PART-TIME WORKING MOTHERS’ INFORMATION BEHAVIOR by Kelly Sitzman

Part-Time Working Mothers (PTWM)  Who are they?  Women with children under the age of 18  Work less than 40 hours per week  Make up a large percentage of the American workforce  Why work?  Generate income  Feel accomplished  Get away from demands of home life  Find balance between work & family

Questions about PTWM  How do they find information about work and family?  In what ways do they balance their time between work and family?  Does working part-time allow for more freedom in searching for information?  What information do they value?  So many questions, so few answers.

(Lack of) PTWM in Literature  Most literature focuses on:  full-time working mothers (breadwinner)  stay-at-home mothers (caregiver)  Trends show mothers are less interested in working full-time Working Mothers

Findings of PTWM in Literature  Mothers working in clerical or “earner-type positions” were more likely to be depressed than those working in careers  Comparisons & contrasts of values and attitudes of stay-at-home mothers and full-time working mothers  Examined roles & definitions of home  3.0 approach to technology  Lack of support for stay-at-home mothers

Julie: Behavior of a PTWM  Meet Julie: 33 year-old mother of 2 year-old twin boys Works part-time as office manager of small local office  Informational values Researched full-time work vs. stay-at-home vs. part-time work Current news stories from computer or phone Recipes & craft ideas from computer or phone General information from friends and family  Does not value Information about child care (too subjective and always changing) Social networking  Additional Information Organizes personal schedule on paper materials Does not feel unsupported or isolated Finding a balance between work and family is most important

Findings & Future Research  Findings  Information values  No 3.0 approach to technology  No isolation or depression  Does not lack support  Balance!!  Future Research  PTWM in 5 to 10 years Working mothers are currently a significant part of America’s workforce Continued increase in preference of part-time work over full-time

PTWM = Potential!  Potential Outreach  PTWM as library patrons  Shape library services to better fit this group  Information Gaps  Compare to full-time or stay-at-home  Larger sample group  More Studies!  Untapped resource

References  Dillaway, H, and E Paré “Locating Mothers: How Cultural Debates About Stay-At-Home Versus Working Mothers Define Women and Home.” Journal Of Family Issues 29, no. 4: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed October 23, 2013).  Higgins, Christopher, Linda Duxbury, and Karen Lea Johnson “Part-Time Work for Women: Does It Really Help Balance Work and Family?” Human Resource Management 39, no. 1: CINAHL Plus with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed October 23, 2013).  Johnston, Deirdre, and Debra H. Swanson “Moms Hating Moms: ‘Ike Internalization of Mother War Rhetoric.’” Sex Roles 51, no. 9/10: Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed October 23, 2013).  Lee, Charlotte P., and Ciaran B. Trace “The Role of Information in a Community of Hobbyist Collectors.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 60, no. 3:  Mullan, Eileen "Mom 3.0: Marketing to High-Tech Moms." Econtent 32, no. 2: Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed October 21, 2013).  Nwagwu, Williams E., and Mary O. Segilola “Information Needs, Information Sources, and Information Seeking Behaviours of Engineers in Breweries in Nigeria.” Libri: International Journal of Libraries & Information Services 63, no. 2: Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost (accessed November 3, 2013).  Tardy, Rebecca W., and Claudia L. Hale “Getting ‘Plugged in’: A Network Analysis of Health-Information Seeking Among ‘Stay-At-Home Moms.’” Communication Monographs 65, no. 4: 336.Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 23, 2013).  Taylor, Paul, Cary Funk, and April Clark “Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work.” Pew Research Center Accessed October 23,  Wang, Wendy, Kim Parker, and Paul Taylor “Breadwinner Moms.” Pew Research Social & Demographic Trends. Accessed October 23,