LIS 60030 Final Project Olivia Hessler

LIS 60030 Final Project

1. Definition of your user group
Teenagers are an age range consisting of individuals thirteen to nineteen years old. This
is an age range still largely dependent on their parents, while facing opportunities to learn about
themselves and prepare for adulthood. This report specifically focuses on the information use of
American and British teenagers, as these were the samples in the chosen studies. Many these
studies focus on high school students. While it is a common assumption that teenagers are
simultaneously in school, there is a proportion of teenagers who fall under the umbrella term
“NEET,” meaning that one is not involved in education, employed or training (Buchanan &
Tuckerman, 2016, p.527). Studies of disengaged teenagers only help reinforce the importance of
school in teenagers’ lives. School provides opportunities for formal learning and socialization,
which are the main information needs of this age range.
It is not just the information needs of teenagers that define them as their own distinct user
group. Recent generations of teenagers have shown themselves to be fast adapters of new
technologies, as defined by the concept of “digital natives,” meaning one who has grown up in
this environment of quickly changing technologies. A study by the Pew Research Center found
that ninety-three percent of teenagers had access to a personal computer at home (Agosto et al.,
2016 p.248). This comfort with digital spaces has a profound effect on the information habits of
teenagers, from the use of search engines, such as Google, to the use social media, like Facebook.
Teenagers expect information to be located quickly and through a means that integrates itself into
the rest of their lives.
2. The Real Life-Contexts of the Users
While it might be easy for some people to dismiss teenagers because they do not have
political power nor any real purchasing powering, which limit their societal influence; teenagers
are truly right on the cusps of adulthood. By analyzing the habits of teenagers, information
institutions can be better equipped to address future societal trends of information users. The Pew
Research Center recently reported that seventy-eight percent of teenagers own a cellphone, with
thirty-seven percent of teenagers owning a smartphone (Agosto et al., 2016 p.248). Teenagers
also reported that mobile services were their preferred means of information searching (p.248).
Libraries and other information institutions need to adapt to this mobile preference to remain
relevant.
Teenagers also represent a more heterogenous portion of society than prior generations.
Surprisingly, ethnic diversity does not appear to affect information habits of teenagers, most
likely due to the unifying cultural experience of high school (Haras, 2010). These differences do
playout in the information needs of users though. In the 2010 U.S. census, thirty-six percent of
the population reported themselves as a member of a racial or ethnic minority (Williams &
Deyoe, 2014, p. 99). Approximately thirteen percent of children and young adults who are in the
American public school system are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(p.101). Demographic studies of the U.S. population extrapolate that slightly under four percent
of Americans identify as LGBTQ. These factors influence the information that teenagers are
looking for, especially in the realm of leisure information. Libraries and other information
resources need to ensure that these groups are represented in collections and that these patrons
feel welcome in information spaces.
3. Related theories, models, and approaches applied in related research about this user group
Repeatedly, the behaviors of teenage information users followed a model best
summarized by Harlan (2016) as connected learning, where leisure, socialization and information
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gathering blend together in a digital environment. This seamlessly blended environment for
information reinforces the internet as an information ecology. Bowler (2010) addressed the role
of interest in information searching and discovered that although interest increased motivation, it
was negated by time and academic restraints, which enforced the affective load theory. Affective
load theory states that information searches are restrained by external factors, such as time and
motivation, and that people will trade off quality for a quicker result (Fisher et al., 2005). Metzner
& Fosmire (2015) were dismayed to find affective load to be the predominant factor in their own
group of subjects, who were researching for an engineering project. The information the students
gathered was resultantly biased and not comprehensive (2015).
While the course load and extracurricular demands on teenagers lead them to take time
saving measures when gathering information, this behavior is also tied to the life in the round
theory. This theory states that the information needs and habits of an individual are influenced by
social factors in one’s life (Fisher et al., 2005). The influence of school on the habits of teenage
information users was often unstated because it is so ubiquitous, but in Buchanan and
Tuckerman’s (2016) study of disengaged teens, the researchers noted how the under privileged
positions of these individuals influenced their information habits. These teenagers were wary of
asking for help and did not frequent the resources available to aid them. They were also less
information literate than their academically engaged counterparts, which means disengaged
teenagers also require a middleman to help them comprehend information.
4. Methodologies and techniques used in research for determining users’ information needs
and behaviors
Overwhelmingly, the most popular technique for research was surveys. This technique
was often coupled with interviews, either conducted in person or via digital communication. The
sample sizes often consisted of students within a school system. While it is a logical sampling
method for researchers because it allows them to access a confined group and ensures a degree of
involvement from the participants, often reinforced through payments or advertisement.
Unfortunately, these samples were very limited. Many studies only analyzed approximately
twenty students at a time. This should be taken into consideration when extrapolating the finding
to predict larger trends for teenage information users.
Alternatively, studies that analyzed libraries, as opposed to individuals, would appear to
have a more comprehensive view of the population from which the sample came. William and
Deyoe (2014), in their study of diversity in library collections, analyzed over five thousand
libraries. These libraries were public, academic, and school libraries and they were located across
the United States (2014). This is a very thorough analysis, but it should be noted that analysis of
library collections can be done remotely and without the explicit participation of the subject.
The information gathered by these studies was often qualifiable data. Only in a couple
instances was the data gather quantified and in the case of Mentzer and Fosmire (2015), who
were one of the few studies with quantifiable data, the study came from an engineering journal,
where it would be expected that research would be given more weight if it carried quantifiable
results. There is nothing inferior about qualifiable data, though it does lend itself to a greater
chance of bias as results must be inferred by the researchers.
5. The information sources and services provided to and used by this user group
A reoccurring theme from these studies was the pervasiveness of technology in teenage
information use, particularly the use of mobile devices. Information services have sought to
attract teenage users by providing mobile services. Willoughby and L’Engle (2015) looked at
how teens interacted with a sexual information service for phones. The teenagers appreciated the
LIS 60030 Final Project Olivia Hessler

