OPAC Queries at a Medium-Sized Academic Library A Transaction Log Analysis

Abstract

Patron queries at a four-year comprehensive college's online public access catalog were examined via transaction logs from March 2007. Three representative days were isolated for a more detailed examination of search characteristics. The results show that libranj users employed an average of one to three terms in a search, did not use Boolean operators, and made use of limits one-tenth of the time. Failed queries remained problematic, as afull one-third of searches resulted in zero hits. Implications and recominendationsf or improvements in the online public access catalog are discussed.