Online Bibliographic Retrieval Services in Various Australian Tertiary Institutions: Trends in the Scope and Nature of Online Searching and an Evaluation of Patron Satisfaction. ANU Library Occasional Paper Number 2.

A 1981 investigation by the Australian National University (ANU) library of the scope and nature of online bibliographic retrieval services provided by the 19 Australian university libraries and 5 of the Australian central Institute of Technology libraries, and a further study carried out in 1980-81 to assess the satisfaction of patrons with online services offered by the ANU library are described in this 2-part report. Major areas examined in the library survey include the general management, organization and staffing of online services, charging schedules, equipment, facilities, systems accessed, and clientele. A description of the ANU library online service begins the report of the user study. Data collected on searches and user satisfaction by means of a search log, search request forms, and patron evaluation forms are presented in 26 tables, with separate figures for searchers on Lockheed Dialog and searches on the biomedical files available from the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health. Appendices comprise a list of the institutions whose libraries were included in the 1981 study; 9 tables of data and 2 figures presenting results of the library survey; and a sample search request form, log sheet, and search appraisal form used in the second study. (Author/ESR)