The current research examined library users and their use of subject headings in library catalog searches. It also examined how effective library catalog searches were for users. A survey was designed to give the researcher an idea of what search terms the public used to search library catalogs. Those survey results were then compared to the actual subject headings found in the library catalog.
The overall results indicated that very few public search terms matched the vocabulary used in the catalog. This showed a disconnection between what was being offered to the public as a search tool and how the public actually searched.
","abstract_html":"<p>The current research examined library users and their use of subject headings in library catalog searches. It also examined how effective library catalog searches were for users. A survey was designed to give the researcher an idea of what search terms the public used to search library catalogs. Those survey results were then compared to the actual subject headings found in the library catalog.</p> <p>The overall results indicated that very few public search terms matched the vocabulary used in the catalog. This showed a disconnection between what was being offered to the public as a search tool and how the public actually searched.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Campbell, Elizabeth"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A. in School and Public Librarianship","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Special Educational Services/Instruction","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Shontz, Marilyn"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-05-15T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-05-15T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:27Z","subjects":["Library use studies; Subject headings--Use studies","Library and Information Science"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/694","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Shontz, Marilyn"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Campbell, Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-21T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Special Educational Services/Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A. in School and Public Librarianship"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Library use studies; Subject headings--Use studies","Library and Information Science"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/694"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The current research examined library users and their use of subject headings in library catalog searches. It also examined how effective library catalog searches were for users. A survey was designed to give the researcher an idea of what search terms the public used to search library catalogs. Those survey results were then compared to the actual subject headings found in the library catalog.
The overall results indicated that very few public search terms matched the vocabulary used in the catalog. This showed a disconnection between what was being offered to the public as a search tool and how the public actually searched.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["By any other name: a study of library user comprehension of subject headings"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Shontz, Marilyn"],"dc:creator":["Campbell, Elizabeth"],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-21T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The current research examined library users and their use of subject headings in library catalog searches. It also examined how effective library catalog searches were for users. A survey was designed to give the researcher an idea of what search terms the public used to search library catalogs. Those survey results were then compared to the actual subject headings found in the library catalog.
The overall results indicated that very few public search terms matched the vocabulary used in the catalog. This showed a disconnection between what was being offered to the public as a search tool and how the public actually searched.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/694"],"dc:subject":["Library use studies; Subject headings--Use studies","Library and Information Science"],"dc:title":["By any other name: a study of library user comprehension of subject headings"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Special Educational Services/Instruction"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A. in School and Public Librarianship"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:13:27Z"}