Abstract
First-time mothers have a unique and varied set of information needs, but at present, these needs are seldom adequately addressed by libraries in China. As a first step in making libraries more helpful to this group, this study reports the results of a series of interviews aimed at understanding new mothers’ current information seeking behaviors. Thirty-seven first-time mothers (children from first year of birth to six years of age) took part in semi-structured in-depth interviews, answering questions about their information demand, information source selection (and factors influencing this selection), and obstacles encountered in the process of information search. It was found that first-time mothers’ information-seeking behavior varies from stage to stage, e. g. between pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period. Internet search plays an important role because of its perceived convenience and accessibility, but trust is the key factor during the process of information selection, regardless of source. Overall, the mothers we interviewed seldom use the library. This paper puts forward some suggestions to remedy that situation: libraries might consider opening a first-time-mothers reading room, increasing cooperative promotions with other institutions, providing diversified service projects, and organizing reading-promotion activities for first-time mothers at different stages. If implemented, these suggestions promise to help mothers navigate the transitions of pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare.
Funding statement: This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China, Grant Number: 14ZDA050.
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© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Best Student Research Paper Award
- Circling the Reality of Public Institutions: An e-Delphi Study of Information, Culture, and Community Stakeholders Voicing the Way Forward in Detroit, Michigan
- Articles
- Periodic Information-seeking Behaviors of First-time Mothers in China
- A Study on the Library’s Cultural Value Based on the Perceptions of Users and Librarians in Korea
- Information Literacy Self-Efficacy of Business Students in Pakistan
- An Effective Approach for the Protection of User Privacy in a Digital Library
- Knowledge Sharing at the Overstrand Municipality in Western Cape Hermanus, South Africa
- Miscellaneous
- Best Student Research Paper Award 2020
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Best Student Research Paper Award
- Circling the Reality of Public Institutions: An e-Delphi Study of Information, Culture, and Community Stakeholders Voicing the Way Forward in Detroit, Michigan
- Articles
- Periodic Information-seeking Behaviors of First-time Mothers in China
- A Study on the Library’s Cultural Value Based on the Perceptions of Users and Librarians in Korea
- Information Literacy Self-Efficacy of Business Students in Pakistan
- An Effective Approach for the Protection of User Privacy in a Digital Library
- Knowledge Sharing at the Overstrand Municipality in Western Cape Hermanus, South Africa
- Miscellaneous
- Best Student Research Paper Award 2020