Peggy Gallagher

Bio: Peggy Gallagher is an academic researcher from OCLC. The author has contributed to research in topics: Institutional research & Strategic planning. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 99 citations.

Online catalogs : what users and librarians want

Abstract: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Third-party product, service, business and other proprietary names are trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners. An end user's expectations and work practices on the Web infl uence his or her decision to use a library online catalog. Catalog interfaces matter, but catalog data quality is also a driving factor of the catalog's perceived utility—and not only for end users, but also for librarians and library staff. To gain a rounded, evidence-based understanding of what constitutes " quality " in catalog data, OCLC formed a research team to: Identify and compare the data quality expectations of catalog end users and • librarians Compare the catalog data quality expectations of types of librarians • Recommend catalog data quality priorities, taking into account the perspectives of • both end users and librarians. Readers who are seeking to defi ne requirements for improved catalog data (exposed in both end-user and staff interfaces) may fi nd this report helpful as a source of ideas. The same is true for readers who have a part to play in contributing, ingesting, syndicating, synchronizing or linking data from multiple sources in next-generation library catalogs and integrated library systems. Selected key research fi ndings: The end user's experience of the delivery of wanted items is as important, if not • more important, than his or her discovery experience. End users rely on and expect enhanced content including summaries/abstracts • and tables of contents. An advanced search option (supporting fi elded searching) and facets help end • users refi ne searches, navigate, browse and manage large result sets. Important differences exist between the catalog data quality priorities of end users • and those who work in libraries. Librarians and library staff, like end users, approach catalogs and catalog data • purposefully. End users generally want to fi nd and obtain needed information; librarians and library staff generally have work responsibilities to carry out. The vi Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want Executive Summary work roles of librarians and staff infl uence their data quality preferences. Librarians' choice of data quality enhancements refl ects their understanding of the • importance of accurate, structured data in the catalog. The fi ndings …

Practices and Patterns in Research Information Management: Findings from a Global Survey

Abstract: Practices and Patterns in Research Information Management: Findings from a Global Survey represents an effort to better understand how research institutions are applying research information management (RIM) practices. This survey was conducted as part of a strategic partnership between OCLC Research and euroCRIS, and contributes to shared goals to collect quantitative and qualitative data about research information management practices worldwide, to build upon previous research by both organizations, and to provide a baseline of observations for future research. A web-based survey was administered from 25 October 2017 through 8 February 2018 and yielded 381 survey responses from 44 countries, demonstrating the global nature of research information management activities. This survey employed a convenience sample and the subsequent report is intended to be exploratory and descriptive in nature. A working group comprised of subject matter experts in RIM practices representing both OCLC Research and euroCRIS worked collaboratively to synthesize the data and to write this report. Research information management practices are complex, and institutions frequently report using several systems to support research information workflows that increasingly demand greater interoperability—with both internal and external systems. Increasingly consolidated commercial and open-source platforms are becoming widely implemented across regions, coexisting with a large number of region-specific solutions as well as locally developed systems. Interoperability is regularly considered a key feature valued or desired in a RIM system, something expected to improve in future systems or configurations, and the use of identifiers, standards, and protocols are perceived as most valuable when they can also facilitate interoperability. The growing need for improved interoperability between managing open access workflows and the curation of institutional research outputs metadata is giving rise to the increasing functional merging of RIM systems and institutional repositories. This change is being driven in some locales by regional, national, and funder requests to make publicly sponsored research findings openly available—and for institutions to track their progress toward open access goals. Complex, cross-stakeholder teams are necessary for providing the best possible research support services. Research offices remain leading stakeholders in RIM practices, and the library is also shown to have significant responsibilities, particularly related to support for open access, metadata validation, training, and research data management. Libraries are particularly involved in cases where RIM practices intersect with library responsibility for one or more scholarly communications repositories, reinforcing the increasing overlap of practice and workflows between previously siloed RIM systems and repository systems. This report frequently emphasizes the analysis of regional differences in order to provide insights on variations in practices and their level of consolidation. By examining research information practices from a global perspective, we are better able to understand the importance and breadth of national research assessment frameworks and open science policies as a key driver strongly shaping priorities of RIM activities in those countries and regions where they exist. In addition, we can also observe an emerging set of additional objectives—such as the desire to improve services for researchers or the need to support institutional reputation and decision-making—that institutions operating in less demanding policy environments see as key incentives for their own RIM strategies. OCLC Research and euroCRIS plan to repeat this survey in the future, developing longitudinal data and knowledge about evolving RIM practices in order to help inform the global research community.

