Stuck in the Middle: The Unique Information Behavior of Young Adults and
Preteens
INFO 511: Information Resources & Services II
Professor Ravonne Green
Spring 2009
June 7, 2009

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Definition of Terms
Within the context of this paper, the term preteen is used to describe individuals of ages
9-13; the phrase young adult (YA) is used to describe individuals ages 13-19.
Introduction
When visiting a U.S. public library, a patron is likely to see many sections or departments dedicated to specific types of information. One could see an area marked reference, fiction, non-fiction, periodicals, audio/visual or children’s department.
Another area of the library that one might see, one that has only fairly recently come into public view, is the young adult or teen department. Young adults and preteens have only received special attention in the information world, consideration as a distinct population with unique information needs and behaviors as compared to adults and children, within the past fifty years. It is now apparent that young adults and preteens (as they are considered in the above definitions) are not yet adults and are no longer children. In a sense, YAs and preteens are stuck in the middle, often grey area, of the informationseeking perspective. In light of this, and because these young people often need guidance in order to best meet their information needs, it is important that they be provided with appropriate resources to meet those needs in a library setting. To date, little research has been done on the subject matter of improving YA library services. The following discussion will explore different concepts of past studies, suggest opportunities for future studies in this subject area, and speak of special considerations within service to the YA and preteen population as a whole.

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History of YA Library Services
YA services arose in U.S. libraries in 1957 upon the founding of the Young Adult
Library Services Association (YALSA) with the mission to “advocate, promote and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library service”
( YALSA Mission ). This division of the American Library Association (ALA) was originally formed under the name Young Adult Services Division (YASD) after a split away from the children’s portion of the Association of Young People’s Librarians that had been established in 1941. It was clear that the teenage (and for the intent of this discussion, preteen) population of library communities had unique informational, educational and recreational needs as compared to a library’s community as a whole.
This focus on the teenage portion of library users has lent itself to formal research in this area.
Past Studies
Research on the subject matter of YA and preteen information behavior has been done from many different vantage points. One can consider these peoples’ needs in regard to academic/school/homework-related ideas, everyday-life questions, or even from the standpoint of how to cope with being a preteen or teen: what this means in terms of their development as a human being and what they should consider as they face such developmental changes. Studies have been done as a means of theory development so that teachers and LIS professionals in both school and public libraries have guidelines to follow as they try to meet the information needs of teen students and patrons. Such theoretical models are designed specifically for teens from all types of demographics based on, gender, age, family income, home conditions/location, education level, sexual

In the Middle 3 orientation, or marital and parental status, each of which presents distinct factors in terms of the types and forms of information that members of such a demographic seek. In a
2007 report on their study of information-seeking behavior of preteens, Meyers et al. suggest that “children are not little adults” (p. 310). The article discusses early adolescents’ unique physical, cognitive and social needs as compared to younger or older counterparts. It begins by pointing out that, “while LIS researchers focus on youth for the express goals of building knowledge and improving services, significant efforts are needed to devise optimal research tools” (p. 311). The authors recommend that anyone who researches information needs of preteens should do so in a manner that engages and stimulates the young participants, provides various types of interactions with researchers and peers, and “promotes a sense of empowerment and achievement” (p. 313). As the ideas of such a research model apply to a library setting, it is crucial for successful public and school library YA departments, which often serve preteens as well, to allow for easy access to a variety of age-appropriate materials (both print and electronic), provide areas designated for artistic expression, such as art tables, or writing and journaling supplies, and if available, designate rooms for video, card, or board game play. Aside from these self-guided resources, librarians who are trained in YA services and who make YA patrons comfortable with and excited about library use can serve as excellent adult mentors to young people while those youngsters navigate the course of a difficult and confusing portion of their lives.
Another article that discusses preteens’ and teens’ unique information behavior deals with the differences between information seeking and information use among young users. In Seeking and Finding?
, Linda W. Braun (2005) speaks of researchers’

In the Middle 4 consideration of these ideas as two different, and important, aspects of the information behavior process. She reviews Chelton and Cool’s (2004) compilation of 1990s articles that discusses how advances in technology that aid in information retrieval have definitely changed the “seeking and finding behaviors” of young adults (Braun, para. 1), that research of LIS professionals and teachers has revealed a lot on this topic, and that there is still a long road to travel in gaining a complete sense of the information behavior that is trying to be uncovered. As Braun mentions, each of the articles that Chelton and
Cool consider covers a different aspect of information literacy – topics ranging from why students copy information from a resource rather than using that resource as a springboard for communicating original ideas on a subject, to the many contrasts between
“seeking and finding” school related versus personal information (para. 4-5). Overall,
Braun stresses in this book review that, like Meyers et al., Chelton and Cool highlight the need for information professionals, whether in school or public libraries, to be cognizant of the research and question-answer habits of the young people whom they serve. In ending, Braun adds that, in their book, Chelton and Cool advise that particular attention must be paid to internet-use as part of YA information behavior. Even at the 1990s publication dates of the articles discussed in their book, the articles’ authors were aware of the rise in internet research; they seem to have foreseen the great forefront it has taken in the current LIS field.
Special Consideration of Teens and Preteens in the Digital Environment
Now well into the twenty-first century, the information world has definitely entered the digital age. The digital age, meaning a period in which digital environments are saturated, has lead to the creation of phrases such as “growing up digital,” used by

