Section Three

3.1 Taylor, R.S. (1968). Question Negotiation and Information Seeking In Libraries, College & Research Libraries, 28, 178-194. American Library Association

This insightful report incorporates the answers of several librarians interviewed in the hopes of furthering the understanding of the user and the user's needs in the library. Throughout the text, Taylor weaves the responses from the interviews alongside his theory that library users gain the knowledge they seek by conforming their information need to match the system. This notion of "question-negotiation" is broken down into four phases of differing needs: the visceral need, the conscious need, the formalized need and the compromised need (p31). Underlying the question-negotiation process is a dialogue involving the user and the system. Taylor also describes five filters that the reference interview most likely will pass in order to satisfactorily answer the users queries.

The qualitative aspect of this document speaks more to meeting user needs than the previous week's quantitative study, as it focuses on the variability of dealing with individual human beings and their queries. While I may not have the exact experiences the interviewed librarians shared, I find their contributions to the document priceless because it shows that flexibility and a strong knowledge base are the best ways to do my job. One librarian's reference interview concludes with his reflection that his "practical experience in radio engineering is helpful, because I can visualize these things" (32). I do not forsee myself ever having a background in this subject matter, but I find the account more useful in improving my librarianship than statistics since the essence of the comment expresses a need for the librarian to anticipate the needs of the user and prepare oneself accordingly. Over the summer I began browsing the stacks in youth services to begin a knowledge base, anticipating the inevitable question in the school library for book recommendations. I am personally not a fan of sports fiction, but I grabbed a few titles, knowing that some of my future users will consume sports fiction like candy.

Something Taylor finds that relates to my own information-seeking history is that there is "a large number of users of information systems who, for a variety of reasons, will not ask a librarian for assistance" (p29). I vividly recall my poor high school librarian reiterating yet again the many avenues of information possible to the young researchers she was speaking to--yet we were doing everything in our power to ignore her. We already heard her speech freshman year and were expert EbscoHost users. The problem was when we would begin our research and have absolutely no idea how to connect to the appropriate program. Instead of asking her (or even one of her associates) for help, we instead asked one another hoping someone paid attention. Finally one person figured it out and passed instructions along the row of computers, so no one had to ask the librarian for help. In that instance, it was fortunate that the interfaces were perfect for the know-it-all adolescents that frequented the media center, so that we could figure it out ourselves even if we failed to hear the librarian's fairly simple instructions. As a future librarian, I find this sad; but as an ex-high school student, I also find it understandable and appreciate Taylor's approach to information behavior. It is necessary to assume that there will be many users that would rather manipulate the system on their own, without the aid of the librarian.