How First-Year Students Navigate the Stacks: Implications for Improving Wayfinding

Jim Hahn, Lizz Zitron

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

First-year undergraduate students frequently encounter navigation problems in locating known items in the library. This study follows students through the library collection after they have a call number to uncover attributes of building layout that aid navigation and identify fail points. Researchers used ethnographic methodologies of interviewing, observation, and a "think-aloud protocol" to understand the first-year student's conceptual frame in navigating library collections.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)28-35
Number of pages8
JournalReference and User Services Quarterly
Volume51
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems
  • Library and Information Sciences

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