Scrapbook - Unit 10

11.02.06

Taylor's article on Information Use Environments does bring up a very appealing approaching to designing information systems. Taking a look at the user based on where they are coming from in their searching seems to be a good idea but I can imagine the difficulties one would face in applying this in a real world setting. Where do you draw the line for a group of people? For engineers there are computer, network, and mechanical - these groups certainly have differing information needs, is it fair to generalize them all in one group? Where do you draw the line?

I do applaud the idea that everyone has unique information needs based on not just their environment, but their education, their situation, among other factors. And while it is not possible to please everyone and perfectly meet their information needs, I think that these differences must be taken into consideration when designing information systems.

Hershberger's article shows how different groups of people who aren't typical information seekers need information. I think article's like Hershberger's and Dewdney and Harris' on battered women are very important because they bring up the non-typical searcher. Most of the articles we read are either about the medical world (which I'm suspecting is because there is lots of money in that field) or the corporate world. This reminds me of Chatman's study of the information poor - those that are not typical information seekers and may not have unlimited access the way other groups do but who have very unique information needs.

Battered women and abused children are interesting groups to study because of their unique situations. Both groups may not have access to the information they need to get help, find safety, support, or simply reassurance. If libraries began keeping information needed by these groups perhaps more people (women and children) would get the help they need. Studying specific, non-typical domains needs to be done more in the LIS world; we typically seem to study those that use our information systems - wouldn't it broaden our user group (and our own perspectives) to bridge out and try to help those not using our systems?