Students' Understanding of the Library of Congress Call Number System

Murphy, Julie; Long, Dallas; MacDonald, Jean B.

doi:10.1080/02763877.2013.755418

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…No interviewees stated that they had received formal instruction on how to use libraries before reaching university in relation to finding books or using a classification system. This echoes the findings of Murphy et al [13] who found that training on finding materials in libraries was often lacking.…”

Section: Surveysupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Kress [12] has noted that confusion starts early on, with a lack of understanding of what a classmark is for and a desire for that information to be a clickable link in the library catalogue, leading to further help. Murphy [13] has found that students find it difficult to decode classmarks and Bowker & Star [14] noted that confusion arose from lack of collocation between related items (e.g. a book and its accompanying CD) Building navigation difficulty has long been recognised as an issue [15] and has led to techniques being created for identifying pinch points in the library's navigation using the technique of spatial syntax [16].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Improving Wayfinding in a UK Higher Education Institution Library

Scaife¹,

Walton

2022

Communications in Computer and Information Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper provides an analysis of ShelfMap, an online wayfinding tool which was the centrepiece of a mixed methods case study which aimed to improve understanding of the information practice of students interacting with classification schemas in order to find material in the stacks. It measured changes in wayfinding skill levels resulting from the introduction of ShelfMap to a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI) library.There was a 39% time saving to find the correct stack which held the item sought and a 33% time saving to find the item itself. Locating the stack was found to be more difficult than finding the item itself, so this time saving is encouraging. A reduction in anxiety levels was also detected suggesting a more positive relationship between the students and their environment had been fostered.There are recommendations on how libraries can improve their wayfinding and boost students' information literacy.

show abstract

Section: Surveysupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Wayfinding in a UK Higher Education Institution Library

Scaife¹,

Walton

2022

Communications in Computer and Information Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Likewise, metrification usually replaces fractional systems (Vera, 2012), and the flexibility of the International System of Units (SI) means decimal quantities can easily be replaced by whole numbers (0.6 kg = 600 grams). One notable exception, the Library of Congress Classification system, still uses both whole and decimal numbers, a consistent source of confusion for university library users (Murphy, Long, & MacDonald, 2013). Future work is needed to assess the ways that both shorter-(contextual) and longer-term (cultural) exposure to whole numbers (and compatible rational numbers) influences rational number processing.…”

Section: Implicit Understanding Of Number Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probing the neural basis of rational numbers: The role of inhibitory control and magnitude representations

Rosenberg‐Lee

2021

Heterogeneous Contributions to Numerical Cognition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Rational numbers, such as fractions, decimals and percentages, are a persistent challenge in the mathematics curriculum. An underappreciated source of rational number difficulties are whole number properties that apply to some, but not all, rational numbers. I contend that mastery of rational numbers involves refining and expanding whole number representations. Behavioral evidence for the role inhibitory control and magnitude-based processing of rational numbers support this hypothesis, although more attention is needed to task and stimuli selection, especially among fractions. In the brain, there is scant evidence on the role of inhibitory control in rational number processing, but surprisingly good correspondence, in the parietal lobe, between the handful of neuroimaging studies of rational numbers and the accumulated whole number literature. Decimals and discrete nonsymbolic representations are fruitful domains for probing the neural basis role of whole number interference in rational number processing.

show abstract

“…Participants tend to overstate their own comprehension and overestimate their skills and abilities, so self-reporting is not generally considered a reliable measure of evidence (Suskie, 2009). Murphy, Long, and MacDonald (2013) investigated undergraduate students' perceptions of call numbers and ability to locate known items in book stacks; nearly all the participants in the study self-reported finding their desired books "almost always" and judged their familiarity with call numbers good or very good. Yet only two of the participants were able to successfully interpret call numbers and locate books when their knowledge and skills were tested.…”

Section: Focus Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment and Evaluation Methods for Access Services

Long

2014

Journal of Access Services

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper serves as a primer to assessment and evaluation design by describing the range of methods commonly employed in library settings. Quantitative methods, such as counting and benchmarking measures, are useful for investigating the internal operations of an Access Services department in order to identify workflow inefficiencies or comparator data to judge performance against peer institutions. Qualitative methods, such as focus groups and observation studies, are useful for exploring patron behavior and perceptions, especially in regards to space planning and customer service. The strengths and limitations of these methods are also briefly addressed.

show abstract

Students' Understanding of the Library of Congress Call Number System

Cited by 5 publications

References 7 publications

Improving Wayfinding in a UK Higher Education Institution Library

Improving Wayfinding in a UK Higher Education Institution Library

Probing the neural basis of rational numbers: The role of inhibitory control and magnitude representations

Assessment and Evaluation Methods for Access Services

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About