Tara Zimmerman

Introduction. Fandom has been explored extensively in LIS research, but a gap exists in the study of information behaviour from the perspectives of fandom subjects. This research explored what motivates former cast members of the Little House on the Prairie television series to engage with their fans, as well as the extent to which nostalgia serves as a catalyst for information sharing within the within the Little House on the Prairie fandom community. Method. Using a qualitative approach, six former Little House on the Prairie cast members were selected through purposive sampling for a survey with both open- and closed-ended questions. Analysis. Survey responses were organized and coded inductively, line-by-line, using NVivo 12. Results. Initial results revealed the prevalence of nostalgia for both fans and cast members. Loyalty, gratitude, and community also emerged as motivators for engagement with members of the fandom. Conclusion. The study of cast members’ information behaviour within fandom may provide insight into the affective dimensions of reliving the past through media and shared experience.

Background: The COVID-19 infodemic has imposed a disproportionate burden on older adults who face increased challenges in accessing and assessing public health information, but little is known about factors influencing older adults’ trust in public health information during COVID-19. Objective: This study aims to identify sources that older adults turn to for trusted COVID-19 public health information and factors that influence their trust. In addition, we explore the relationship between public health information sources and trust factors. Methods: Adults aged 65 years or older (N=30; mean age 71.6, SD 5.57; range 65-84 years) were recruited using Prime Panels. Semistructured phone interviews, guided by critical incident technique, were conducted in October and November 2020. Participants were asked about their sources of COVID-19 public health information, the trustworthiness of that information, and factors influencing their trust. Interview data were examined with thematic analysis. Results: Mass media, known individuals, and the internet were the older adults’ main sources for COVID-19 public health information. Although they used social media for entertainment and personal communication, the older adults actively avoided accessing or sharing COVID-19 information on social media. Factors influencing their trust in COVID-19 public health information included confirmation bias, personal research, resigned acceptance, and personal relevance. Conclusions: These findings shed light on older adults’ use of information sources and their criteria for evaluating the trustworthiness of public health information during a pandemic. They have implications for the future development of effective public health communication, policies, and interventions for older adults during health crises.

The School Library Media Special Interest Group session offered multiple opportunities to “bridge the gap” between passive listening to the research of others and active engagement in the research of others through collaborations. Developing research collaborations informs future practice through teaching and learning, as well as in practice. As one example of a research project, Dr. Tara Zimmerman presented her study “Awareness and Critical Thinking (ACT) Program: How School Librarians Can Teach Children to Detect and Avoid Misinformation”. Dr. Zimmerman’s project is funded by a three-year early career grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The spread of misinformation is a recognized threat to democratic societies, and children are particularly susceptible due to increased use of digital technology, particularly in education. The Awareness and Critical Thinking (ACT) Program is a proposed research project to investigate and strengthen school librarians’ role in educating students about the dangers of misinformation, how to detect it, and avoid it. Based on a survey of school librarians, curriculum will be developed and piloted in several states. Finally, the fully scaffolded, flexible curriculum will be made available to all schools, supplemented with teaching tips and examples gained from the program. This research on teaching children to identify misinformation segued smoothly into more active participation in “Speed Dating a Researcher.” Opportunities to confer one-to-one with other researchers in the field of school librarianship are rare. By "thin-slicing” or using limited information from a narrow period of experience, we can draw conclusions which may be as good as, or even better than, carefully planned and considered ones (Gladwell, 2007). One example of thin slicing is speed dating. Through this matchmaking process, eligible research partners had the opportunity to meet new potential partners in a very short period. Rows of chairs were arranged to seat participants knee-to-knee so that attendees literally needed to “bridge the gap” between to chat about their research. Participants rotated to meet each other over a series of short "dates" lasting five minutes. Participants were encouraged to discuss their own research, research that they have read about and found interesting, or a possible future research project. At the end of each interval, the conveners rang a bell to signal the participants to move on to the next date. At the end of the event participants submitted to the conveners a list of who they would like to provide their contact information to. When matches were made, contact information was forwarded to both parties. Contact information was not traded during the initial meeting to reduce pressure to accept or reject a researcher in person. Participants were informed of these activities prior to the conference at the SIG business meeting and through the SIG listserv. They were encouraged to bring their ideas and business cards with them to prepare for making new research partnerships. Nametags and forms to request matches were supplied at the event to actively engage participants in this collaborative process.

