Circulation differences between fiction books with subject headings and those without Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors McDonald, Elizabeth Frances, 1957- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 26/09/2021 15:59:16 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/278569 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the ori^nal or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter &ce, >^e others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. 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Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Conqtany 300 North Zed) Road, Ann Aibor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 CIRCULATION DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FICTION BOOKS WITH SUBJECT HEADINGS AND THOSE WITHOUT by Elizabeth Frances McDonald Copyright ® Elizabeth Frances McDonald 1996 A Thesis Sxibmitted to the Faculty of the School of Library Science In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 9 6 UMI Nxuaber: 1383561 Copyright 1996 by McDonald, Elizabeth Frances All rights reserved. UMI Microform 1383561 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 2 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. r Signed APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: Charlie D. Hurt Date Professor of Library Science 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge cind thank the Washoe County- Library System for the help and support I received in doing this research. This study would not have been possible without it. I would like to thank Chuck Manley, John Kupersmith, and Elizabeth Bradt for their help. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 5 LIST OF TABLES 6 ABSTRACT 9 INTRODUCTION 10 LITERATURE REVIEW 23 METHODOLOGY 26 ANALYSIS 43 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 66 APPENDIX A: LIST OF TITLES IN PRESAMPLE 81 APPENDIX B: LIST OF GENRE TITLES REMOVED FROM PRESAMPLE 84 APPENDIX C: LIST OF TITLES IN STUDY WITH SUBJECT HEADINGS 85 APPENDIX D: LIST OF TITLES IN STUDY WITHOUT SUBJECT HEADINGS 97 APPENDIX E: LIST OF UNIQUE SUBJECT HEADINGS . .109 REFERENCES CITED 119 5 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Map of Nevada showing Washoe County 27 Figure 2. Map of Washoe County showing Communities with Branches 29 Figure 3. Sample Groups by Decade 69 Figure 4. Sample Groups by Genre types 71 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Titles and Items by Branch 31 Table 2. Fiction Items by Branch with Sxibject Headings and Without Subject Headings 32 Table 3. Fiction Items Not Including Separate Genre Shelving by Branch with Subject Headings and Without Subject Headings 32 Table 4. Number in Each Sample Group by Publication Date 38 Table 5. Frequency of Subject Headings by Title ... 44 Table 6. Frequency of Subject Headings by Item ... 44 Table 7. Results of t-test for Overall use: Subject Headings versus without Subject Headings . 45 Table 8. Results of t-test for Circulations: Subject Headings versus without Subject Headings . 46 Table 9. Title Counts by Branch with Siibject Headings and Without Sxibject Headings 47 Table 10. Item Counts by Branch with Subject Headings and without Sxibject Headings 48 Table 11. Results of t-test for Overall Use for the Reno Branch: Subject Headings versus without Subject Headings 49 Table 12. Results of t-test for Circulations at the Reno Branch: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 50 Table 13. Results of t-test for Overall Use at the Sparks Branch: Sxibject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 50 Table 14. Results of t-test for Circulations at the Sparks Branch: Sxibject Headings Versus without Sxobject Headings 51 Table 15. Combined Branch Titles and Item Counts: Sxibject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 51 7 LIST OF TABLES--Continued 16 Results of t-test for Overall Use for Combined Branches: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 52 17 Results of t-test for Circulations for Combined Branches: Sxibject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 52 18 Title Counts by Genre: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 53 19 Item Counts by Genre: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 54 20 Genre Group Title Counts: Subject Headings Versus without Sxibject Headings 55 21 Genre Group Item Counts: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 55 22 Results of t-test for Overall Use for Contemporary Fiction: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 56 23 Results of t-test for Circulations for Contemporary Fiction: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 56 24 Results of t-test for Overall Use for Historic Fiction: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 57 25 Results of t-test for circulations for HisLoric Fiction: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 57 26 Results of t-test for Overall Use for Combined Genres: Subject Headings Versus without Sxabject Headings 58 27 Results of t-test for Combined Genres for Circulations: Subject Headings Versus without Sxibject Headings 58 28 Item Counts by Dates: Siibject Headings and without Subject Headings 59 8 LIST OF TABLES -- Continued Table 29. Results of t-test for Overall Use for <=1990: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 59 Table 30. Results of t-test for Circulations for <=1990: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 60 Table 31. Results of t-test for Overall Use for 1991-1993: Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 60 Table 32. Results of t-test for Circulations for 1991-1993 Subject Headings Versus without Subject Headings 61 Table 33. Title Breakdown by Number and Percent of Subject Headings 62 Table 34. Item Breakdown by Number and Percent of Subject Headings 62 Table 35. Multiple Subject Headings in Frequency Order 63 Table 36. Type of Siibject Heading by Frequency and Percent 65 Table 37. Means Obtained and Results of t-tests ... 66 Table 38. Titles by Priblication Decade for Siibject. Headings and without Subject Headings . .68 9 ABSTRACT Sxibject headings for works of fiction are one way to increase access to these books. Increased access should result in greater use for these books. Using a multi- branch, metropolitan pviblic library, fiction books with subject headings were compared against fiction books without subject headings for overall use and circulations (use adjusted for time available to circulate). These same two categories were then compared to determine the affect of subject headings with respect to: fiction collection size, genre, and piiblication date for overall use and circulations. 10 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION How patrons access fiction in libraries has been a traditional concern of librarians. Fiction has been treated differently from nonfiction by librarians and catalogers in American libraries since the advent of the current classification systems in the previous century. The fact that current fiction usually circulates more than older fiction has been noticed by librarians since the turn of the century.^ Different schemes have been devised to help patrons locate the fiction they want to read. Sxabject headings for fiction are one way to provide increased access. However, no one has investigated the connection between subject headings and increases in circulation or use. This thesis explores the connection. Modem treatment and attitudes about fiction have their roots in the past. Papers presented at the 1894 ALA conference debated supplying novels for pxiblic use.^ This debate illustrates the controversy about fiction that was present in librarianship at the time. Ranta has noted that ^Borden, William Alanson, "On Classifying Fiction," The Library Journal. 6/09; quoted in Thp TTnahashed Librarian, no.63(1987): 25-26. 'Hayes, Susan, "Enhanced Catalog Access to Fiction: A Preliminary Study," Library Resources and Technical Services. 36 no.4(0ct. 1992): 443. 11 American and British cultures have historically had a bias against fiction and imaginative literature since the 17th Century.' These kinds of underlying influences need to be acknowledged to better understand the present situation with regards to fiction. The major classification systems in use in the United States today reflect, to a degree, the biases of the period of their creation.