The theory of Information Interchange originated from Marcella and Baxter’s 1997 research article, “European Union Information: An Investigation of Need Amongst Public Library Users in 3 Scottish Authorities”. Marcella and Baxter later described the theory in greater detail in a chapter of Theories of Information Behavior. Per the authors, “[t]he theory focuses on the importance of considering the roles and aims of both the information provider and of the information user is assessing the effectiveness of, and potential improvements to, the information communication process” (Marcella and Baxter, 2005, p. 204). Information Interchange helps to explain the relationship between the information provider and information user, particularly recognizing the different roles and objectives of the provider versus the goals of the user and differences that may lead to difficulties for both parties. For example, an information provider may seek to turn an information user into a well-informed citizen, but the information user may have no desire to be that well-informed citizen and just wants the specific piece of information they seek (Marcella and Baxter, 2005, p. 207). The primary strength of this theory is that it allows for a study of information service and service ethos, which can be utilized to determine the gaps between services currently provided and what services this community needs and wants from their public library.
Marcella and Baxter utilize this theory frequently in their subsequent research, specifically regarding information needs related to citizenship. This includes one particular study, published in 1999—“The Information Needs and the Information Seeking Behavior of a National Sample of the Population of the United Kingdom”—which looks at the results of surveying a portion of the population of the United Kingdom to determine where people were most likely to look for information and the preferences of format for receiving information (p. 159). A similar study, published in 2000,—“The Impact of Social Class and Status on Citizenship Information Needs”—looks at different types of information needs for obtaining citizenship in the United Kingdom based off of sociodemographic data of immigrants and how their class, status, and education level impacts their information seeking behavior (Marcella & Baxter 2000, p. 239). This informs the research project in looking at how class, status, education level, and other demographic information can guide an immigrant’s library use and what type of information they are likely to seek.
David Bawden also refers to the theory—though under the name of “information exchange”—in his article “Users, User Studies and Human Information Behavior”, published in the Journal of Documentation in 2006. Bawden’s study focuses on information seeking behavior and information needs (2006, p. 671). He reminds his audience that the flow of information rarely goes only one way, and that this theory has negated a previous perception that the information profession operated on a basis of a linear information provider to information user (Bawden, 2006, pp. 673-4). This study encourages the research study design to focus on developing a relationship between information provider—the librarians at the public library—and the information users—immigrants new to the area.
However, the study that focuses entirely on Information Interchange is “Theory of Information Interchange as a Theoretical Framework for Understanding Utilization of Information by Arbiters for Conflicts Resolution”. In this paper, the authors delve further into this particular theory and how it can be utilized, particularly in conflict resolution in courtrooms and elsewhere. The authors describe the theory as being:
built upon the fundamental dichotomy between the information provider view and the user view. The provider seeks to generalize and work towards a baseline and poorly respond positively to the public sphere. In contrast, the user acts in a variety of contextualized roles and varies the level of expertise or ‘informedness’ prior to the interchange of information. (Dangani & Katsayal, 2015, p. 78)
The authors also break down the information interchange theory into five constructs: providing, holding, withholding, accessing and use (Dangani & Katsayal, 2015, p. 79). For example, an information provider may have information that a user needs, but chooses to withhold it or provide it. Similarly, in the case of conflict resolution, a government may withhold information that would increase the level of conflict, or choose to provide information such as laws to settle a disagreement which would be used by a judicial system. Ultimately, communication of information—or the choice to withhold information—is paramount in influencing the results of a conflict. While librarians are perhaps not actively choosing to withhold information, perhaps there is information that multilingual, multicultural patrons want but feel that they do not have access to, especially if they are recent immigrants.
Communication—especially information communication—has to successfully go both ways in order to be effective and accomplish tasks set out by both parties: information-provider and information-seeker. However, if the information professionals of an information organization such as a public library are not aware of the information needs of a specific and significant portion of the community, fulfilling the role of information-provider may be difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to discover what the multilingual, multicultural portion of the community views as strengths and weaknesses, and what of their information-needs are not being met. Doing so strengthens the relationship between information provider and information user, with the added benefit of further establishing the need for the information organization within the community at large.
Works Cited
Bawdin, D. (2006) “Users, user studies and human information behavior: A three-decade perspective on Tom Wilson’s “On user studies and information needs”.” Journal of Documentation, 62(6), pp. 671-679, https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410610714903
Dangani, U. B., & Katsayal, M. (2015) “Theory of information interchange as a theoretical framework for understanding utilization of information by arbiters for conflicts resolution.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(11), pp. 76-81. http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v4(11)/K04011076081.pdf.
Marcella, R., & Baxter, G. (1997) “European Union information: An investigation of need amongst public library users in 3 Scottish authorities.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 29(2), pp. 69-76. https://doi.org/10.1177/096100069702900202
Marcella, R., & Baxter, G. (1999) “The information needs and the information seeking behavior of a national sample of the population in the United Kingdom.” Journal of Documentation, 55(2), pp. 159-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007142
Marcella, R., & Baxter, G. (2000) “Information need, information seeking behaviour and participation with special reference to needs related to citizenship: Results of a national survey.” Journal of Documentation, 56(2), pp. 136-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000007112
Marcella, R., & Baxter, G. (2005) “Information interchange”. In Fisher, K. E., Erdelez, S., and McKechnie, L. E. F. (Eds.), Theories of Information Behavior, Information Today Inc., Medford, NJ, pp. 204-9.