Assessing the Information-Seeking Behaviors and Needs of the Mormon Religious Studies Information Community

by Gregory K. Seppi

Abstract

This paper investigates the information-seeking behaviors of the Mormon Studies Information Community, defined as scholars (professional and nonprofessional) interested in the history, culture, theology or other aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and other related religious organizations, such as the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The research behaviors of the community was examined through a brief survey of recent scholarship by members of the community.

Keywords: Mormon Studies, information communities,

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Gregory K. Seppi

Gregory Seppi is the Curator of 19^th and 20^th Century Mormon and Western Americana at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. He is halfway through the San José State MLIS program. He previously earned an MA in the History of Medicine from Oxford Brookes University (2011) and a BA in History from Brigham Young University (2010). He previously acquired rare books for the LDS Church History Department in Salt Lake City, UT. His research interests include the history of printing (especially ephemera), religious studies, and the history of eugenics and biopower.