This paper reports the results from a pilot study investigating the information needs and information seeking behavior of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh area and potential information services they mayprefer to receive. Twenty-one participants of a workshop co-organized by the Business Service Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and a local organization (Service Corps of Retired Executives) responded to a detailed survey. Results show that this particular group of small business people occasionally searches for various types of information. When looking for business related information, they tend to ask their friends and relatives (27.84%), business consultants (23.2%) and colleagues (21.65%) rather than librarians (5.67%) for information about marketing, finance, management, customer services, taxes, employment laws, etc. They use telephone (44.19%) or go in person (36.58%) rather than using email (12.09%) or fax (5.58%) to contact information providers. Although books and magazines are their major information resources (55.02%), they prefer to locate information from homes (41.59%) to libraries (16.81%). They favor value-added information services. They are willing to pay for packaged information prepared by information professionals, advisement sessions with business consultants, and workshops and seminars covering small business topics. Implications and suggestions for the design of user-centered information services are discussed.

  Якщо, ви не знайшли інформацію про автора(ів) публікації, маєте бажання виправити або відобразити більш докладну інформацію про науковців України запрошуємо заповнити "Анкету науковця"