PDF of Talking Around the Text: Everyday information exchange in book discussion groups

ABSTRACT

Book clubs, or book discussion groups, have become wildly popular in recent years, but the modern manifestation of them has not been studied in an information exchange context. This exploratory study noted the types of information exchanged within a book discussion group, including information about the book being discussed and everyday information not related to the book. Everyday information is information related to everyday life, events, and happenings. This study also examined how the structure and rules of a book discussion group is formed, and how this structure facilitates information. The relationships between group members were noted and analyzed to determine correlations between other variables in the study. This study used Fisher's Information Grounds theory to frame a discussion of the role everyday information plays in relationship-building in book discussion groups.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I: Literature Review

• Literacy: Oral, Literate, Visual
• Reading
• Book Discussion
• History of Book Clubs
• Oprah's Book Club
• Reader's Guides
• Roles and Gender
• Information Behavior
• Information Grounds
• Reader Response Theory
• Women's Ways of Knowing
• Serious Leisure
• Book Club Studies
• Book Clubs in the Workplace and in Libraries
• Relationships
• Conclusions

Chapter II: Methodology

• Introduction
• Sample
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis
• Trustworthiness
• Ethical Considerations
• Book Group Profiles

Chapter III: Findings

• Introduction
• Everyday Information Exchange
• Types of Everyday Information
• Relationships
• Roles
• Place
• Literature Background
• Experts
• Exclusion and Inclusion
• Dissension, Disruption, and Conflict
• Structure
• Documentation
• Before and After Group Activities
• Satisfaction
• Time
• Age
• How much time is spent talking about the book?
• Book selection
• Communication
• Initial Awareness

Chapter IV: Discussion

• Introduction
• Textual interpretation
• Communication
• Relationships, Textual Information, and Information Exchange
• Oral Information
• Information Grounds
• Diversity
• Place
• Conclusion

Chapter V: Future Research

Appendices and Bibliography