by Lyn Sear and Barbara Jennings
Research & Development Report. No. 9, 1986.
This 56-page report summarizes the interviews of 135 library users of three English libraries about
- How they selected 305 fiction books
- Whether selecting books in libraries is easy or difficult, and
- How the library can help them select books in the future.
Ninety-two percent had just borrowed a book before the survey. The main reason for not borrowing a book was that the desired book was not on the shelf.
Books were selected in the following ways.
- 34% of the 305 books had been selected because the "books looked interesting".
- 27% of 305 books were selected because a browser recognized the author
- 20% of 305 books were selected through genre browsing.
- 13% of 305 books were selected by looking books by a specific author
- 6% of 305 books were chosen by their specific title
The reason only 13% of books had been selected by author was because fifty-two percent of users had not found the desired author on library shelves. Had the books been on the shelves, most books would have been selected by author.
Furthermore, selecting books by specific authors is the strongest predictor of enjoyment. Of the users who had returned books before the interview.
- 81% claimed to enjoy books selected by author
- 58% claimed to enjoy a book written by an author recognized while browsing
- 52% claimed to enjoy a book selected by genre
- 36% claimed to enjoy a book that had looked interesting while browsing.
- Main shelves = 53% of books
- Return shelves = 48%
- Displays = 1%
Two-thirds of users claimed selecting books from library shelves from so-so to very difficult. "So-so" means that selecting books is sometimes difficult and sometimes easy. Desired books not on library shelves is the most common reason selection is difficult. Only 4 people mentioned shelf arrangement as a problem.
- Very difficult = 12%
- Difficult = 9%
- So-So = 45%
- Easy = 10%
- Very easy = 24%
Eighty-four percent did not ask the library staff for help because the staff seems unapproachable (e.g., busy), staff does not know what patrons like, asking for help to choose fiction seems frivolous, and patrons want to make up their own mind.
Eighty-six percent hadn't used the catalog because patrons did not know there was one.
When asked how the library could help patrons select books, patrons preferred access to librarians' work rather than direct help. Patrons said the following help would be "very useful" or "useful".
- Lists with more information about books (e.g., lists of new books) = 92%
- Lists of "if you this author, try these authors...." = 82%
- Displays = 68%
- More help from staff = 25%
- "What people want is help at the shelves relating to the books that are in at the time of their visit."
- The authors claim that "crammed shelves is offputting" and, therefore, recommend weeding to make shelves more attractive. This may be an excellent recommendation, but I find no evidence in this paper supporting the benefits of this recommendation.
- Though the authors recommend "bold, clear shelf guiding", their only suggestion is to add names (e.g., Christie or Dickens) in additional to initial letters.
- The authors recommend "imaginative use of displays" with changing themes. However, only 1% of books were selected from displays and almost half, 46%, were chosen from the return shelves. Therefore, their recommendation that "libraries might consider giving [return shelves] more space, or shelving only once a day" more accurately reflects the results of their findings.
- Since users appeared not to use the catalogs and booklists already available, the authors recommend more forceful marketing of these finding aids and the creation more finding aids.
- Since users claimed to like the idea of "if you like 'x', try 'y'" lists, the authors recommend making such guides available directly to readers.
- The authors also suggested using book reviews in displays and booklists.
- The authors recommended training to ensure that staff make themselves more approachable.