1996 Survey of User Information Needs and Search Methods Results

3.4. Awareness of Computer Based Services

This section analyses the responses to a series of questions, aimed at assessing awareness of Computer Based Information Retrieval.

3.4.1 Experience in Use of Computer Based Searching

Respondents were asked to indicate on a scale of 1 to 4, their level of experience of computer based information searches.

Table showing Level of Experience in Use of Computer Based Searching for all Respondents

Level of Experience of Computer Based Information Searches	Number of respondents	Percentage of total
4 Very experienced	138	19%
3 Some experience	296	42%
2 A Little experience	197	28%
1 None	68	10%

A total of 37% indicated little or no experience of computer based searching.

Table showing Respondents by Role /Function who indicate
Little or No Experience in Use of Computer Based Searching

Category	Number	Number in Group	% of Group
Teaching/ Research	103	213	48%
Students	19	52	37%
Librarians	26	185	14%
Museum Curators	22	47	47%
Practitioners	47	107	44%
Other	48	106	45%
All	265	710	37%

Looking at the Role/Function groups which indicate little or no experience in the use of computer based information searching, it is evident that the total percentage has been reduced considerably by the Librarians' responses. In all categories except for Students, the percentage is greater than 44%

3.4.2 Use of Online Bibliographic Services

Respondents were asked to indicate which online bibliographic services they found useful.

Table showing On-line Bibliographic Services which were assessed as useful by all Respondents

Service	Number of respondents	Percentage of total respondents
BIDS	112	16%
CARL	32	5%
OCLC First Search	62	9%
OPACS (in other libraries)	197	28%
BLAISE	28	4%
DIALOG	54	8%
Data-Star	9	1%
Other	37	5%

OPACS in other libraries was the most popular, with BIDS in second place. All other services were selected by less than 9% of all respondents. Breaking down the responses by Role/Function of respondents, for these two services, there is a considerable amount of variation.

Table showing number of Respondents by Role /Function
who selected BIDS as a Useful Service

Category	Number	Number in Group	% of Group
Teaching/ Research	23	213	11%
Students	10	52	19%
Librarians	61	185	33%
Museum Curators	1	47	2%
Practitioners	6	107	6%
Other	11	106	10%
All	112	710	16%

Table showing number of Respondents by Role /Function
who selected OPACS in other Libraries as Useful

Category	Number	Number in Group	% of Group
Teaching/ Research	41	213	19%
Students	18	52	35%
Librarians	108	185	58%
Museum Curators	5	47	11%
Practitioners	10	107	9%
Other	15	106	14%
All	197	710	28%

3.4.3 Requirements of Non-Internet Users

Only 188 (26% of all respondents) reported that they had no access to the Internet. Within that group, respondents were asked to indicated the type of Internet Access they would like.

Table showing facilities selected by Respondents without Internet Access

Facility	Number of respondents	Percentage of those without access to Internet
Browsing WWW	145	77%
E mail	127	68%
Subscriptions to Lists for Reading Only	76	40%
Participation in Online Discussion Groups	60	32%
Other	16	9%

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