Ann Bishop, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Library & Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne (annpbishop@gmail.com) Eliza Dresang, Professor, Information & Society Center, University of Washington Information School (edresang@uw.edu) Karen E. Fisher, Professor, Information & Society Center, University of Washington Information School (fisher@uw.edu) Ricardo Gomez, Assistant Professor, Information & Society Center, University of Washington Information School (rgomez@uw.edu) The purpose of this panel is to promote an interactive discussion around the types of design opportunities that might be inspired by current research around the information behavior of youth. The session will begin with opening remarks by four researchers, who will share how key elements from their research have direct implications for the design of information technology, policy, services, or pedagogy (6–7 mins each). In the remaining hour, a fishbowl technique will be used to facilitate an interactive discussion amongst all attendees. The fishbowl format is designed to enable the greatest number of people to participate. We have had tremendous success with this method at a number of events, ranging from 25 to 200 people. The fishbowl works as follows. The session will open with introductions by the four provocateurs. Upon presenting their views (5–6 minutes each), touching on such key questions as “what are the distinguishing information behaviors of today's youth?” “what are the biggest truths or fallacies of youth's information behavior?” and “should different information systems/training be designed for youth?” the fishbowl will commence with five chairs occupied by four participants (including one of the organizers) seated in a circle in the middle of the room. Each participant will introduce him/herself (practice continued throughout session), and be asked to comment on the session's opening statements. All other attendees will be sitting around in concentric circle(s)—number of circles depending on the number of participants and room layout. When someone wants to join the discussion, then s/he takes the empty chair and one of the four participants moves away. This process of someone joining and someone leaving continues for the session time. The moderators will actively watch to see who would like a turn in the circle, whose turn it is to leave, and ensure the conversation is lively and flowing. At the conclusion, the moderators will sum-up the discussion, ask people to reflect on the fishbowl experience, and share next steps. Our past debriefing experiences indicated that people feel more involved with the discussion—evident from the fuller range of voices and virtually zero presence of open laptops and people leaving early. Ann Bishop, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Library & Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne (anpbishop@gmail.com) “The Role of Community-Based Youth Researchers in the I-Schools” At the turn of the century, Jane Addams and her neighbors formulated and conducted research that fundamentally changed social science (Seigfried, 2007). Their work also produced pedagogy, policy and design reforms that greatly, and immediately, improved the lives of people across a broad socioeconomic spectrum (Addams, 1990). Addams maintained an enduring interest in the youth of the Chicago tenements with whom she lived and learned (Addams, 1972). Her legacy has fueled a body of youth community informatics research and practice at the University of Illinois, with projects including an urban health information campaign, community asset mapping in small towns, and the development of library services for youth in the criminal justice system. This presentation will highlight some of the theoretical and methodological design tenets of our work, present a few representative outcomes, and touch on issues we've faced as researchers, teachers, and learners. Addams, J. (1972). The spirit of youth and the city streets. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. Addams, J. (1990). Twenty years at Hull-House with autobiographical notes. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. Seigfried, C. H. (2007). Learning from experience: Jane Addams's education in democracy as a way of life. In David T. Hansen (ed.). Ethical visions of education, pp. 83–94. Ann Peterson Bishop is a faculty member at the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Her work centers on community-based informatics research and practice and is grounded in the philosophy of American Pragmatism (especially as practiced by Jane Addams and John Dewey). She teaches courses in community engagement, inquiry-based learning, and community informatics. Her research partners include the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (Chicago); and the B. T. Washington public elementary school, SisterNet, and Peer Ambassadors (Champaign-Urbana). Ann's work has been funded by the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, the U. S. Department of Commerce, and the University of Illinois. Eliza T. Dresang, Professor, Center for Information & Society, University of Washington Information School (edresang@uw.edu) During the 1990s Dr. Eliza Dresang developed a theory known as Radical Change. The theory's explanatory powers lie with what she identifies as the digital age principles of Interactivity, Connectivity, and Access. The original theory was accompanied by a typology that enables others to apply it to the analysis and explanation of ‘radically changed’ books for youth. The theory, however, was almost immediately adopted by others to explain youth information behavior (Dresang and Koh, 2009; Fisher, Erdelez & McKechnie, Theories of Information Behavior, 2005). Yet there was no guiding typology for its application in the realm of behavior. One of Dr. Dresang's doctoral students, Kyungwon Koh, has recently expanded the utility of the Radical Change theory by developing a research-based typology of youth information behavior in a digital environment, the first and only typology of its kind in the field. Dr. Dresang will demonstrate how some of these characteristics of digital age youth information behavior have profound implications for the design of both research and practice. In discussing these new approaches to design, she will suggest a shift in paradigm for youth