In search for patterns of user interaction for digital libraries Jela Steinerová Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

Research project VEGA Research project VEGA 1/9236/02 » Interaction of man and information environment (sources, technologies) » major study of academic and research libraries in Slovakia

Context 1 » changes in information provision » digital libraries: » integration of sources, user communities » accessibility of electronic communication » open information structures in digital environment

Context 2 » information seeking and use » Information behaviour of users » individual differences » differences in information seeking styles (groups, domains) » “pattern” - stable preferences, schemes

Goals of the research project 1/9236/02 » identify changes in information environment » analysis of relationships: man - inform.sources - inform. technologies » survey of user behaviour - selected groups, library types » methodological and theoretic issues

Concept of the user survey » testing several hypotheses regarding selected communities, domains, sources: » 1. academic and research libraries in Slovakia (students, education, science) » 2. electronic resources, internet » 3. special community (visually impaired users) » 4. scientific and research workers ( Slovak Academy of Sciences)

Conceptual model for the survey,basic information about users

Conceptual model, part 1

Conceptual model, part 2

Conceptual model, part 3

Assumptions and goals of the survey » strategic aspects of information seeking » role of collaboration in information seeking » expectations (change of knowledge states) » first access points (catalogue, internet) » motivation for information seeking » professional journals » role of simple and easy access

Organization of the survey, methods » 16 selected academic and research libraries » June - July 2002 » questionnaire, methodological guidelines » data gathering, coding, analyses

Results of the survey » first analyses » 793 subjects » evaluation of parameters, concepts and hypotheses » further analyses - by categories and concepts (conceptual model) » surface and in-depth types of information processing

Example 1: Characteristics of the data Number of respondents in single libraries in Slovakia

Example 2: Characteristics of the data Distribution by age Distribution by sex

Example 3 : Characterstics of the data Distribution by user category

Example 4: Characteristics of the data Distribution by subjects

Emerging patterns » needs for support in strategies of access to information sources (more time, better organization of work) » problem of cooperation, help of librarian » optimistic expectations, increase of interest » confirmation of prior knowledge

Emerging patterns » professional journals, relevance judgements - keywords, authors » preferences of internet (access to catalogues) » rather low motivation (paid service, time investment) » simple methods of access to sources

Example 5: Course of seeking: men, women Differences between men and women, conceptual model, part B

Example 6: Feelings after task completion (men, women) Differences between men and women, conceptual model, part C

Example 7: Course of seeking, younger and older users Differences between younger and older age categories – conceptual model, part B

Example 8 : Course of seeking by selected categories of users (managers, students) Differences between selected user categories – course of seeking

Example 9: Course of seeking by subjects Differences between scientific subjects – course of seeking

Conclusions » links of information seeking with problem solution (education) » changes of problem understanding in the course of seeking » support: initial stages of seeking, organization of work, understanding concepts, overview of sources, confirmation of understanding, relevance judgement

Conclusions » individual seeking versus collaboration (recognize) » support of intellectual information processing, selection, analysis, interpretation, synthesis » creative use of information in digital environment (skills, education)

Conclusions » design of digital reference services and systems » cooperative systems of information use » new methods of knowledge organization » sensitivity to contexts of user information styles » new contexts of knowledge integration

Further continuation of the research project » deeper analyses of user groups » identify types of information processing (styles) » theory and modelling of information process » additional views on data (geographical, language) » other groups of users