Quiz 1

At the beginning of the semester, you were assigned to a particular user group (social sciences, humanities and the science and technology). Do a literature search introspecting on the information needs and behavior of the user group you have chosen/assigned. Summarize this literature and contemplate upon various models / theories of users’ information-seeking behavior and establish the validity how they contribute to your understanding of your user group. Add your own ideas how to best serve this group and your library users in general.

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The new challenge for library is most of user more interested to look for information in internet rather than in library. It’s also to build dissatisfaction without undermining the perception of the value of intranet content and other Web-based information. There have a lot of survey and research to look up in this matter. But whether, library has take necessary precaution and step still remain unknown.

Based on model of information behaviour, it’s stated that the user may seek information from other people, rather than the system. An individual may be looking for facts, advice or opinion, and may receive any other these either in writing or orally. (Wilson, T.D., 1981)

Information needs vary considerably from individual to individual. Not only are individuals in different social groupings. Not many other individuals will belong to the same pattern of social groupings and few, therefore, will have the same pattern of information needs. Guenther (2006) has suggested a few steps to understand user needs – gathering data, analyzing findings, writings personas and using personas.

With the increase in deployment of information and with the new generation, who always had the Web as an information resource and also user under 40s, who are good in Web research. A level of dissatisfaction level among of the information users will be increase. For my suggestion, to improve library service, we need to enhance librarian to become knowledge worker. It’s seems like current librarian are not so call advance in term of skills and knowledgeable in information and technology. We need technologies tools to help librarian when they seem to be having difficulty. At the same time, libraries also have to change perception of outreach to more focus on equity of access to information and library services to come up with innovative ways to achieve it

In study was commissioned by the British Library and JISC (2008) suggested we as library and librarian should be like the Google.com; easy to eccess, fast, advance in term of technology and information, user friendly etc. If not, user will leave us behind or bypass us. Coffman (1999) also recommended, we applied the Amazon.com business model to the library world. For example, we built Earth's Largest Library by allowing our patrons to search a huge catalog that listed all the books and other materials, we could get, instead of just those few items that happened to be in our own collections. It’s all available over the Web.

Based on Wilson's revised model of 1996, it explains about the cycle of information activities, from the rise of information need to the phase when information is being used. Its mention about information needs is secondary needs, caused by primary needs, which in accordance with definitions in psychology can be defined as physiological, cognitive or affective. Cognitive needs rise as an attempt to find sense and order in the world, and are the realization of a need to explain and make sense out of phenomena, but also can be simulated by common, non-utilitarian curiosity. The rise of a particular need is influenced by the context, which can be the person him or herself, or the role the person plays in work and life, or the environments (social, political, economical, technological, etc.). (Niedźwiedzka, 2003)

As conclusion, most of models are complex and multi-dimensional. it reflects the social information system itself. The model provides a framework for analysis. It can be used to analyse and to identify the scope and nature of information needs. The model can also be used as a tool for analysing information provision. So libraries and librarians should learn and understand about theory and model of information need to enhance their services.

References
Coffman, Steve. 1999. Building earth's largest library: Driving towards the future. Searcher Magazine. Volume 7, Number 3, March 1999

Guenther, Kim. 2006. Developing personas to understand user needs. Online. Weston: Conn. vol. 30 no. 5, 45-51, Sept. 2006

Information behaviour of the researcher of the future, 2008. A ciber briefing paper commissioned by the British Library and Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), January 11, 2008.

Niedźwiedzka, B. 2003. "A proposed general model of information behaviour" Information Research, 9(1) paper 164 [Available at http://InformationR.net/ir/9-1/paper164.html]

Wilson, T.D.1981. On user studies and information needs. Journal of librarianship, 37(1), 3-15 [Available at http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/papers/1981infoneeds.html]