Does AMC mean "Archives Made Confusing"? Patron understanding of USMARC AMC catalog records

Abstract

Archivists create MARC AMC catalog records to enhance access and make information about holdings more widely available, but they have not evaluated the effectiveness of those descriptions for a diverse audience. Inclusion of MARC AMC descriptions in integrated online catalogs and other factors have increased the difficulty of interpreting catalog records. Studies of patron understanding of MARC AMC records are needed to validate or contradict our assumptions that these descriptions are intelligible to our patrons. The integrated online catalog environment at the Arizona State University Libraries is a test site for the formulation of a user study to measure patron understanding of MARC AMC records.