Information Seeking Behaviour by the Employees of the State Department of East African Integration

Abstract

This paper attempts to establish information seeking behaviour of the employees of the East African Integration. The Department of East African Community coordinates the activities of East African Community in Kenya. Wilson (1999) defines information seeking as, "those activities a person may engage in when identifying their own needs for information, searching for such information in any way, and using or transferring that information". This study was a qualitative research in nature. The participants were drawn from 200 employees of the State department of EAC integration. The researcher employed interview method for data collection. The researcher used purposive sampling and interview schedules were prepared to gather information from participants. Data was analysed thematically. The results were that employees of the State department of East Africa integration sought information to assist them carry out their mandate concerning integration matters and they sought information by accessing the internet among others. It was concluded that information sought by employees of State department of East African Integration was information related to EAC integration process since a small proportion mainly from administrative directorate indicated that they seek information to better them in other disciplines of interest. It was recommended that due to lack of enough literacy skills on the part of the staff, librarians at State department of East African Integration should mount an effective IL programme in order to enable employees to easily access information whenever they sought for it. It was also recommended that ICT officers, librarians and record officers should put in place effective information retrieval tools that could assist the employees as they sought for information that could enable them carry out their mandates