University of Oklahoma

Coffee Shop as an Information Ground

Diana Fiddler
Information Users in the Knowledge SocietyLIS 5053
Dr. Ellen Rubenstein
December 13, 2016

Coffee Shop as an Information Ground

Introduction
The purpose of this study was to examine the information ground found within the
context of a small urban coffee shop. A coffee shop offers the perfect opportunity for
acquaintances to meet and share information with one another. The acquaintances in this study
consisted of family, friends, classmates, and co-workers; the population of customers were of
varying nationalities and ages.
The participants primary reason for visiting the coffee shop was to relax while drinking a
type of coffee or tea beverage. The small, quiet, and relaxing atmosphere offered within the shop
gave the customers the environment that fosters small talk among those who frequent the
business. These types of interactions assist in the creation of an information ground. The intent
of this study was to observe the customers of a local coffee shop and develop an understanding
of how these interactions created an information ground through the sharing of information. This
paper will define an information ground and compare the observed individuals behaviors and
interactions to the concept of an information ground.
Explanation of Information Grounds
An information ground can be described as . an environment temporarily created by
the behavior of people who have come together to perform a given task, but from which emerges
a social atmosphere that fosters, the spontaneous and serendipitous sharing of information
(Pettigrew 1999, 811). An environment of this type allows others the opportunity to interact with
one another and, in the process, share information that may or may not be beneficial to others.
Interactions created through the information ground fosters a social atmosphere which builds
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camaraderie and assists in bridging informational gaps which may exist. Interactions such as
these may not always be planned (Counts and Fisher 2010), but the social encounters may still be
productive in the information shared. This indicates that information grounds can occur in any
type of setting.
Literature Review
This literature review will concentrate on the importance and characteristics of an
information ground with reference to a coffee shop. The successful information ground allows
the individuals to share information in an unobtrusive and relaxed setting. Settings such as these
may be found in a place other than the individuals home or place of work. Oldenburg (1982)
explains this concept by referring to it as a third place and a prime example of an information
ground. Trumanan and Lansangans (2012) study of Filipino coffee shops describe this type of
third place information ground. The third place allows for individuals to come together in a
public setting to informally share information. The opportunity for informal and voluntary
gatherings creates an option for the individuals to socialize with one another. The individual can
choose what type of information should be shared during the social interaction (Cheang 2002).
These types of social opportunities are inviting and enjoyable to the participants. The
participants are able to express themselves in a manner that is nonjudgmental to the others within
the group. The third place atmosphere is conducive of this type of environment as it does not
have criteria that must be met in order to participate. Instead it offers a casual atmosphere for
social interaction. Gustafsons (2001) study discusses the importance of places, suggesting that
places are more than just the structure of a location. It is also important to acknowledge the
relationship between a places accessibility and atmosphere. As described in Cheangs (2002)
study of older adults frequenting fast-food restaurants, a group meeting should be held in an
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environment which is accessible to the adults as well as an inviting and voluntary experience.
Trumanan and Lansangan (2012) discuss the atmosphere of the physical location. They explain
that a positive environment needs to be created through the use of proper lighting, comfortable
furniture, and design of place. An inviting atmosphere creates an environment that facilitates the
informational ground in the aspect of sharing. The third place fosters this need for emotional
expression between individuals. Oldenburg (1982) recognizes that participants will become loud
and exuberant in their interactions. This emotional expression is a characteristic of an
environment that encourages informational sharing.
Williamsons (1998) study explains the notion incidental information acquisition as an
unexpected acquiring of information as people engage in everyday activities. The individual
may not even realize the importance of the information at the time of discovery. This
nonrealization and exchanging of information occurs on a daily basis especially between family
and friends. The individual receiving the information may consider it to be reliable based on the
source providing the advice. These informational moments are not always planned; instead they
just occur through everyday experiences. Coffee shops are avenues which could assist in
meeting these needs. Williamson (1998) acknowledged that topics of information for older
adults revolve around concerns of daily living, in particular, the topic of health. Information
grounds offer individuals the opportunity to share and discover information that may or may not
be relevant at that particular time. The social aspect of an information ground such as a coffee
shop offers an environment which promotes this type of camaraderie.
Description of the Studied Information Ground
This information ground study took place in a local urban coffee shop. The two-hour
observation took place during a weekday evening. The coffee shop was sparsely occupied by
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other patrons and four staff members (one of which was the barista; the remaining three staff
members were working the counter and taking drive-through window orders). This offered a
very intimate atmosphere for the participants in the sharing of information. The coffee shop
offered several different options in the seating arrangement. Patrons could either be seated
outside on the patio, at pub style tables, diner type seating, or a couch with over-sized chairs and
a coffee table section. The patio seating was not an option due to the cool crisp evening with a
slight breeze. Lighting within the establishment was very low in intensity, which offered a
soothing and serene setting for the patrons. The location had several different types of
informational notices strategically placed throughout the shop. Numerous enlarged photographs
adorned the coffee shops walls. The photos included different types of coffee appliances and
coffee beans. Displays around the coffee shop were pleasing to the eye. These displays offered
reward notifications, menu board options, and nutritional facts. A corkboard was also available
for community notifications. Notifications of this type included a product safety notification,
customer reward information, availability of the coffee shops Wi-Fi, a Veterans Day program
flyer, and an alert for a local missing person. Newspapers were also available for purchase at the
shops counter.
The coffee shops location is north of the city and directly off of the major highway that
runs through the middle of the city. With reference to the coffee shops location, it was necessary
for all of the participants to drive to the coffee shop. The observation of the coffee shop occurred
at 6:00 P.M.; therefore, the participants were casually dressed for the evening. The researcher
chose to sit strategically in the central portion of the coffee shop. This area of seating enabled
the researcher to have visual access to the counter and the customer seating.

