INTRODUCTION
Public libraries have become increasingly more
automated over the last generation with the use of
microfiche and microfilm machines, CD-ROMs, and
especially online public access catalogs (OPACs). An
OPAC is an online information retrieval system which a
user can, via computer, directly interrogate a machinereadable
database of documents or document
representations (Rice & Borgman, 1983). In 1985,
Hildreth established that there were 50 different OPAC
systems in operation in several hundred libraries
(Weiming, 1988). Also, Camp et al. (1987) have found
that slightly over 12% of academic libraries have
OPACs, but 65% currently without plan to implement an
OPAC.
The principal effect of technology on libraries
over the past four decades has been to bring about a
revolution in access to library resources by users.
OPACs have the potential for providing faster access to
the catalogs from any location, using many access
points, and powerful search commands. Recent years
have seen increasing emphasis on the OPAC as a means of
expediting the patron's search for needed documents
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(Blazek & Bilal, 1988). Now the concern is that
library automation is not fast enough (DeGennaro,
1987).
However, not all public library patrons have
readily accepted, learned, and used OPACs. One such
group is older adults, 50 years of age and older.
Older adults, who did not grow up using computers and
may have limited or no exposure to this relatively new
form of technology, generally are not accepting,
learning, and using OPACs. OPAC users are generally
young adults (Broadus, 1983). Research has found that
older adults have problems with and do not use new
forms of automated technology (Dyck & Smither, 1992;
Adams & Thieban, 1991; Smither, Braun, & Smither, 1991;
and Broadus, 1983).
Automation and the introduction of new technology,
such as OPACs, is a major challenge in public
libraries. Libraries are faced with a great number of
human-computer interaction design and usability issues.
Issues include training patrons to use the OPAC, humancomputer
interface design, catalog command languages,
search strategies, and amount of feedback provided to
OPAC users, among others. Also, these institutions are
faced with a myriad of problems in attempting to serve
patrons with widely contrasting needs, limitations,
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capabilities, and motivations. In sum, public library
patrons have markedly different skills, knowledge,
abilities, and attitudes toward automation and OPACs
and need varying degrees of guidance and support in
order to make effective use of this technology.
In order to set the stage for this research, it is
necessary to mention a few studies that have examined
OPAC users. The Council on Library Resources (CLR)
funded a cooperative, multi-year, in-depth
investigation into the issues surrounding OPACs in
public and private libraries (Matthews & Lawrence,
1984). This study surveyed over 10,000 individuals
(both OPAC users and non-users) in 29 U.S. libraries
and was the largest study of its kind in history. This
project identified frequency of library use, frequency
of online catalog use, and frequency of use with the
library's other catalogs as the user characteristics
that are most closely linked with success and
satisfaction in using the online catalog. The most
important of these is frequency of experience with the
online catalog itself.
Another study of OPAC users (Quaye, 1990) found
that a user's level of familiarity with the task, their
task expertise, showed a positive effect on user
satisfaction with an interface. Also, this study
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concluded that there was a significant positive
relationship with a user's level of task expertise and
user satisfaction with an online catalog system.
Further research is needed to explore the effect of
task competence on user satisfaction.
However, other studies have determined that a
user's level of computer competence alone was a major
influence on user satisfaction (Shneiderman, 1981;
Benbassate, 1982). Most researchers in human-computer
interaction and software engineering have focused on
the user's level of computer expertise as the main
variable to base the design of system interfaces.
Previous OPAC studies have researched users and
their level of education; experience/expertise in the
areas of libraries, computers, and OPACs; user
performance; and user satisfaction. However, none have
specifically examined older adults or relationships
among all of these variables. Also, although research
has found OPAC experience/expertise to be the most
important factor effecting user performance and
satisfaction (Matthews & Lawrence, 1984), no studies
have investigated this variable as a possible mediator
between library experience/expertise and either: 1)
user performance, or 2) user satisfaction. Similarly,
no studies have investigated OPAC experience/expertise
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as a possible mediator between computer experience/
expertise and either: 1) user performance, or 2) user
satisfaction.
This thesis investigates older adults' level of
education; experience/expertise in the areas of
libraries, computers, and OPACs; user performance; user
satisfaction; and relationships among these variables.
Multiple item measures are used for the constructs of:
1) computer experience/expertise, 2) OPAC experience/
expertise, and 3) user satisfaction. Further, OPAC
experience/expertise and user performance are studied
as possible mediators between variables in this study.
In addition, this research study investigates how well
older adults perform search tasks on an OPAC system,
identifies the types of errors they make, the problems
they encounter, and their recommendations for improving
the OPAC system.