Here is only the latest example of how people use the web today.
Discoverability Phase 1, from the University of Minnesotta.
http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/48258/3/DiscoverabilityPhase1Report.pdf
I haven't read the entire report, but here are some results from this
interesting survey:
Trend #1 - Users are discovering relevant resources outside traditional
library systems
Trend #2 - Users expect discovery and delivery to coincide
Trend #3 - Increasing usage of portable Internet-capable devices
Trend #4 - Discovery increasingly happens through recommending
Trend #5 - Our users increasingly rely on emerging nontraditional
information objects
These are very similar results from other research reports I have read, and
it coincides with my own experience, based on the reference work I have done
with my students and faculty, plus analysing my own research habits too.
The report emphasizes that the vast majority of people believe they are
excellent searchers, with the corollary idea of "good enough." One very
interesting finding is that "users arrive at the libraries' websites from
Google in greater numbers than all other sources." (p. 10, PDF page 14).
What will happen after the Google Books project is finalized?
The results of these sorts of reports seem rather disheartening, but with a
change in focus, I think there are tremendous opportunties for librarians
and catalogers to become deeply involved. Still, new thinking is needed.
Jim Weinheimer
Received on Tue Oct 20 2009 - 08:45:14 EDT