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Full-text periodical databases have changed how students access research materials. Many librarians fear that students favor the convenience of full-text databases over more valuable information found in print periodical literature. To what extent is this true? A study was undertaken at Oakland University to determine how well students mastered the retrieval process for print and full-text articles, and to gather their opinions on the value of both formats. A pre-/post-test instrument was administered to students before and after instruction to measure their knowledge of the library and its databases. A final test, including questions designed to measure student attitudes about the article retrieval process, was administered upon completion of a term paper. Results indicate that many students valued the convenience of full-text articles over the article's relevance, but they also found the overall research process to be difficult. The research students conducted also impacted on their test results. Other findings are discussed.

In June 1998 Oakland University's library migrated to a new online catalog. In order to determine user acceptance of the new OPAC, students receiving library instruction were asked to complete an open-ended questionnaire eliciting comments on their likes, dislikes and online catalog preference. From the data collected, a second questionnaire was designed and distributed that focused on specific features of the new catalog identified in the first survey. Results indicated that users overwhelmingly preferred the new OPAC and found it easy to use; however, they experienced some difficulty using special features like truncation. The most popular feature of the new catalog was its remote access capability. Secondgeneration OPACs possess features ± such as electronic reserves capabilities and hypertext links ± that are beginning to simplify the search process; but they have not yet developed into the intuitive, comprehensive systems that can empower users to seek information in new ways.

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