Thai Catalogers’ Use and Perception of Cataloging Standards

© 2019 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Library-based metadata and knowledge organization standards, such as Resource Description and Access (RDA); Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC); and Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), are called “international” or “universal” as they are increasingly adopted by countries around the world. Yet, library knowledge organizations systems are created within given contexts representing the limited needs of specific communities in certain time periods. This article presents results from a cataloging study of Thai libraries. A focus group and interviews were used to gather data on Thai catalogers’ use and perception of cataloging standards in Thai libraries and how well they meet their needs

Affective Experiences of International and Home Students during the Information Search Process

An increasing number of students are studying abroad requiring that they interact with information in languages other than their mother tongue. The UK in particular has seen a large growth in international students within Higher Education. These non-native English speaking students present a distinct user group for university information services, such as university libraries. This article presents the findings from an in-depth study to understand differences between the search processes of home and international students. Data were collected using an online survey and diary-interview to capture thoughts and feelings in a more naturalistic way. International students are found to have similar information search processes to those of home students, but sometimes face additional difficulties in assessing search results such as confusion when dealing with differing cultural perspectives. The potential implications for information service providers, particularly university libraries, are discussed, such as providing assistance to students for identifying appropriate English sources