Speaking on the record: Combining interviews with search log analysis in user research

Abstract: The use of mixed methods in library and information science research is more effective in generating insightful results when the methods are fully integrated with each other. A novel sequential mixed methods approach was developed to more holistically study user search behavior within a library discovery system. Customized semi-structured interview protocols, using the critical incident technique , were based on each participant's search logs. Findings from the interviews informed statistical log analysis, which identified features of search sessions that made accessing resources more likely. Individual interviews provide more precise data when protocols are created using the participants' logs. Similarly, statistical log analyses are enhanced with users' descriptions of their behaviors in library discovery systems. While prior studies have employed both interviews and log analysis, using the methods to inform one another reduces the limitations and enhances the benefits of each. • A novel sequential mixed methods approach provides a more holistic view of user behavior in library discovery systems. • Individual interviews provide more precise data when protocols are created using participants' logs. • Statistical log analyses are enhanced with users' descriptions of their behaviors in library discovery systems.

“Libraries model sustainability”: The results of an OCLC survey on library contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals1

Abstract: A survey of more than 1700 library staff worldwide identifies how libraries contribute to five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The similarities between academic and public libraries’ adoption, contribution, and use of the Sustainable Development Goals are reported. The results indicate that library staff do substantial work around all five of the selected Sustainable Development Goals. Sometimes the activities are a result of integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into strategic planning, but at other times the activities are a result of programming that library staff undertake as part of their mission. The majority of the respondents have not incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals into their strategic planning. However, the libraries’ support of the Sustainable Development Goals is demonstrated by the activities the library staff are engaged with and the respondents’ comments. The activities identified here can be used to inform library strategic planning and to help library staff maximize their library’s impact on sustainable development.

Is information-seeking behaviour of doctoral students changing?: a review of the literature (2010 – 2015)

Abstract: The advent of the Internet and networked communications in the last 15 years has arguably considerably changed the information behaviors of doctoral students, including the discovery process. Information seeking includes initiating a search, constructing search strategies, and locating and evaluating the identified sources. Current research on information-seeking behaviors is focusing on understanding how the Internet, social media, and other technological and communication-based changes, including mobile technologies, have changed the way students seek information in order to understand the information behaviors of the students of tomorrow. This article offers a review of the literature on information-seeking behaviors, with a particular focus on recent years (2010–2015). It aims to determine whether notable changes in the information-seeking behavior of doctoral students have emerged in recent years. The study shows that the information-seeking behaviors of doctoral students follow a steady tren...

Social reproduction and exclusion in subject indexing A comparison of public library OPACs and LibraryThing folksonomy

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to highlight limits to the dominant model of social inclusion under which UK public libraries operate, to analyse how and to what extent processes of socio‐cultural exclusion emerge in the subject representation and discoverability of “non‐dominant” resources in public library OPACs, and to consider folksonomy as a solution to any issues raised., – The paper first develops a critique of the dominant model of “inclusion” within UK public libraries, drawing on feminist and critical theories of identity. It then considers how this critique overlaps with and offers fresh insights into major debates within subject indexing, and develops a theoretical rationale for considering the potential of folksonomy to intervene in more inclusive subject‐indexing design. A user‐based critical interpretive methodology which understands OPACs as texts open to multiple interpretations is developed, and a comparative reading of standard OPACs and LibraryThing folksonomy is undertaken to evaluate the discoverability and subject representation of LGBTQ and ethnic minority resources., – LibraryThing folksonomy offers benefits over LCSH subject indexing in the discoverability and representation of LGBTQ resources. However, the folksonomy is dominated by US taggers, and this impacts on the tagging of ethnic minority resources. Folksonomy, like traditional indexing, is found to contain its own biases in worldview and subject representation., – The importance of subject indexing in developing inclusive library services is highlighted and a new method for evaluating OPACs is developed.

Comparative User Experiences of Next-Generation Catalogue Interfaces

Abstract: One of the presumed advantages of next-generation library catalogue interfaces is that the user experience is improved—that it is both richer and more intuitive. Often the interfaces come with little or no user-facing documentation or imbedded "help" for patrons based on an assumption of ease of use and familiarity of the experience, having followed best practices in use on the Web. While there has been much gray literature (published on library Web sites, etc.) interrogating these implicit claims and contrasting the new interfaces to traditional Web-based catalogues, this article details a consistent and formal comparison of whether users can actually accomplish common library tasks, unassisted, using these interfaces. The author has undertaken a task-based usability test of vendor-provided next-generation catalogue interfaces and Web-scale discovery tools (Encore Synergy, Summon, WorldCat Local, Primo Central, EBSCO Discovery Service). Testing was done with undergraduates across all academic disciplines. The resulting qualitative data, noting any demonstrated trouble using the software as well as feedback or suggested improvements that the users may have about the software, will assist academic libraries in making or validating purchase and subscription decisions for these interfaces as well as help vendors make data-driven decisions about interface and experience enhancements.