Designing Information Services for Small Businesses in Public Libraries: The Need for an Interdisciplinary Approach France Bouthillier, Ph.D. GSLIS McGill University ALISE 2005

France Bouthillier McGill University Interdisciplinary Approach: Collaboration with other researchers from various disciplines Application of various concepts and theories from a number of disciplines for framing questions, methodologies and analysis

France Bouthillier McGill University Interdisciplinary research is trendy and essential but how does it look from a conceptual perspective?

France Bouthillier McGill University Context Business information services in public libraries are controversial in spite of their long history They are almost non-existent in the province of Quebec There is a need to investigate SB managers’ needs for information and library managers/staff perceptions to design appropriate service models

France Bouthillier McGill University Research Questions How public libraries can contribute to the economic development of their communities? What would make SB managers interested to use business information services in public libraries in the age of Internet? What factors are perceived as critical by library managers/staff?

France Bouthillier McGill University Methodology Inventory of business information services in 5 countries Survey among Quebec public libraries Two case studies in Montreal involving semi- structured interviews with SB managers(22) and library managers and staff (6) Three economic sectors were selected: IT, aerospace, pharmaceutical

France Bouthillier McGill University Conceptual Framework 1. Information Science – Value-addedness 2. Information Behaviour – Recorded patterns in the fields of management and info science 3. Sociology – Cultural capital and structuration theory 4. Management – Marketing of services

France Bouthillier McGill University Rationale Small business managers are social actors Public libraries are social institutions The use of services is determined by perceptions of their value and quality The use of information services is related to the use of information

France Bouthillier McGill University Value-addedness Taylor argued that users of information services are looking for value-added services: Ease of useAdaptability Noise reductionTime savings QualityCost savings

France Bouthillier McGill University Information behaviour patterns Research on managers’ information seeking behaviour, for 20 years, reveals that they prefer informal sources and face-to-face communication. However, public libraries are perceived as useful sources and perceived environmental uncertainty influences use of information

France Bouthillier McGill University Cultural capital Bourdieu argued that: social agents have different cultural capitals they exchange resources to maintain and/or increase that capital, position of power, and to delineate their differences the concept of habitus is useful for explaining cultural differences

France Bouthillier McGill University Cultural capital Habitus are durable dispositions that are internalized and incline individuals to do certain things = cultural practices Managers’ educational and professional background can reveal cultural practices towards information consumption

France Bouthillier McGill University Structuration Theory Giddens argued that social structure is the result of the use by social agents of rules and resources (authoritative and allocative) Concepts of knowledgeability and routinization are useful to understand library staff behaviour and perceptions

France Bouthillier McGill University Marketing of services Zeithalm et al. identified service quality dimensions: Tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, courtesy, empathy, competence, security, access, communication, customer understanding

France Bouthillier McGill University Conclusions Small business managers are not an homogeneous group of users – several patterns of info consumption Many factors may influence their use of public libraries – habitus, knowledgeability, value-added and quality dimensions Personnel competencies and quick turnaround are key

France Bouthillier McGill University Conclusions Library managers and staff are mostly concerned with print collections They are not aware of industrial differences SB managers are perceived as very rational with little information resources

France Bouthillier McGill University The value of an interdisciplinary framework Prepares the researcher for unexpected results Helps to address complex and complicated problems Supports a range of research strategies and provides a range of explanations

France Bouthillier McGill University Thank you!