This paper indicates weaknesses in the concept of user needs as a concept of practical utility in the task of identifying the right book at the right time; it doubts the value of an ‘active’ approach to service in libraries; it comments on the development of online services in relation to ‘user needs’ and suggests a more sophisticated approach to record creation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
WilsonPatric, Two kinds of Power …, Univ. of California Press, Berkeley (1968) Ch. 2-3.
2.
FairthorneR., Content analysis, specification and controlAnn. Rev. Information Sci. Technology (1972) 74.
3.
BryantPHilip, Mini-catalogue, Catalogue and Index25 (Spring 1972) p. 3.
4.
Bath University Comparative Catalogue Study, Final report, Paper No. 10, Bath University Library, Bath. (1975).
5.
Michael KeenE., On the performance of nine printed subject index types …, Dept. of Information Systems, Systems Studies, College of Librarianship, Aberystwyth, Wales (1978).
6.
FoskettA.C., The subject approach to information, Bingley, London (1977) 461.
7.
LancasterF.W., Vocubulary control for information retrieval, Information Resources Press, Washington, D.C. (1977) 223-225.
8.
KeenE.M., and DiggerJ.A., Report of an information science index languages test, Dept. of Information Retrieval Studies, College of Librarianship, Aberystwyth, Wales (1972).
9.
BryantPhilip, Review of the Subject Access Project, J. Documentation35(2) (1979) 157-159.
10.
AthertonPauline, Books are for use: final report of the Subject Access Project … (School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, N.Y., 1978).
11.
MaltbyA., and DuxburyA., Description and annotation in catalogues: reader requirements, New Library World73(862) (1972) 260-262, 273.
12.
LeonardLawrence E., Inter-indexer consistency studies, 1954-1975, Univ. of Illinois Graduate School of Library Science, Urbana, IL (1977).
13.
KingD.W., and BryantE.C., The evaluation of information services and products, Information Resources Press, Washington, D.C. (1971) 22-24.
14.
LancasterF.W., Medlars: report on the evaluation of its operating efficiency, Amer. Documentation20(2) (1969) 119-142. Reprinted in: SaracevicTefko, (Ed.) Introduction to Information Science (Bowker, New York, 1970) 665-681.
15.
SaracevicTefko, Selected results from an inquiry into testing of information retrieval systems, in: TefkoSaracevic, (Ed.) Introduction to Information Science (Bowker, New York, 1970) 665-681.
16.
AthertonPauline, Audacious: an experiment with an online, interactive reference retrieval system using the Universal Decimal Classification in a computer-based system. Report AIP/UDC-8. American Institute of Physics, New York (1968).
17.
GuptaB.S.S., Program package for a system of document finding, Library Science with a Slant to Documentation7 (Paper H)(1970) 179-191.
18.
GuptaB.S.S., Application of two-way merge technique, Library Science with a Slant to Documentation8 (Paper I) (1971) 282-384.
19.
BLAISE user manual, British Library, London (1977). Part CE. Section 4.1.
20.
AustinDerek, Precis: a manual of concept analysis and subject indexing, London, Council of the B.N.B. (1974) Ch. 31, 291.
21.
Van RijsbergenC.J., Information Retrival (London, Butterworths, 1979).
22.
BorkoHarold, and BernierCharles L., Abstracting Concepts and Methods, (Academic Press, London, 1975) 37-50.