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Don Tapscott (1997), and discussed in an article by Eliza T. Dresang (2005) in Library
Trends . A person is said to have “grown up digital” if he or she was born after 1977, amidst the digital age. To hone in on young people of this era, Dresang discusses
Holloway and Valentine (2001), who coined the term “cyberkid” to describe today’s teens and preteens who have grown up surrounded by personal computers and other digitized media. In her article, Dresang speaks of the theory of Radical Change, which is based on digital age principles of interactivity, connectivity and access. These principles each, together and individually, shape the information behavior of "cyberkids."
Interactivity relates to this user-population’s preference for frequenting internet websites with high visual content, often animated, interactive, pictures, and a limited amount of text (p. 183). Connectivity speaks to young people’s tendency to collaborate with others of their age group during information seeking endeavors (p. 186). Finally, access, an integral part in the information behavior of “cyberkids,” considers the doors that open for young people because of digital media as they try to make their voices heard – voices that are often silenced outside of the digital environment. Developments during the digital age have surely changed the way in which those who have “grown up digital” go about fulfilling information needs; the digital environment deserves ongoing attention at the forefront of YA and preteen information behavior research.
Outlying Demographics
Within any discussion of YA or preteen information behavior, it is essential that consideration also be given to minority demographics within these populations. The information needs of GLBTQ (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning) individuals differ from those of their mainstream peers; those differences should receive

In the Middle 6 adequate representation in YA library settings. In her article,
Out and Ignored…
, Debra
Lau Whelan (2006), suggests reasons that school libraries often have an inadequate selection of GLBTQ resources and gives tips to librarians who wish to improve such collections. South Carolina school librarian, Pat Scales, comments on many school librarians’ tendencies to shy away from addressing GLBTQ ideas in their collections in an effort to avoid controversy (Whelan, p. 48). Former American Library Association
(ALA) President, also a former Alaska high school librarian, Ann Symons, advises in this regard, “[Build] the collection you think you need and [deal with the controversy] later”
(qtd. in Whelan, p. 48). GLBTQ issues in a school setting will very likely spark disagreement, but the possibility of such should not act as a deterrent to attempts to best meet the information needs of the this large facet of the student population.
In Library Outing: Serving Queer and Questioning Teens , author Hillias J. Martin
(2006) writes about many YA librarians’ reluctance to embrace aspects of service to the
GLBTQ population as compared to the young patrons who frequent their departments.
Martin speaks of the “increasing fluidity or sexuality” (p. 38) and points out that recent studies reflect that nearly eighty percent of all teens know someone who does not identify as straight, nearly six percent consider themselves gay or lesbian, and twenty percent do not personally identify themselves as straight (p. 38). From these statistics, it can be said that adults, the people who are the YA librarians trained to serve patrons seeking information on this outlying demographic, are behind the ball in effectively doing their job in this regard. In his advice to librarians on becoming better information liaisons to
GLBTQ patrons, Martin stresses the importance of creating a hate-free environment in

In the Middle 7 the library (p. 39). Doing so can provide a safe haven for such teens and preteens who face homophobic abuse at school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
Aside from the teen GLBTQ community, another outlying demographic in need of special consideration within the LIS field is that of young multicultural individuals. In an article showcasing a University of South Florida LIS course titled Multicultural
Materials for Young Adults and Children , the special information needs of these patrons are detailed. Within her article, An Online Course in Multicultural Material for LIS
Graduate Students at the University of South Florida , author, Dr. Linda B. Alexander
(2008), poses the idea that, “The class teaches students how to respond to the reading needs of our diverse patron base by understanding aspects of their values and customs as well as their ways of interacting” (p. 32). Also, her discussion includes reasons that multicultural literature is of value to all young people, regardless of heritage. These reasons derive from Tomlinson and Lynch-Brown (2001) whose article suggests,
“Children of varied cultures who see positively represented characters in multicultural literature derive self-esteem and pride in their heritage; Multicultural literature shows children that other groups are worthy, and that they have something to teach others” (p.
32). Alexander points to the importance of librarians staying aware and up-to-date on how to best meet the needs of diverse populations (p. 33). As is mentioned above, as part of YALSA’s mission statement, it is the overall goal for YA librarians in the United
States to “advocate, promote and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library service” (
YALSA Mission ). In the case of multicultural teens and preteens, to fulfill this mission, these patrons’ needs must receive adequate attention

In the Middle 8 as collections are developed and other resources are chosen for their school and local public libraries.
For over five decades, members of the United States’ LIS profession have been pushed to recognize and respond to the unique information needs and behavior of the young adult and preteen portions of their patron population. Research has been done and suggestions have been made in regard to how LIS professionals should adapt their work in an attempt to cater to these patrons, but there will always be room for improvement in regard to this subject matter as technology, social expectations, and new theories are developed.

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References
Alexander, L. B. (2008). An Online course in multicultural materials for LIS graduate students at the University of South Florida. Education Libraries, 31 (1), 32-7.
Braun, L.W. (2005). Seeking and finding? Voice of Youth Advocates, 28 (3), 115.
Chelton, M.K. & Cool, C. (2004). Youth information-seeking behavior . Lanham:
Scarecrow.
Holloway, S. L., & Valentine, G. (2001). Cyberkids: Youth identities and communities in an online world . London: Routledge.
Martin, H. J. (2006). Library outing: Serving queer and questioning teens. Young Adult
Library Services,4 (4), 38-9.
Meyers, E.M., Fisher, K.E. & Marcoux, E. (2007). Studying the everyday information behavior of tweens: Notes from the field. Library & Information Science
Research, 29 (3), 310-331.
Tapscott, D. (1997). Growing up digital: The rise of the net generation. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Tomlinson, C. M. & Lynch-Brown, C. (2001).
Essentials in children’s literature
(4 th
ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Whelan, D.L. (2006). Out and ignored: why are so many school libraries reluctant to embrace gay teens? School Library Journal, 52 (1), 46-50.
YALSA mission statement . (2007). American Library Association. Retrieved 2009 June
7. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/aboutyalsab/yalsamission.cfm.