Inner-city gatekeepers: an exploratory survey of their information use environment

This article describes the information use environment (IUE) of African‐American gatekeepers in Harambee, an inner‐city neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In‐depth one‐on‐one interviews were held with a purposive sample of 20 gatekeepers identified through community‐based organizations between April and May 1997. Findings indicated that the gatekeepers were slightly better educated and earned more than the average Harambee resident. The most prevalent information needs experience related to race relations, crime and family, and their sources of unmet needs were lack of awareness of or access to existing information or resources. Interpersonal sources were preferred over all other sources because of concerns about trustworthiness and credibility of information. The implications of these findings for professional information services are discussed.