Surfacing the ‘silent foundation’: which information behaviour theories are relevant to public library reference service?

Abstract

Introduction. Despite extensive discussions on the theory/practice gap in library and information science, there is a paucity of research on the value and use of formal theory by librarians in their daily practice. Method. Our card sort and interview study investigated which information behaviour theories were relevant to public librarians from Slovenia and the United States in their reference practice and how they encounter those theories in their practice. Results. All of the information behaviour theories were considered relevant by some of the participants. Bounded rationality or “satisficing” was seen as most relevant for information service, while the key difference between Slovenian and United States librarians was observed in their perception of “information poverty”. Participants were generally able to provide examples of how the theories were used in practice, but usually did not recall learning about the theory or the theory’s name. Conclusion. Information behaviour theory is relevant to reference practice in public libraries although its use by librarians may be implicit. These findings may be useful to instructors in LIS programs to convey to students the value of learning theory. Questions remain about why librarians find certain theories more relevant than others and what factors contribute to the differences in their perceptions.