User Acceptance of Library Catalog Results: An Exploratory Study

This study explores whether a student user is more likely to believe the results obtained from an online system than from a manual system. Findings indicate that, overall, they are equally likely to believe either system. However, students’ familiarity with the title searched made a difference. Students who had heard of a book but found no record for it were more likely to distrust the computer. When the book was unfamiliar and no record was found, they were more likely to distrust the card catalog.