Understanding the factors that influence trust in public health information is critical for designing successful public health campaigns during pandemics such as COVID‐19. We present findings from a cross‐sectional survey of 454 US adults—243 older (65+) and 211 younger (18–64) adults—who responded to questionnaires on human values, trust in COVID‐19 information sources, attention to information quality, self‐efficacy, and factual knowledge about COVID‐19. Path analysis showed that trust in direct personal contacts (B = 0.071, p = .04) and attention to information quality (B = 0.251, p < .001) were positively related to self‐efficacy for coping with COVID‐19. The human value of self‐transcendence, which emphasizes valuing others as equals and being concerned with their welfare, had significant positive indirect effects on self‐efficacy in coping with COVID‐19 (mediated by attention to information quality; effect = 0.049, 95% CI 0.001–0.104) and factual knowledge about COVID‐19 (also mediated by attention to information quality; effect = 0.037, 95% CI 0.003–0.089). Our path model offers guidance for fine‐tuning strategies for effective public health messaging and serves as a basis for further research to better understand the societal impact of COVID‐19 and other public health crises.

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 infodemic has imposed a disproportionate burden on older adults who face increased challenges in accessing and assessing public health information, but little is known about factors influencing older adults’ trust in public health information during COVID-19. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify sources that older adults turn to for trusted COVID-19 public health information and factors that influence their trust. In addition, we explore the relationship between public health information sources and trust factors. METHODS Adults aged 65 years or older (N=30; mean age 71.6, SD 5.57; range 65-84 years) were recruited using Prime Panels. Semistructured phone interviews, guided by critical incident technique, were conducted in October and November 2020. Participants were asked about their sources of COVID-19 public health information, the trustworthiness of that information, and factors influencing their trust. Interview data were examined with thematic analysis. RESULTS Mass media, known individuals, and the internet were the older adults’ main sources for COVID-19 public health information. Although they used social media for entertainment and personal communication, the older adults actively avoided accessing or sharing COVID-19 information on social media. Factors influencing their trust in COVID-19 public health information included confirmation bias, personal research, resigned acceptance, and personal relevance. CONCLUSIONS These findings shed light on older adults’ use of information sources and their criteria for evaluating the trustworthiness of public health information during a pandemic. They have implications for the future development of effective public health communication, policies, and interventions for older adults during health crises.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of social noise. Under the influence of social noise, a social media user may adjust information behavior based on external cues, attempting to present themselves in a more desirable way to increase their social capital.Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study informed by an ethnographic approach was used to examine social media information behavior. Participants were observed using Facebook, followed by semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was theoretically grounded in thematic analysis but also adaptive to observations in the data.Findings: Four constructs of social noise were identified in the data. Identity curation emerged as the overarching consideration for individuals. The constructs cultural commitments and relationship management both had a strong presence within the data as well. The fourth construct, conflict management, was identified as social media users decided how to respond to individuals or information with which they did not agree.Originality/value: This study reveals that social media users' awareness of observation by others does impact their information behavior. Efforts to craft a personal reputation, build or maintain relationships, pursue important commitments and manage conflict all influence the observable information behavior of social media users. As a result, observable social media information behavior may not be an accurate reflection of an individual's true thoughts and beliefs.

As community‐oriented programs move from intervention to infrastructure, questions of just and equitable access to that infrastructure both arise and become more consequential to those served. However, extant tools are general in scope, often undertested, and inconsistently linked with positive outcomes for served communities and service providers. We explore the dynamics and implications of a key tool within this infrastructure intended to enable portable collaboration across organizations serving those who are experiencing homelessness: the VI‐SPDAT (Vulnerability Index ‐ Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool). This tool, while providing a means of coordinated assessment, must itself be negotiated according to the values, data concerns, and goals of the agencies and service providers who make use of it. This paper reports findings from 29 interviews with individuals working in nonprofits, charities, and government agencies that provide services or resources to people experiencing homelessness within the City of Austin's Continuum of Care. The life‐and‐death stakes of the VI‐SPDAT, which is designed to prioritize access to services based in part on a prediction of potential for premature mortality, drive home the need for equitable and just infrastructure.