The Browser and the library

by Patricia Willard and Viva Teece
Public Library Quarterly
Vol. 4, #1, Spring 1983, pp. 55-63.

Hypothesis: Many people come to the library to browse rather than for specific items.

Survey supporting hypothesis

Location: Sydney Central Library

Time: August 1979

Participants: 226 interviews, 96 males, 130 females, largest single age group: females 20-34.

Results

• 48.2% come to browse
• 18.1% come with specific title or desiring specific piece of information.
• Authors find this interesting because most libraries are organized for finding specific materials.
  

Type of browsing pursued by interviewees

• Specific area: 48.6%
• Particular author: 7.3%
• Browse generally: 35.8%
• Other, i.e., first time visitors and browsers both general and specific: 10.1%

Success rate reported by browsers

• Specific item available: 26%
• Specific item not available: 38.5%
• Never wanted specific item: 25%
• Can't remember: 10.5%

Satisfaction with library visit

• Very satisfied: 68.1%
• Moderately satisfied: 33.8%
• Dissatisfied: 4%
• Many people complained that "they were unable to locate popular material at the lbirary, but found the shelves filled instead with old and uninteresting materials."
• "Dissatisfied patrons did not ask for help in finding materials before giving up. Librarians are oftern too busy supplying information to help patrons find books."