MEASURING READERS' FAILURE AT THE SHELF
| Published date | 31 December 1993 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026522 |
| Pages | 273-286 |
| Date | 31 December 1993 |
| Author | JOHN A. URQUHART,J.L. SCHOFIELD |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
MEASURING READERS' FAILURE AT THE SHELF
JOHN A. URQUHART and J. L. SCHOFIELD
Library Management
Research
Unit,
Cambridge University Library
This paper
is
concerned with the availability of books known to be held by
the Library. It outlines a simple survey method whereby readers record the
non-availability of books which they are looking for. The survey
has
already
been installed at four university
libraries,
but the results from only one library
are
considered
here.
These results show how a librarian can find out the degree
of non-availability or failure in any particular area of the library, the causes
of failure, and even the particular items which are in heavy demand and not
available.
They also provide information on the degree of co-operation by the
readers, the number of titles failing once, twice, three times
etc.,
the overlap
of demand for popular books by different groups of borrowers, the waiting
time for books that failed, the pattern of demand for particular books over
a period of
time,
the relationship between failure and recall, the correlation
of failure from one term to the next, and the relative
use
of books inside and
outside the library.
From the results it was possible to recommend certain changes in library
procedure which should have reduced failure, and to compare the titles of
books failing in the Main Library with the holdings of a departmental library.
The time spent on the survey and the total cost of the survey are
also
given.
INTRODUCTION
NOWADAYS WE RECOGNIZE the need to quantify the problems of
librarianship so that management can plan their policies on a rational basis.
There is a particular need to develop measurement techniques which can
be used to describe library
processes,
and provide management with up-to-
date information. Such techniques must operate within three constraints:
they must be inexpensive to operate;
they must not interfere with existing services;
they must provide reproducible results.
One of the main tasks of our research has been to develop these tech-
niques in several areas of library management. The technique described
here
is
concerned with measuring reader's failure at the shelf and we intend
to show in this and later papers how it can be used to provide librarians with
answers to some of their more pressing questions, such as:
(i) Which particular books are in such heavy demand that they are often unavailable?
(ii) How successful are readers at finding the books they are looking for?
(iii) What are the reasons for their failure?
(iv) What steps can be taken to reduce their chances of failure?
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