nine references and a copy of the questionnaire including the raw data are provided. (Author/FM)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A