Worth the effort required ? : a user-centred study of the relationship between shelf arrangement and item location in two Christchurch public libraries

Abstract

Very little is known about whether library patrons are able to effectively manipulate library shelf arrangement systems in order to locate required items. Also unknown is how this affects their views of libraries. This report outlines the results of a user survey undertaken in early 2004. It was discovered that the relationship between item location and shelf arrangement is closely connected for most of those who participated. The majority are able to locate items easily using the systems studied. User approval rates of these systems largely match user ability to locate material. The level of effort required to use a particular shelf arrangement system was also shown to have an underlying influence on their decision to reuse these libraries. Yet the findings of this study are of instructive value only. The number of people who participated in the study means that the results are not representative of all users. Moreover the limited amount of data gathered means that it was not possible to make definitive statements about this phenomenon. Further research will be required to assess whether it reflects a true picture of this relationship and the consequent attitudes of public library users