3.1 Question Negotiation and Information Seeking in Libraries

3.1 Question Negotiation and Information Seeking in Libraries

Robert S. Taylor

This article discusses the search for information through two different means: contact with information professionals (librarians) and self help. The article discusses the difficulties people may have in getting the correct information through these means. Taylor interviewed information specialists and reference librarians about the way they help “inquirers” to find the answer to their questions. Taylor also discusses the idea of self help and the information seeking strategies of users. He wants make the systems more user-oriented but still on a similar framework to question negotiation through an information specialist.

Taylor describes the different stages of question formation. He describes the actual but unexplained need as the visceral need. The weird thing about this stage is it seems very hard to quantify it within an example of the situation. As it is seemingly unconscious, it is hard to explain. Following this is the conscious realization of the need, appropriately called the conscious need. For most users, this would be the first stage of question formation. The average person wouldn’t even consider the moment between the occurrence and the realization of the need. The formal statement of the need, or the formalized need, seems as though it would be the most useful stage to information professional. While the context in which the user gained the conscious stage of need is helpful, the formalized stage seems to be when the user can explain the need to another person. The stage that follows, the compromised need, seems as more of an extension of the formalized need. If the expression of the formalized need does not yield results, the user must explain it to the system differently. While I feel like this process makes a lot of sense, it seems like an awkward conversation to lead a patron through to help with their information needs. While it may make sense to someone with a college education (especially someone who has taken a class similar to this) it doesn’t seem like it would be beneficial to go through these kinds of question with a child. As I plan to work primarily with children I am trying to look at these theories and apply them to working with children.

The section on information strategies was very interesting to me. While we have discussed that systems are becoming more user oriented, Taylor mentions that most systems are not oriented towards a new user, that the options offered within the system are not always clear in their intent. I sympathize with this idea. While earning an undergraduate degree in English, I spent a fair amount of time using my school library’s article databases and searching mechanisms. By senior year, I was a pro, but when I was just starting out, it was very hard for me to use the system accurately. As I had to use it more and more, my searches were more accurate to what I wanted. I had to learn the specifics of the system first. Taylor calls for a more adaptable interface, to better express to users what certain options will do. This seems like an obvious solution, but it seems as though many systems are still tricky for the average person to use.