> "Jordan, Cathryn M" wrote:
>
> > I found the following in the May 2001 issue of T+D (Training and
> > Development) p. 30 - A new survey from Roper Starch Worldwide
> > finds that it takes an average of 12 minutes for Web users to become
> > noticeably frustrated when they can't find what they're looking for
> > online ; 7 percent of respondents hit the roof after only 3 minutes
> > of searching.


On Fri, 11 May 2001, Steven S. Krompf wrote:

> Ah, so this explains why customers are making angry sounds and jumping
> up and down in their seats before they decide to come over and ask me
> to do the search for them.

We maintain an electronic reference service here, and take turns answering
it.  April was my turn.  I got a stats question (I HATE those!) from a
patron.  He had typed it from one of our public stations.  He had spent
HOURS searching.  (I didn't read it until the next day.)

I replied with a few leads and suggested that he come back to the library
so I could show him some more sources.  It had never occurred to him to
check with us in person.  I'm not sure what time he was here originally.
We're open 24/7 so it could very well have been when none of us were here,
because we don't staff our ref desk 24/7.

Anyway, he was delighted to have the personal help and I think he'll be
back.

We just need to be more proactive in advertising that we can help people
find their info.

--Cathy

Catherine L. Wolfson                        Health Sciences Library
Information Services Librarian              University of Arizona
[log in to unmask]                   1501 N. Campbell Ave.
Tel:  520-626-2927                          P.O. Box 245079
Fax:  520-626-2922                          Tucson, AZ  85724-5079