Bigger is (Maybe) Better: Librarians' Views of Interdisciplinary Databases

• Published in: Journal of electronic resources librarianship Vol. 22; no. 1-2; pp. 65 - 80
• Main Author: Gilbert, Julie K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2010; Routledge; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: College students; Colleges; Community Colleges; Digital libraries; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Higher Education; Indexing; Information and communication sciences; Information science. Documentation; Institutions; Librarians; Libraries; Library and information science. General aspects; Library Instruction; Library Services; National Surveys; Online data bases; Online Vendors; Sciences and techniques of general use; Student Research; Students; Studies; surveys; Two Year Colleges; Undergraduate Students; Undergraduate Study; Usability; Use and user studies. Information needs; User satisfaction; databases; Survey; Questionnaire; Database; surveys; Librarian; Use study; Usability
• ISSN: 1941-126X; 1941-1278
• DOI: 10.1080/1941126X.2010.486735

This study investigates librarians' satisfaction with general interdisciplinary databases for undergraduate research and explores possibilities for improving these databases. Results from a national survey suggest that librarians at a variety of institutions are relatively satisfied overall with the content and usability of general, interdisciplinary databases, especially for undergraduate research. Concerns surface, however, with regard to specific features such as indexing and subject headings; additionally, responses from librarians at two-year institutions indicate that general, interdisciplinary databases are not as useful for 2-year college students. Findings are further discussed in the context of recommendations for librarians and database vendors.