A Portrait of the User as a Young Graduate Student: A Review of the Search Habits of Graduate and Professional Students Using Ex Libris Products

Abstract

Abstract: In large research university, we have a variety of types of users: faculty, graduate and professional students, undergraduates, and community users. All of these types of researchers look for information differently, so it is a challenge for any discovery system for work for them all. As subject specialists in business, history and philosophy, law, and theology, we examined how the graduate and professional students with whom we work look for information and how Primo and the Aleph OPAC respond to these types of searches. In this session, we will discuss the information seeking strategies and needs of our user groups and the benefits and challenges these researchers find when using Primo and the Aleph OPAC. We will offer specific examples of information needs we have encountered in our work with students and their use of Primo and the OPAC, and suggest ways to best use these tools to help graduate and professional students find the resources they need.