Behind the Closed Door: An Ethnographic Study of Information-Seeking Behaviour in a Closed Stack Media Library
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: Through unobtrusive observation and participant interviews, the following ethnographic study seeks to discover the various sources of information used by patrons in order to borrow a video from the University of Toronto Libraries Media Commons. Drawing from a number of examples, the paper suggests that information-seeking is multifaceted, individualized, and often seemingly non-purposive in nature. Emphasis is placed on the use of conversation as a means for serendipitous discovery and information exchange. Building on this, it is argued that such conversations are not necessarily transactional in nature, but rather are used as a means to share information as well as foster connections.
Author: Aaron D. Campbell
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2962850848