Neighbourhood book exchanges: localising information practices

Introduction. Through this paper we report on an exploratory study into the design and use of neighbourhood book exchanges in North America. We identify dominant media framings of these book exchanges in North America, along with claims made concerning the influence of the exchanges. We compare the media claims with insights from interviews with the stewards of six book exchanges in an urban centre of the Pacific Northwest and weekly inventories of the six exchanges. Method. We collected and analysed over 150 newspaper and media articles, conducted weekly extensive inventories of six book exchanges for three months and interviewed stewards of the six book exchanges at the beginning and end of our inventory period. Analysis. We draw upon grounded theory analytic methods as developed by Kathy Charmaz. Results. We provide the first empirically rigorous investigation focused on the information practices associated with neighbourhood book exchanges. Conclusions. Through this work we provide an initial framing of the neighbourhood book exchange phenomenon. Most significantly, the neighbourhood book exchange stewards in this study actively work to design and support local information practices, reinvigorating and sustaining relationships with their neighbours.