The questions of when and how best to computerize the catalog of a large research library, and how to improve an existing conventional catalog, motivated a study of the utilization of the main catalog of the Yale University Library. The study was designed to provide a representative sample of catalog use. (7 references) (Author/NH)

Research conducted at Fisher Library, University of Sydney, which measured user failure to locate known items in catalog or on shelves, yielded overall failure rate of 35.9 percent (26.2 percent at catalog; 46.1 percent at shelf). User errors caused two-thirds of failures at catalog and more than half at shelf. Fifteen references are provided.…