Everyday information practices in lifelong learning: motivations, information behaviors and contexts

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Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates how adult learners participating in lifelong learning (LLL) programs engage in information seeking, use and sharing as part of their everyday lives, and examines how these practices are shaped by motivations and contextual factors. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on Savolainen’s (2008) everyday information practices (EIP) framework and Houle’s (1961) typology of participation motivation, this qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with 24 adult learners enrolled in public library–based LLL programs in South Korea. Interview data were thematically analyzed to identify recurring patterns in information practices. Findings: Adult learners’ information practices were embedded in everyday routines and institutional environments. Participants relied primarily on institutionally provided sources, such as library or district websites, official platforms, printed notices and interpersonal networks. Information engagement involved multiple practices beyond deliberate searching, including monitoring, being told, and encountering information through routine activities and social interactions. Although participants reported diverse and overlapping motivations for participation, these orientations did not yield clearly differentiated information practices. Instead, contextual factors – such as time availability, registration systems, place, affordability and information system design – played a more decisive role in shaping information practices. Originality/value: By applying the EIP framework to lifelong learning, this study conceptualizes LLL information practices as situated, routine-based and socially embedded, highlighting the importance of improving information accessibility in everyday learning environments.
Funding Information
  • National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2023S1A5A2A21087977)

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