Does Greater Specialization Imply Greater Satisfaction? Amateur Genealogists and Resource Use at the State Historical Society of Iowa Libraries

摘要

This study examines amateur genealogists' satisfaction with a variety of available resources, ranging from specialized library services to search engines. Surveys were placed in both State Historical Society of Iowa libraries and sent to reading room librarians to uncover what resources users most value and why. Questions were also posed to uncover unmet information needs and determine user suggestions for improvement across resources. Findings indicate that preferences were not only limited to the institution or website accessed, but the type of information and its format, which may help guide library collection development policies to better address user needs.