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Descriptors:
Information Needs; Public Health; Guidelines; Foreign Countries; Nutrition; Infants; Mothers; Decision Making; Information Sources; Parent Attitudes; Health Behavior

Abstract:
The majority of mothers in Ireland provide formula milk to their infants during the initial weeks postpartum; however, data are lacking on their formula feeding practices and support needs. This prospective Dublin-based observational study, which included 450 eligible mother-term infant pairs recruited and followed up to six months postpartum, aimed to advance our understanding of maternal formula feeding practices, their reasons for deciding to formula feed, sources of feeding information and perceived support needs; insights into infant formula milk consumption patterns in relation to current feeding guidelines are also provided. In summary, the vast majority of infants at six weeks were provided with formula milk (n =368; 81.8%). Positive maternal perceptions of formula feeding were among the most frequently reported reasons underlying mothers' decisions to formula feed (e.g. convenience, 17.3%). Potential public health concerns over the large formula milk volumes consumed by infants (mean 205 ml/kg/day) relative to infant feeding guidelines (150 ml/kg/day) were raised from this study. Some mothers continue to add solid foods to infant bottle feeds at six weeks (3.8%) and six months (6%), a non-recommended feeding practice posing a choking risk for infants. Crucially, this study highlights the need to provide greater support and information to mothers who decide to formula feed postpartum, including practical information on sterilisation and formula reconstitution. While breastfeeding promotion and research continues to be a public health priority in Ireland, addressing the support and information needs of mothers who formula feed, an under-represented and understudied population in the literature, also needs to be considered to ensure optimal health and safety for their infants. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Literacy; Research Skills; Asians; Foreign Students; Undergraduate Students; Student Behavior; Information Needs; Information Seeking; Information Utilization; Guidelines; Peer Influence; Prior Learning; Student Interests; Time Management; Academic Libraries; Library Services; Foreign Countries; Portfolios (Background Materials); Semi Structured Interviews; Flow Charts

Abstract:
Academic librarians are striving to better serve international students as this emerging population grows on university campuses. Past studies of international students generally focus on linguistic and cultural differences in relation to information literacy skills development. However, it is necessary to go beyond these factors to better serve the population. By using a framework based in information behavior research, the present study investigates the factors that mediate students' behavior and information literacy skills. Practical recommendations based on the findings of an in-depth qualitative study of students' research process are provided. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Services; Information Seeking; Educational Attainment; Semi Structured Interviews; Economic Status; Internet; Information Technology; Information Sources; Information Needs

Abstract:
This exploratory study examines the information seeking and use behaviors of a group of US retired or near-retirement investors from everyday life information seeking and serious leisure perspectives. Although primarily qualitative, it also collects and analyzes quantitative data to describe retired investors' information preferences and use. Semi-structured interviews and journaling are used to examine the information seeking behaviors of a diverse group of investors and to assess the impact that personal characteristics, such as sex, socio-economic status, and educational attainment have on their behaviors. Findings suggest that the female investors studied were less likely to create information intensive fields and that this tendency is exacerbated by low educational attainment. Furthermore, the male investors studied were more likely to adopt Internet technology for their investing information seeking regardless of their educational attainment. Recommendations are made for improving information services to this important segment of the population. (Contains 1 table, 8 figures and 1 note.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Financial Aid; Paying for College; Federal Government; Costs; Internet; Tuition; Information Sources; Educational Attainment; Information Needs; Family Needs

Abstract:
Families flummoxed about what college will cost them have more information at their disposal than ever before. The Internet offers tuition data, advice on saving and borrowing, and explanations of financial aid. New online calculators let families estimate their bottom-line price at any college. But not all the information out there is easy to make sense of, and some of it's no good. A big push from the federal government to provide better consumer information has not created better-informed consumers. Families have more information than ever before, but no more clarity about the eventual cost of a diploma. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Electronic Libraries; Library Services; Focus Groups; Librarians; Libraries; Surveys; Error Patterns; Web Sites; Access to Information; Information Seeking; Information Technology; Information Needs

