Makiko Miwa
The Open University of Japan, Chiba, Japan
(miwamaki@ouj.ac.jp)
Background. Problem-solving support services in Japan’s public libraries offer users’ problem-solving support by providing information in business, health and medical, legal, and administrative support. Though such services are quite well-developed in Japan’s public libraries, there is little research on the information needs of local citizens who make use of these services.
Objective. This study investigated the information seeking processes of two groups of library users—aspiring entrepreneurs and cancer patients—who used public libraries to attain their problem-solving goals. This study used an information behavioral grammar model as the theoretical framework.
Method. Existing interview data of aspiring entrepreneurs and cancer patients were analyzed using the model, applying a constant-comparative method adopted from the grounded theory approach in order to elicit how problem-solving goal (distal goal) and information needs (proximal sub-goals) are modified in information seeking process.
Results. The information behavioral grammar model was found to be useful for characterizing and explaining the change in the distal goal and the information needs for problem solving, together with the emotions of the actor that result in the change. Entrepreneurs and cancer patients use various external services before and after using the public library’s problem-solving support service.
Practical implications. It is desirable for public libraries to collaborate with external specialized organizations and professionals in offering user-training on library use, Web search, and specialized data base retrieval.
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Cite: Miwa, M. (2021). Capturing changing user goals in information seeking process using information behavioral grammar model. LIBRES, 31(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.32655/LIBRES.2021.1.1