Introduction

Understanding information needs and information-seeking behaviors sits at the core of the LIS profession. To help individuals find information effectively, it’s important to understand how, why, and when they seek it. These behaviors can be difficult for the average person to recognize, as many of the cues and resulting actions can occur almost automatically or unintentionally, and happen on a daily basis.

According to Case (2018), information-seeking occurs in a cyclical process of needing, seeking, choosing, and then using information. This process can be structured and intentional, like when a student visits the library to find resources for a paper. But it can also occur in a more serendipitous, even subconscious way, such as when a patron at a restaurant asks the waiter for a dish recommendation. As information needs can vary so widely, the behaviors that follow are equally diverse. The way someone searches for information depends on the context in which the need arises. On a side note, there is some controversy over what is considered a “need” within the literature due to the traditional theories focusing on more formalized information-seeking environments and may not cover the spectrum of information encountering or the ambiguity of some information-seeking processes (O’Brien et al, 2022); this question highlights how many possible situations these frameworks attempt to cover. Fortunately, the LIS field offers many models and theories that explore these different contexts.

Berrypicking

One useful framework for understanding information-seeking behavior is Bates’ Berrypicking Model. This model examines non-linear searches, and emphasizes that questions will evolve overtime as the search process unfolds and individuals gather more information insights (Bates, 1989). As the searcher finds new bits of information, their understanding of the topic shifts, which often changes their approach. Bates was responding to the previous linear understanding whereby the searcher asks a question and then finds an answer. It reflects that individuals pull information from a variety of sources, formats, and types of content. Going back to the earlier example of the student, while they may start their search with one question in mind, once they’ve received there first set of materials from a search the information provided may trigger a new thought; this new line of inquiry redirects the initial search. Bates’ model illustrates how flexible and adaptive information seeking can be.

Information Search Process (ISP)

Another influential model is Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP). This model breaks the search experience into six distinct stages:

• Selection, which entails the identification of topic or approach.
• Exploration, wherein the searcher examines relevant information about the topic.
• Formulation is the creation of a more focused topic and a way to move forward with the search.
• Collection, whereby the searcher becomes more efficient at gathering relevant information.
• Presentation is when the search is complete and search results can be used.

Additionally, this model examines how emotions change and effect the search process as stages are linked to emotional states; for example during  exploration “[feelings] of confusion, uncertainty, and doubt… frequently increase” (Kuhlthau, 1991, p. 366). The ISP model is particularly useful for how it links the tasks of searching with the emotional experience of the user thus offering a more complete view of the users experience.

Engaging with Information Users

How information professionals apply these theories depends on their specific roles. From reference librarians and outreach archivists to IRS designers and website administrators, understanding users’ information behaviors when interacting with information systems is key to supporting their information needs. An simple example is a reference librarian familiar with Kuhlthau’s ISP may recognize when a student is feeling uncertain or overwhelmed during their research; or an outreach archivist might consider Wilson’s theory of Human Information Behavior to identify potential barriers that users might encounter with a display, such as unfamiliar terms or subject matter, and address them by providing extra context via explanatory text or an accompanying pamphlet. By grounding their work in these theories, information professionals can create user-centered systems and services.

Evidence

INFO 200: Information Communities – Research Paper

The first piece of evidence that demonstrates my command of competency J is the research paper created for INFO 200 covering the information needs and behaviors of video game preservationists (compJ_researchPaper.pdf). This comprehensive paper examines video game preservationists by deconstructing the information community into three subgroups of individuals: the hobbyist gamer, the archivist, and the game industry professional. By examining the information seeking behaviors of each subgroup through their outputs and online dynamics, I was able to understand how various information seeking models can be used to fulfill similar information needs. 

In the paper, I explore different ways of understanding my information community using definitions by Fisher & Bishop, Christensens & Levinsons, and Burnett to situate my group as an information community, and then explore how the group fits within two information seeking models: Wilson’s Human Information Behavior Model and Shah’s Collaborative Information Seeking model. Lastly, I discuss different ways LIS organizations can support this community through access to game collections and events that bring the larger community of games together as many individuals within the preservation community don’t realize they are even a part of it until they realize how large their game collection is. All in all, this paper demonstrates my knowledge of multiple information seeking behavior models and definitions of information communities; examines how people seek and use information within a particular context; and considers LIS organizations can support specific information needs.

