How Researchers Search for Manuscript and Archival Collections Susan Hamburger, Ph.D. Penn State Society of American Archivists Denver, CO August 31, 2000

Research Institutions Duke University Harvard University Library of Congress New York Public Library Manuscripts and Archives Performing Arts Penn State University University of Virginia Yale University

Questions for Catalogers How do they provide searchable terms across finding aids? If they embed subject terms, where do they place them in the documents? What limitations do they encounter with search engines or viewers? What feedback have they received about their finding aids online? How are users finding out about their manuscript collections?

Questions for Researchers How are researchers accessing manuscript collections? Are researchers using subject headings? What is their search strategy? 4-page survey to gather data

Cataloger Interview Results Controlled vocabulary vs. keyword LCSH terms in catalog record/EAD finding aid Keyword inclusion in scope and content note/series note Consistency in terminology use Personal name access Topical subject access

Researcher Survey Results 300 surveys distributed 131 completed 43.6% response rate 92% use the computer daily 73% can navigate through the online environment easily Majority locate manuscripts from footnotes in articles and books

Researcher Survey Results Mostly unfamiliar with OCLC and RLIN Mostly unaware of ArchivesUSA Faculty use traditional research methodology Undergraduate students rely on Internet search engines

Researcher Survey Results Usefulness of specific tools 43 chose online catalog 23 chose paper finding aids 11 chose Special Collections web page Next most useful was manuscripts card catalog

Researcher Survey Results Retrieval 89% (n=117) found what they were looking for n=2: finding aid did not provide enough information to make a judgment if the collection was relevant n=2: not enough detail in the catalog record to determine if collection was relevant

Researcher Survey Results Search strategy 78% keyword 31% personal name 23% subject 15% title 7% Boolean 6% phrase

Researcher Survey Results Used web page to research manuscript holdings 70 respondents did not 57 respondents did

Researcher Survey Results Search results #1 Topic: National Council of Jewish Women and German-Jewish refugees, s Searched for as Title: National Council of Jewish Women Correct search is in “Name Browse”

Researcher Survey Results Search results #2 Topic: Naval history of the Civil War Subject search: Red River campaign Correct LCSH heading: Red River Expedition, 1864

Researcher Survey Results Search results #3 Topic: U.S. Navy’s economic impact on Wilmington, N.C. during the Civil War Personal name search: S.P. Lee David Dixon Louis M. Goldsborough Results: Goldsborough papers catalog record, no Wilmington connection mentioned, no online finding aid

Conclusion Poor responses – Researchers failed to: Answer the most important questions about their search strategy Indicate how they searched What terms they used

Conclusion Researchers rely on personal name searches for all queries Acceptable for literary collections Insufficient/inappropriate for historical collections

Recommendations Educate researchers on how to search all the available tools, especially online Include common keywords in context Catalog record summary note Finding aid series scope and content note Provide controlled vocabulary terms Catalog record Finding aid control/access terms