Running heading: INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW

Information Seeker Interview Betsy Summers Emporia State University

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW Information Seeker Interview Alex Weaver is a professional employed at Caterpillar, Inc. An avid reader, he is currently working in the Portland area, and enjoys using Multnomah Countys libraries during his work stays in the area. Portland has a wonderful library system. I sure hope you all appreciate it (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). Recently, Mr. Weaver underwent an information search on

the subject of trains, railroads, and train stations. Trains have been a passion of Mr. Weavers for many years, most likely beginning when he was an eight-year-old boy growing up in Missouri and he received his first train set for Christmas. Mr. Weaver, 60, was very interested in finding out more about the structures of the train stations themselves. He is dabbling with the idea of sketching out, and then building, an exact scale model replica of what the historic Springfield, Missouri, railroad station would have looked like. His search would include finding local maps and photographs to help him render an accurate depiction of the building. On a recently trip back to Springfield to visit family, he thought it would be the perfect time to begin his exploration for information. Initially, Mr. Weaver invested a few hours exploring websites, which included a virtual visit to the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County and Springfield-Greene County Library District. While surfing the librarys website, he discovered that the downtown Library Center was a new, state-of-the-art facility, which housed major print and electronic resources, specializing in local history and genealogy.

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW I thought right then that Id hit the jackpot (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). But as Mr. Weaver began exploring the online local history page, he soon realized that hed be unable to pull up the actual

maps that showed the railroad station, its location, or physical structure; instead he would have to go to the physical library. The search tool referred me to the reference section of the library and a specific location where the maps were stored (personal communication, September 22, 2010). Excited by the prospect of learning more about the location of Springfields railroad tracks and train station, Mr. Weaver drove to the Library Center, walked directly to the reference desk, and told librarian that his online search for historic maps had brought him here. He already knew, from prior knowledge through years of interest on the subject, specifically what he was looking for: The Sanford Fire Insurance maps, which are prized by historians and genealogical seekers for their historical accuracy and wealth of information on a buildings location, size, and type of construction materials. Used by insurance companies to assess the liability of a structure, the Stanford Fire Insurance maps are treasured for the vast amount of information they hold. When asked if he could describe his feelings during this process of information gathering, Mr. Weaver responded, This type of search is fun for me. So, excitement, anticipation, and enjoyment. There is pleasure in the process as well as the result (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). His statement echoes the construction theories of Dewey, Kelly, and Bruner, where ones

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW thoughts lead to reflection, reflections then to prediction, and predictions becomes the anticipation of a positive outcome (Kuhlthau, 2004, p. 25-26). It seemed as through Mr. Weavers search had already begun at Kuhlthaus (2004) Stage 5: Collection. Rubin (2010) describes this stage perfectly: The focus is now clear, and the seeker collects only information related to the defined topic. The seeker can articulate clearly the type of information needed; the search process becomes more effective, uncertainty is reduced, and the seekers confidence is increased further. (Rubin, 2010, p. 278) Because of Mr. Weavers prior knowledge of the existence of the Stanford Fire Insurance maps, he was able to jump right to Kuhlthaus (2004) stage 5 with a certain amount of sureness and confidence in the search process. The reference desk librarian quickly discovered Mr. Weavers prior

knowledge of Stanford Fire Maps, and proceeded to show him how to locate and use these types of records. The reference librarian, I dont recall her name, was very helpful and engaged in my search. She shared my enthusiasm for the hunt and the result (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). Mr. Weaver said the assistance lasted for well over an hour, and he remarked more than once how amazed he was by the interest and personal attention given by the librarian (personal communication, September 22, 2010). Clearly, this librarians level of mediation was that of counselor, Kuhlthaus (2004) highest level of intervention:

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW The underlying assumption is that the user is learning from the information in a constructive process as the information search proceeds. There is no one right answer and no fixed sequence for all. The persons

problem determines the intervention. The holistic experience is understood, acknowledged, and articulated as an important aspect of mediation. The user and the mediator enter into a dialogue regarding the users problem over time. (Kuhlthau, 2004, p. 119) Zipfs Principle of Least Effort (Case, 2008, p. 151-154) certainly does not apply in regards to either Mr. Weavers nor the reference librarians behavior. The extensive time the librarian spent with Mr. Weaver is, in itself, unusual; and very likely, the reason why the details of his August visit to Springfields Library Center remain so vivid. When asked about learning styles, his personality type, and whether the librarian was able to assess those, Mr. Weaver stated that as a business professional, he had been asked to take and had also administered a test call Employee Personality Profile, or EPP. It measures things like motivation, assertiveness, your level of extroversion and patience; it gives you an overall impression of an employees personality characteristics, so you can then figure out where they would best fit into the organizations structure (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). He wasnt sure if that would indicate his preferred learning style, but believes he tends to lean toward introversion, scores heavy on working

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW with others and consensus building, and Im pretty sure Im a visual learner. She [the librarian] helped me with maps, which is definitely a visual tool (personal communication, September 22, 2010). When asked if he encountered any set backs or difficulties in his search, Mr. Weaver indicated that there was some initial confusion over the use of the filing system to locate the specific maps he was after. But, the degree of help from the staff really surprised me (A. Weaver, personal communication, September 22, 2010). If there was one thing he could change that day, as far as the help he received or the final result of the search, Mr. Weaver replied, Nothing. My experience was near perfect (personal communication, September 22, 2010). In Whitlatchs (2003) article Reference Futures: Outsourcing, the Web, or Knowledge Counseling, she sites Mann (1998) who distinguished a reference question from a research question: Research questions generally take more time than reference questions. Librarians cannot do all the research for all outside inquirers and fax them the results. Readers themselves must still conduct most of the research into

records of our civilization within the walls of real libraries. (Whitlatch, 2003, p. 27) Whitlatch (2003) suggests that there will always be a need for people to have the ability to access physical records in physical libraries, most likely, while needing physical help in doing so. Mr. Weavers experience with a reference librarian in Missouri on a late summers day reaffirms this premise.

INFORMATION SEEKER INTERVIEW References Case, D. O. (2008). Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior. (2nd ed.). United Kingdom: Emerald. Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information services. (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundation of library and information science. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Whitlatch, J. B. (2003). Reference futures: outsourcing, the web, or knowledge counseling. Reference Services Review, 31(1), 26-30.