Abstract:
This report explores the changing world of library services by exploring the activities at libraries that are already in transition and the kinds of services citizens would like to see if they could redesign libraries themselves. It is part of a larger research effort by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project that is exploring the role libraries play in people's lives and in their communities. The research is underwritten by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This report contains findings from a survey of 2,252 Americans ages 16 and above between October 15 and November 10, 2012. The surveys were administered on half on landline phones and half on cellphones and were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of error for the full survey is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. There were several long lists of activities and services in the phone survey. In many cases, the authors asked half the respondents about one set of activities and the other half of the respondents were asked about a different set of activities. These findings are representative of the population ages 16 and above, but it is important to note that the margin of error rises when only a portion of respondents is asked a question. There are also findings in this report that come from an online panel canvassing of librarians who have volunteered to participate in Pew Internet surveys. Some 2,067 library staff members participated in the online canvassing that took place between December 17 and December 27, 2012. No statistical results from that canvassing are reported here because it was an opt-in opportunity meant to draw out comments from patrons and librarians, and the findings are not part of a representative, probability sample. Instead, the authors highlight librarians' written answers to open-ended questions that illustrate how they are thinking about and implementing new library services. In addition, the authors quote librarians and library patrons who participated in focus groups in-person and online that were devoted to discussions about library services and the future of libraries. One batch of in-person focus groups was conducted in Chicago on September 19-20. Other focus groups were conducted in Denver on October 3-4 and in Charlotte, N.C. on December 11-12. Some 2,067 library staff members participated in the online panel. (Contains 2 tables and 10 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Needs; Colleges; Faculty Development; Program Evaluation; College Faculty; Educational Practices; Academic Achievement; Program Effectiveness; Comparative Analysis; Goal Orientation; Measurement

Abstract:
During the past few decades, faculty developers within the United States and internationally have steadily become more aware of the need to do a better job of assessing their programs. They are part of institutions of higher education that are also growing more aware that they not only need to "support" learning by professors and students but they also need to "be" learning organizations. Assessment consists of a series of decisions that the person(s) doing the assessment must make. For example, consider the why, what, and how of assessment. Why is the assessment necessary? Who is the intended audience for the assessment? What do they want to know? What is their primary question? What is the scope of the assessment? The whole program? A signature activity? One particular event? What information needs to be collected? Should information be collected about participant learning, changes in their practice of teaching, student learning, and so forth? How can the desired information be collected? How should the information be used or presented? This article shares ideas, information, and examples for each of these central questions and then wraps up with some suggestions on the general characteristics of good assessment procedures. (Contains 1 figure.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Females; Access to Information; Information Needs; Womens Education; Foreign Countries; Nongovernmental Organizations; Economic Status; Socioeconomic Status; Information Centers; Resource Centers; Empowerment; Case Studies; Financial Support; Technological Advancement; Libraries; Information Technology

Abstract:
In the last few decades, there has been steady increasing awareness of the need to empower women in order to improve their socioeconomic status to be able to cope and also contribute effectively in this period of economic crisis. ATI (access to information) provision is a vital factor in empowerment, thus, many organizations, such as library, resource centres, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations), have been involved in empowering women in Nigeria. The paper examines the various programmes/services of the libraries, resource centres, and NGOs in meeting the socio-economic and political information needs of women. It ascertains how women actually access the information provided by the NGOs (especially those that have information or documentation centres) and its impact on their socio-economic status. It also identifies the challenges of the NGOs face in providing information to empower the women. The case study research method was adopted and data for the study collected from the women (users) and management and staff of the NGO centres through questionnaire and interview, while qualitative data gathered were reported. Majority of the women using the centres had to be taught how to use new technologies like computers, laptops, ipads, and smart phones. The most used means of accessing information by the women was the radio and television, and person-to-person communication either by word of mouth or by telephone. The NGOs were discovered to be slowly but steadily gaining ground in educating the women and creating awareness among them of their potentials to do better, to be empowered, and to stand up for their rights and themselves anywhere. Constraints faced by the NGOs were mostly funding and getting enough materials, equipment, and other media needed to further empower women. They were found to be a great source of inspiration to the women especially in the rural or less urban parts of the country. Gendered information was provided in the documentation units of the NGOs and efforts were ongoing in a few of them to translate some relevant materials to local languages. (Contains 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Patients; Information Needs; Information Sources; Computer Mediated Communication; Group Discussion; Social Networks; Social Support Groups; Chronic Illness; Health Materials; Information Technology; Health Promotion; Information Services; Information Skills

