The Role of Information for People Planning for Retirement

Abstract

This study presents the preliminary findings from research on the Everyday Life Information Seeking behaviours of Korean government officials in their 50s. The main objectives of this study were to characterize the daily life of baby boomers waiting for retirement by understanding their basic information use contexts, and to also identify a range of information seeking and search behaviours. Sixteen people, aged between 50 and 56, participated in this study. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed from four perspectives: 1) information seeking environments; 2) personal context of information seeking; 3) patterns of information searching; 4) recognition of discontinuation of information seeking. The qualitative findings indicate that the participants preferred to use physical materials and their existing social networks as information sources. The study participants generally held unfavourable or uncomfortable views of libraries as their source of information to satisfy their information needs. Nevertheless, the participants expected that libraries, acting as information centres, would be another useful place for their lives if libraries continue to transform. Finally, the study reveals the relationship among environment, context, and interaction with respect to personal information-seeking behaviours based on the analysis. This study should serve as strategic implications for library practitioners to develop the information services and the corresponding library management process in accordance to the potential and powerful evolving user group in a future aged society.