INFO 210: Reference and Information Services – Search Activities

The next item to show my exploration and understanding of information-seeking behaviors and how librarians can connect individuals with accurate, relevant and appropriate information are the Search Activities (SA) completed for INFO 210: Reference and Information Services (compE&J_searchActivity14&15.docx). A number of the activities are directed at helping a specific demographic of library users such as children and young adult readers, individuals needing to find accurate health or financial information, and college students doing research. 

By situating these questions as being asked by a particular demographic, I was able to understand how different sources of information would connect with different user types. An example of this is in SA 15 question 2, in this question we are asked to consider two different current issue databases and understand when it is appropriate to recommend them as a resource. I examined ProCon.org & CQ Researcher databases; based on the types and range of topics that each provide information on the detail in said coverage, came to the conclusion that ProCon.org is more appropriate for a high school student and CQ Researcher is better suited for someone in higher education. A second example is SA 14 question 1, where we are asked to answer a child’s question about how insects flip themselves right side up during flight. This particular question has only recently been studied by scientists there for age appropriate literature hasn’t been created, additionally the specificity of the question makes it unlikely that literature would be made about this topic. In my answer I cover my thought process in trying to answer the question and present two options depending on the age and interest of the individual asking the question. 

These questions and others in these assignments required me to consider the patrons information needs before presenting them with resources. This experience highlights that it’s not enough to “find” the correct answers, but that the resources need to fit the audience’s needs and abilities. These exercises show my ability to connect individuals with accurate, appropriate, and relevant resources tailored to them.

INFO 220: Visual Resources Curation and Arts Librarianship – Artists Information Seeking Discussions

The last piece of evidence that illustrates my understanding of information-seeking behaviors of particular groups are my discussion posts for INFO 220 that focus on the information needs of art library users including artists, designers, & students (compJ_artInfoNeedsDiscussionPosts.pdf). 

In the first discussion I look at the multifaceted information needs of creative users such as artists and designers. This group is sometimes difficult to predict as they have unique needs that reflect their individual processes of creation. I explore Dervin’s sense-making theory and Erdelez theory of information encountering as a way of understanding artists’ information-seeking behavior. To fully understand how this group is thought of in the literature I synthesize the work of Grimm & Meeks, Mason & Robinson, and Gendron who have looked into this group’s particular needs. In the second and third discussion posts I look at how academic and fine art libraries are trying to support these information needs. The readings suggest that due to their varied and expansive needs it’s been difficult to engage art students in a library setting. The liaison librarian model and emphasis on outreach highlight the importance of understanding your users needs and behaviors; furthermore, this group benefits from engagement with critical visual literacy. This group doesn’t always intuitively understand what resources are available and relevant to their studies through the library.

Conclusion

Understanding information seeking behaviors is foundational knowledge for LIS professionals as it allows librarians and archivists to support patrons during their information search activities. As a potential future academic librarian, understanding how students and researchers look for materials during research is critical. This knowledge could be applied in user-facing roles such as a reference or leasion librarian work or in back end roles when designing databases, finding aids, or other systems that patrons navigate.

While many of the core theories and models have been around for decades, new research on particular populations are ever evolving. By staying current with these developments I can design effective information services and systems that address my patrons information-seeking needs. To do this, I intend to stay connected with the professional organization ASIS&T. One of their special interest groups (SIG-USE) focus on information needs, seeking, and use, which provides spaces to converse about these models, webinars for continuing education, and supports research in this area.

References

Bates, M.J. (1989). The design of browsing and berrypicking techniques for the online search interface. Online Review, 13(5), 407-424. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb024320

Case, D. O. (2018). Information seeking. In K. Haycock & B.E. Sheldon (Eds.), The portable MLIS: Insights from the experts (2nd ed., pp. 49-56). Libraries Unlimited.

Kuhlthau, C.C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user’s perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42(5), 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(199106)42:5<361::AID-ASI6>3.0.CO;2-%23

O’Brien, H., Greyson, D., Forest, H. D., & McDavid, K. (2022). Information needs. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information services today: An introduction (3rd ed., pp. 53-65). Rowman & Little field Publishers.