Talking about tags. An exploratory study of librarians’ perception and use of social tagging in a public library
| Pages | 289-301 |
| Date | 04 April 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-12-2014-0216 |
| Published date | 04 April 2016 |
| Author | Lucy Clements,Chern Li Liew |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Talking about tags
An exploratory study of librarians’
perception and use of social tagging in a
public library
Lucy Clements
Takapuna Library, Auckland Libraries, Auckland, New Zealand, and
Chern Li Liew
School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington,
Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract
Purpose – While examining subject headings and tags is a popular research topic, most studies focus
on comparing user-assigned tags and professional subject heading. Studies that compare Library of
Congress Subject Headings to user-assigned tags, for instance, dominate the literature. However, little
research has involved an examination on how and to what extent these features are actually used by
library staff. This study adds to the body of knowledge. This study aims to focus on how librarians
perceive and use tags. By focusing on people’s perceptions rather than simply comparing social tags
and formal subject headings, new insights can be collected.
Design/methodology/approach – This research collects data through semi-structured interviews
conducted with 12 library staff from various roles and locations throughout Auckland Libraries.
Findings – The research ndings show that while social tags have been adopted and used in their
work by the majority of library staff interviewed, there remains resistance to using them. Some library
staff preferred the traditional hierarchical subject headings found in the traditional catalogue. A general
lack of awareness about tag functions and features is also evident among the staff interviewed.
Originality/value – The research focus is unique because it examines this phenomenon in a public
library setting rather than in academic libraries, an area that is rarely examined in the literature.
Keywords Public libraries, Social tagging, AquaBrowser, Library catalogues, Tags
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Through the prominence of social media and Web 2.0 applications, users now have
greater control and can tailor-search and browse to their own needs (Spiteri, 2012).
Libraries hoping to engage users and stay current have attempted to incorporate Web
2.0 features, including social tagging, as they are perceived to facilitate user
customisation in searching and browsing (Macgregor and McCulloch, 2006).
While examining subject headings and tags is a popular research topic, most studies
focus on comparing user-assigned tags and professional subject headings. For instance,
studies that compare Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to user-assigned
tags dominate the literature. However, little research has involved examining how and
The authors would like to thank the reviewers and the editorial team for their helpful advice and
assistance. The authors also acknowledge support from Claire Scott and Lesley Clements.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
Talking
about tags
289
Received 16 December 2014
Revised 17 March 2015
Accepted 24 April 2015
TheElectronic Library
Vol.34 No. 2, 2016
pp.289-301
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-12-2014-0216
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