Do they know it when they see it?: Natural language preferences of undergraduate students for library resources

Abstract

This study explored the range of undergraduate students’ natural language preferences for library resources when shown verbal and visual representations of those resources. The results indicate little consensus for preferred language although participants generally preferred natural language over library jargon. The majority of participants did not use the same language to describe a resource between the visual and verbal exercises. Furthermore, prior library instruction had no meaningful effect on participants’ language preferences. More research is needed to explore the significance of recurring library instruction on students’ language preferences and if these language preferences impact their ability to complete library research-based tasks.