Abstract:
When patients need information, they may visit a doctor, ask a nurse, or look online. But these are not the only sources of information used by patients. This paper examines discussion threads in online renal support groups to describe how people living with kidney failure conceive of help, information and support. I use Actor Network Theory to locate unexpected sources of information and authority such as information obtained from lived experiences, from bodies or from the machinery used to maintain health. By virtue of being embedded in networks of interrelating elements, the patient emerged as a potential information locus: potentially able to confirm information such as medical measurements, make measurements themselves, generate information related to their own sensations, and summarise information about the trajectory of their illness. Implications for practice include an expanded conception of health information literacy for patients, and expanded possibilities for health information service provision. (Contains 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Information Needs; Library Services; Computer Simulation; Electronic Libraries; Focus Groups; User Needs (Information); Interviews; Library Research; Use Studies; Needs Assessment; Intermode Differences; Library Administration; Usability

Abstract:
As virtual worlds continue to proliferate globally, libraries are faced with the question of whether to provide information services to virtual patrons. This study, utilizing a mixed-method approach of interviews, focus groups, and surveys, represents one of the largest studies of virtual libraries attempted to date. Taking a holistic perspective, the design and implementation of virtual library services and the information needs of 366 participants were examined with both traditional and virtual library users and librarians. Findings suggest that the information needs of traditional and virtual users differ significantly and the overall match between information provided and user needs of virtual branches are typically low. The study's impact centers on the findings that virtual library users represent a disparate group of first-time visitors whose primary information goals are exploratory; successful virtual libraries provide nontraditional information services utilizing the unique virtual reality context to emphasize and support social engagement and communication. (Contains 4 figures and 8 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Developing Nations; Information Seeking; Information Needs; Access to Information; Information Sources; Geography; Information Services; Intervention; Models; Secondary School Teachers; Preservice Teachers; Focus Groups; Questionnaires; Interviews; Content Analysis; Mixed Methods Research

Abstract:
Introduction: This study investigates the information needs and information-seeking patterns of secondary level geography teachers in Lesotho to guide the design and implementation of an information service for these teachers. Leckie, Pettigrew and Sylvain's model of professionals' information-seeking served as a theoretical framework but was overlaid with other models such as that of Savolainen and Wilson. Method: Data were collected from in-service teachers through focus group discussions, prospective teachers with a questionnaire, and key actors in Lesotho's secondary geography education context through individual interviews. Analysis: The Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse the questionnaire responses. Content analysis was used to analyse the verbal responses as well as an open-ended question on the questionnaire. Triangulation was applied through using three sets of participants and different data collection techniques for each. It allowed comparative analysis of responses and data collection techniques used in the study. Results: The work environment of in-service geography teachers is revealed including their work roles, associated tasks, information needs and information-seeking patterns. An information service model for Lesotho secondary level geography teachers (including possible interventions) is proposed. Conclusions: Lesotho geography teachers need information to fulfil their work related roles and tasks that might be addressed through an information service. An implementation agency, information specialist(s) and collaborative approach to service delivery are crucial for the implementation and sustenance of the proposed information service. (Contains 7 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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