People in Department

Dr Marian Smith
Research Associate

Interests and experience

I worked for a number of years as a teacher in primary and secondary education and also as a librarian in public and academic libraries.  In 2002 I came to Loughborough University to study part-time for an MA in Information and Library Management.  During that time I conducted research into the motivational issues associated with learning information literacy in secondary schools. That work led me to the research I undertook for my PhD, which was a phenomenographic investigation of the ways in which young people experience information.  I am interested in information behaviour in particular information literacy and barriers and motivation to learning.

Current research

Sus-IT project

I am employed as a Research Assistant in the Department of Information Science working on the Sus-IT project.  The project aims to generate new knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of ageing in relation to the dynamics of ICT use and development to investigate the actual and potential barriers to sustained and effective use of ICTs by older people and to explore a range of potential sociotechnical solutions to these barriers. The project is funded by the joint UK Research Councils’ ‘New Dynamics of Ageing’ Programme, administered by the ESRC.  More information about the project can be found at:

http://sus-it.lboro.ac.uk/

External activities

Selected publications

• Hepworth, M. and Smith, M., 2008.  Workplace information literacy for administrative staff in higher education. The Australian Library Journal, 57(3), 212-236.

• Smith, M. & Hepworth, M., 2007.  An investigation of factors that may demotivate secondary school students undertaking project work: implications for learning information literacy.  Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 39(1), 3-15.

  
  

Contact details

Tel. 44 (0) 1509 635653
Email M.Smith7@lboro.ac.uk