interactive elements of the service, which facilitated a personalized experience (2015). Luo and
Weak (2013) looked at how teens interacted with a texting based reference service. Teenagers
liked having a texting based reference service for multiple reasons, such as privacy and that it
could be utilized while simultaneously engaging in other activities (2013, p.17). One large
downside to this service was that even of the teens surveyed, only one was aware that the library
had a texting service (2013, p.17). It is clearly not enough to offer a service; services must be
actively being promoted to encourage use.
In regards to the physical space of information institution, the best practice is to
incorporate teenagers into the development of young adult spaces. Bernier’s team (2014) looked
at teen participation in the creation of young adult sections of the library. Their study concluded
that the spaces and resources for teenagers within the libraries that did allow teen consolation
were superior to the equivalent resources in libraries that did not include teens in renovations
(2014). Library staff also felt more comfortable supervising teenagers in libraries that allowed for
teen involvement (2014). Agosto’s team (2015) looked at the qualities teens appreciated the most
in a teen space. They found that teens valued comfort and space for leisure (2015). This mirrors
how teens merge socializing and information seeking in digital environments.
6. Related issues and considerations to better serve the users
Dervin claimed that there was a gap between the information and the user created by the
resources available (Morris, 1994). This gap can be seen in the resources libraries could potentially
provide teenagers, while teenagers have negative connotations about libraries that inhibit them from
utilizing these resources. Agosto has done a several studies on the relationship between libraries
and teenagers. Agosto’s (2016) study found that teenagers felt libraries were outdated and that they
were not welcome in such quiet and restricting spaces. This is supported by Agosto’s (2015) study
of what teens valued in young adult spaces that led a compiled list of aspects, including comfort
and accessible for socializing. The social aspects of a library setting are more important to teenagers
than the technological resources as was previously assumed because we live in an age when most
people, regardless of economic circumstances, have access to personal computers and cell phones.
Another prominent issue amongst teenage information users is the reliance on affective
load when researching. This is a problem partially enforced by the school systems by teaching
curriculums that teenagers do not find engaging and overloading students with assignments and
obligations. In Bowler’s (2010) study, one teenager even admitted that interest can be detrimental
to schoolwork because it became too engrossing for the time allotted (p.1339-1340). Schools need
to address the lack of information literacy, perhaps in tandem with libraries as this is a core value
that libraries seek to facilitate. Teenagers need to understand that cutting corners in the quality of
information to save time leads to an inferior synthesis of information and this should be a skill
learned before they enter college or a career. If it can be positively reinforced at a young age, it can
become a permanent habit into adulthood.
7. Your major takeaways from the studies, along with practical applications and implications
in providing suitable sources and services to users within an information ecology context
Despite the cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic differences between teenagers, there are
several aspects of teenagers’ information needs and habits that unify them as an information group.
School and technology are the two dominating factors in the information habits in teenagers.
Technology has had a profound effect on the way teenagers interact with information. Teenagers
navigate a digital landscape that fuses socializing and information. Teenagers are constantly
exposed to information and depending on their personal interests have skills necessary to navigate
leisure information needs that do not match the academic information needs that school requires.
This blending of socializing and information needs to be adopted by libraries for them to maintain
LIS 60030 Final Project Olivia Hessler