information behavior research that often to-date has been somewhat of a deficit model and far-reaching modifications in practice that will capitalize on the realities of youth information seeking and success. Eliza T. Dresang is holds the endowed Beverly Cleary Chair for Children and Youth Services at the University of Washington Information School. She is on the Advisory Council for the Center for Information & Society. Her research and teaching focus on the information behaviors and resources of digital age youth and the adults who work with them. Her interest in digital age environments extends to both formal learning environments, e.g., libraries, and to informal venues in which youth seek information. Results of her research support the positive assets of youth interaction with digital technologies. She is an author of three books, Dynamic Youth Services through Outcome- Based Planning and Evaluation (2006); School Censorship in the 21st Century (2001), and Radical Change: Books for Youth in a Digital Age (1999) and dozens of articles on youth information behavior and resources. She has received more than $8 million in grants that support her research. Her current funded research focuses on emergent readers, supporting her belief that reading is an essential 21st century information skill. In 2007 she received the ALA/Scholastic Publishing Award for outstanding guidance in youth reading and extraordinary professional achievement. Karen E. Fisher, Professor, Center for Information & Society, University of Washington Information School (fisher@uw.edu) “Immigrant youth as lay information mediaries in south Seattle” The phenomenon of Lay Information Mediaries (LIM) or everyday people who seek information on behalf of others has been a frequent finding in different literatures for decades, albeit under labels. In the US Impact Study (Becker, Crandall and Fisher, 2010) of public access computer users, analysis of over 50,000 responses from people ages 14 and up collected via household phone survey, online survey of users of over 400 libraries, and four case studies show two out of every three people were LIMs within the past 12 months, using public access computers (for informational and instrumental purposes) on behalf of someone else, including strangers. Moreover, LIMs tend to be young (ages 14–18 are twice as likely), non-white and non-Asian (from 38% to 75% more likely), non-native English speakers (30% more likely), and 79% use library computers on daily or near daily basis while level of education is insignificant. These findings are highly significant for immigrant communities: suggesting youth may be key pathways for understanding the information needs of their respective populations, passing on needed information to otherwise hidden users (especially non-English speaking, non-library using people), and identifying the greater range of how libraries help overall. In this presentation I will share how we are working with local community-based organizations to understand how immigrant youth engage in LIM behavior and how we are using these findings for the purpose of mobile application design. Karen E. Fisher is a professor at the University of Washington Information School and Chair of the Information & Society Center. Dr. Fisher's research focuses on how people experience information as part of everyday life, with emphasis on the interpersonal aspects of information behavior, the role of informal social settings in information flow, as well as the broad impacts of information and communication technologies. For the proposed panel, Dr. Fisher is instrumental as co-author of the LIMB framework, co-principal investigator of the IMLS-Gates supported U.S. Impact Studies of public access computers, and co-author of the pioneering Tween Day Methodology, research on immigrants' use of the Queens Public Library's New Americans Program (both of which received the ALA Jesse H. Shera award for distinguished published research), immigrants' interpersonal berrypicking behavior, as well as on information needs and lay information giving, and co-author of Theories of Information Behavior (with Erdelez & McKechnie, 2005). Ricardo Gomez, Assistant Professor, Center for Information & Society, University of Washington Information School (rgomez@uw.edu) “Fast Friends: benefits and challenges of public access computing for underserved youth in developing countries” Youth are the primary users of public access computing (PAC) venues in developing countries, according to our recent study of libraries, telecenters and cybercafés in 25 developing countries around the world. The majority of PAC venues are cybercafés, i.e., for-profit shops that offer access to computers and the internet as a business, not necessarily as a public service (libraries) or as a tool for community development (telecenters). How does this change the use of PAC services, especially by underserved youth in developing countries? Preliminary findings from an in-depth study in Colombia, South America, indicate that youth derive great benefit from faster and cheaper access to more sources of information, and from new ways of building and maintaining relationships with friends and family. Other less salient benefits include opportunities for learning and for online transactions. We also found an emerging undercurrent of negative consequences associated with these benefits, such as information overload, unreliable sources, superficial relationships, and lack of privacy. How do these findings help us better design PAC venues and services that meet the needs of underserved youth in the digital age? Ricardo Gomez is Assistant Professor at University of Washington's Information School. He specializes in the social impacts of communication technologies, especially in community development settings. He is also interested in qualitative research methods, and in group facilitation and process design. He seeks creative ways to communicate complex ideas and research results in everyday language. He has worked with private, public and non-profit sectors around the world, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Before joining the University of Washington he worked with Microsoft Community Affairs, and with the International Development Research Center in Canada. He holds an MA from Université du Québec à Montréal (1992) and a Ph.D. from Cornell University (1997).