This module introduces the 5 user tasks as set out by IFLA’s Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (1998). These are:

find: to discover that a resource exists within the collection (may result in a list of several possibilities, depending on search terms).

identify: when looking for a known resource, a user identifies the record of that resource and ascertains that it is the one they were looking for.

select: a user doesn’t know exactly what they want, but searches more generally eg by subject, then uses the metadata to choose the resource that best suits their purposes from a list of possible items.

obtain: to access the content of the resource, eg physically locate, download etc. Often achieved by hyperlink for digital resources or call number or instructions for accessing physical items.

explore: when a user finds a record based on its relationship to another, eg from a link within the record of another resource.

These user tasks do not appear to be linear or hierarchical but rather depend on the user’s needs. Different attributes or elements described in the metadata will assist to varying degrees in the search process dependent on the task the user is undertaking.