Reijo Savolainen. Everyday Information Practices: A Social Phenomenological Perspective. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2008. 256p. alk. paper, $55 (ISBN 9780810861114). LC2007-50342.
Everyday Information Practices: A Social Phenomenological Perspective by Reijo Savolainen looks at the methods by which people look for information in non–work-related contexts. The author, a professor in the Department of Information Studies at Finland’s University of Tampere, points out that, while the first research into the subject was done in the United States in the 1970s, few books have been written on the topic. He goes on to say that a number of articles and conference proceedings discuss specific issues involved with information-seeking behavior of everyday life, yet none address the broader view.
Divided into eight chapters, Savolainen begins with an introduction that defines some of the principal concepts of everyday life information practices. Reflexive modernization, for example, is defined as a new modernity characterized by heightened insecurities and risks as well as individualization. Everyday life refers to activities that are viewed as regular, normal, and familiar. Chapter two, "Practice and Information Practice," attempts to explain the characteristics of everyday information practice. The author first looks at "what is practice?" and then moves on to "action, activity, behavior, habit, or practice?" He attempts to define each of these related concepts before discussing various approaches to everyday information practices, including ideas from Schatzki and Alfred Schutz.
Chapter three is devoted to "Conceptualizing Everyday Information Practices," looking at information behavior as well as information action and activity. Savolainen then formulates a conceptual framework and model to put the major issues of everyday information practices into a broader context. Less than five pages long, chapter four relates how the author went about conducting an empirical investigation of information practices. He interviewed two groups of people, environmental activists and retirees, in 2005 and 2006.
Chapter five discusses the two types of information seeking: seeking orienting information and seeking problem-specific information. The author describes the basic features of both types as well as the sources of information. The information sources were categorized into six groups: human sources, broadcast media, printed media, networked, organization, and other. Chapter six expands on the previous chapter to look at the ways in which media credibility and cognitive authority are used in orienting information seeking. The author also discusses the strategies individuals employ to deal with information overload. Such strategies include filtering and withdrawal. Comments from those interviewed are interspersed throughout the text.
Chapter seven deals with the sharing of information as an everyday information practice. The author states that, "in the broadest sense, information sharing may include providing information, receiving information provided by other people, confirming receipt of the information, and confirming that the information is jointly understood." The work ends with some "concluding remarks" from the author.
Each chapter has a list of references at the end, and the work includes several graphs and charts as well as an extensive bibliography and an index. An interesting read, librarians of all types will want to peruse this book. Everyday Information Practice is recommended for most library and information studies collections. It is a welcome addition to the field of information-seeking behaviors.—Nicole Mitchell, University of Alabama at Birmingham.