Abstract
This chapter focuses on research regarding user needs and information retrieval in digital library environments. It starts with the introduction of different types of users and their use of digital libraries, ranging from children to college students to elderly people to people with disabilities. This chapter highlights the research on search tactics and information-seeking strategies as applied in the digital libraries. At the same time, usage patterns, in particular log analysis of digital library usage, are presented and compared to data generated from other types of digital environments. While users take leading roles in applying some search tactics, systems play dominant roles in other tactics. User engagement and system support for different types of search tactics in the search process are illustrated. Moreover, factors influencing digital library use are analyzed, including users’ personal infrastructure, types of tasks, and system design.
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