Re‐examining content‐enriched access : its effect on usage and discovery

Abstract

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of content‐enriched records on circulation and material discovery at TCNJ Library. Design/methodology/approach — The study analyzes circulation data from TCNJ Library to determine the effect of content‐enriched records on library materials usage. The study also examines OPAC search transactions to learn how enriched metadata is utilized. Findings — Enhanced records were overall associated with higher circulation rates. Keyword search was the most frequently used search option directly associated with circulation. Contents data can play a key role in discovery. Research limitations/implications — This study uses real‐world library data sets and therefore cannot escape the problem of data variability when the number of non‐enhanced records decrease considerably in recent years. A large set of circulation and search transaction data should be further studied for more generalized findings of utilization of content‐enriched data. Practical implications — Libraries should continue to provide content‐enriched metadata. The combination of optimal library system data mining capability, post‐searching evaluation, and OPAC display are crucial to achieve content‐enriched access. Originality/value — The paper uses real‐world circulation and search transaction data to examine the effect of content‐enriched metadata on materials usage—one of the key library output measures.