the information ecology. Social outlets allow for people to connect with others of similar interests,
provide new information on an issue, and simply share what one has learned. The silent and strict
connotations of the library make it seem old fashioned and restrict the evolution of the ecology.
Libraries appear to not particularly prioritize teenagers, but this is detrimental to the
information ecology of libraries. Libraries should focus more attention on teenagers because as
digital natives, they represent the future of information services, so it is essential for libraries to
adapt new technological trends to stay relevant. There are so many more options for people to get
information, that it is no longer safe to assume that teenagers will end up at the library. If teenagers
do not have positive associations with libraries and do not utilize them, then they will not feel the
need to support libraries in their own communities as adults.
8. Contribute your own recommendations
Libraries and other information institutions need to work with teenagers and discover what
their specific information needs are to tailor resources to them. Libraries cannot take for granted
any patrons in this age of digital information and certainly not patrons who have the potential to
become lifelong library users.
Attracting teenagers to the library could be as simple as allowing them to be a little bit
noisy because they consider the information user process to be a social event. If staff is worried
about rowdy behavior or misuse of services, it might be beneficial to provide constructive activities
and special events tailored around the interests of teens. The best way to discover the interests of
teens would be to just ask them during a teen advisory board meeting or a social media poll. Inviting
guests, such as adults with careers that interest the teens, could provide a human interaction element
that is still lacking in the digital information environment.
Libraries should also attempt to work with schools to promote information literacy and
help inform teenagers of the information resources available to them. The volume of information
resources is potentially overwhelming, especially for a topic that one does not have prior
knowledge. This requires more than a field trip to the library that ends in a library card and the
obligation to check out a book. Librarians need to be there for individual information needs of
teenagers and to be available both in person and through digital channels to provide a range of
options because teens appreciate information services that are tailored to them. Though honestly,
who does not appreciate convenience? Teenagers are not alien beings, just people learning about
themselves and becoming adults. Perhaps, this is an age that needs information resources the most.

Resources
LIS 60030 Final Project Olivia Hessler

• Agosto, D. E., Bell, J. P., Bernier, A., & Kuhlmann, M. (2015). “This Is Our Library, and It’s a Pretty
Cool Place”: A User-Centered Study of Public Library YA Spaces. Public Library
Quarterly, 34(1), 23-43.

• Agosto, D. d., Magee, R. r., Dickard, M. m., & Forte, A. a. (2016). Teens, Technology, and Libraries:
An Uncertain Relationship.Library Quarterly, 86(3), 248-269.

• Bernier, A. a., Males, M. m., & Rickman, C. c. (2014). "It Is Silly to Hide Your Most Active
Patrons": Exploring User Participation of Library Space Designs for Young Adults in the
United States. Library Quarterly, 84(2), 165-182.

• Bowler, L. (2010). The Self-Regulation of Curiosity and Interest During the Information Search
Process of Adolescent Students.Journal Of The American Society For Information Science &
Technology, 61(7), 1332-1344.

• Buchanan, S., & Tuckerman, L. (2016). The information behaviours of disadvantaged and
disengaged adolescents. Journal Of Documentation, 72(3), 527-548. doi:10.1108/JD-05-
2015-0060

• Fisher, K. E., Erdelez, S., & McKechnie, L. (2005). Theories of information behavior.

• Haras, C. (2011). Information behaviors of Latinos attending high school in East Los
Angeles. Library & Information Science Research (07408188), 33(1), 34-40.

• Harlan, M. A. (2016). Connection Information: Connected Learning and Information

Practices. School Libraries Worldwide, 22(1), 110-125.

• Luo, L. l., & Weak, E. (2013). Text reference service: Teens' perception and use. Library &
Information Science Research (07408188), 35(1), 14-23.

• Mentzer, Nathan and Fosmire, Michael J. (2015) "Quantifying the Information Habits of
High School Students Engaged in Engineering Design," Journal of Pre-College Engineering
Education Research (J-PEER): Vol. 5: Iss. 2, Article 3.

• Morris, R. (1994). Toward a user centered information service. Journal of the American Society for
Information Science (45), 20-30.

• Williams, V. K., & Deyoe, N. (2014). Diverse Population, Diverse Collection? Youth
Collections in the United States. Technical Services Quarterly, 31(2), 97-121.

• Willoughby, J. F., & L'Engle, K. L. (2015). Influence of Perceived Interactivity of a Sexual Health
Text Message Service on Young People's Attitudes, Satisfaction and Repeat Use. Health
Education Research, 30(6), 996-1003.