Imposed Queries in the School Library Media Center: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

This work replicates and builds on a pilot study designed to test the theoretical model of information-seeking behavior called the imposed query. The same cross-sectional approach was used to collect data at the pilot site and at two other similar schools, and interviews were conducted with the school library media specialist, teachers, and students at the pilot site. Major quantitative findings include the persistence of a relationship between grade level and question type, gender difference in library use at the pilot site, and a significant difference in prevalence rate for one school as compared with the other two. Qualitative findings identify teachers, the school library media specialist, parents, and children as imposers. Children were most hindered by limited reading skills, showed a preference for browsing and known items, demonstrated a limited ability to assess information critically, and used a wider variety of sources for imposed queries than for self-generated questions.