More on informal communication:
May 7, 2009“There appears to be no study of information seeking behaviour that shows libraries as the first place researchers look for information. Libraries are in effect part of the formal spectrum of information transfer, and as such, among the last places that scientists and engineers look for information.
As he describes the characteristics of the organizational gatekeeper, Allen writes: “librarians and other purveyors of information might well be able to perform their functions better if the were to know the identity of the gatekeepers in their orgnaization.” (Thomas J. Allen, Managing the Flow of Technology, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1977) By identifying and interacting with the gatekeepers in his or her organization, the librarian can be more involved in the informal communication network.”
Jean Poland “Informal Communication Among Scientists and Engineers: A Review of the Literature” , Science and Technology Libraries, v.11, no.3, 1991.