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Upon arrival, the researcher observed customers in two groups of three already engaged
in conversation. Neither group had any type of food or beverage containers strewn about their
tables. Each of the two groups were seated at tables with their personal laptop computers
opened. One of the tables consisted of three college-aged students. The students were
discussing a college assignment that included web-based aspects to be implemented into an
assignment. During their discussion, it was noted that the older of the three students seemed to
be leading the discussion. The two remaining students seemed to ask the majority of the
questions; the leader would respond to the questions verbally as well as refer to documents on his
computer. The group continued this discussion for twenty-five additional minutes before
leaving.
The second group of participants were of mixed age. Two individuals (one male and one
female) were thought to have been in their early to mid-twenties. The third group member was
in her early to mid-sixties. These customers were also engaged in the use of laptop computers.
Upon further observation, it was apparent that the group was planning a family trip in the spring.
The two young adults were married and graduating from college in the spring. As a graduation
gift to the two, the grandmother (the relationship was between the older individual and the young
lady) had purchased a cruise for the couple. The group members were meeting at the coffee shop
to finalize the excursions the couple would be taking while on the cruise. During this time, the
girl made notes about each excursion that interested them. The participants left after thirty
minutes of discussion.
Within minutes of these departures, five new customers entered the establishment. The
customers included two young adult males, a single middle-aged adult male, and two young
adult females. The two young adult males ordered lattes and proceeded to sit at the end of the
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serving counter. Both men had electronic devices. The devices were stored and carried in
backpacks. Neither of the two spoke very much to one another. Once their orders had been
received, they logged onto their devices and no other communication was made between them.
One of the young men chose to use earbuds while accessing his iPad. The customer without the
earbuds left after one hour of observation; the other male customer remained seated beyond the
observed time. The lone middle aged male ordered a hot coffee and sat by himself near the
establishments windows. He also had a laptop computer and proceeded to use the device as
soon as he was seated. This gentleman never spoke to any other customers. He remained seated
at his table and did not leave during the observation. The two young adult girls both ordered
iced-lattes and chose to seat themselves at one of the pub style tables. One of the girls was an
employee of the coffee shop. She spoke casually to the other employees about the posted work
schedule. The two girls were very boisterous in their conversations. Their primary discussion
revolved around girlfriend, boyfriend, and ex-girlfriend relationships. Both girls arrived and
departed together after about twenty minutes of conversation.
During this time, a woman in her thirties arrived to order a cappuccino and browsed the
coffee displays. She asked the counter attendant about her opinion on coffees to use in her
Keurig coffee maker. The customer was looking for a dark coffee and a nutty flavored coffee.
The employee made a few coffee suggestions to the customer; the woman made her K-Cup
purchases and departed from the establishment. While the woman was checking out, another
young lady in her early twenties purchased a muffin and chose to sit alone on the couch with her
laptop. She remained at the established beyond the time of the observation.
Four additional customers frequented the coffee shop: two middle-aged adults and two
adult women in their late thirties to early forties. The middle-aged adults were husband and
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wife. They both ordered macchiatos and sat near the windows. Their discussion revolved
primarily around their son who had recently been in a car accident. The son was on probation for
a previous infraction and had not returned to college. The discussion then focused on the
familys Christmas plans and the increase in neighborhood traffic. The husband seemed to take
control of the conversation, while the wife added pieces of additional information or
acknowledged what had been discussed. The couple remained at their table beyond the time of
the observation. The two women ordered an iced tea and a cappuccino. They were both
teachers; their conversations focused on their present teaching assignments for the year, and the
students in their classes. After fifteen minutes, the women left the coffee shop together.
Analysis
The coffee shop site served as an information ground for varying types of customers in
regards to age and information shared. The coffee shops atmosphere was quiet, but a steady
stream of customer traffic took place during the observation. The location of the site was
welcoming, comfortable, and accessible to the participants. Seating areas were constructed in a
manner which offered intimate discussions for many of the observed customers. Savolainen
(2009) suggests that areas offering privacy to participants can aid in the fostering of personal
conversations. This type of atmosphere was especially important for those discussing family and
work related matters. It is important to remember that information grounds are . where
people come together, often for social purposes, and end up exchanging various forms of
information (Counts and Fisher 2010, 98). This exchanging of information occurred during the
observed customer conversations.
The observed information ground was represented very well through the reviewed
literature. Williamsons (1998) study focused on the incidental encounters and the exchanging of
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information during these encounters. Many individuals receive information through their daily
living experiences and their contact with others. The literature supports the fact that the
information grounds setting plays an important role in the exchanging of information. This
very accessible, public setting hosts the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated
gatherings of adults beyond the realms of family and work (Cheang 2002, 318). During the
observation, it was apparent that the participants were genuinely appreciative of the time they
spent with one another. Oldenburg (1982) refers to the third place as a place that assists in
balancing the needs of an individual. The environment assisted in creating an atmosphere that
was conducive in meeting these needs. The customers needs were met through conversation, as
well as the accessibility to the shops Wi-Fi internet capabilities.
The regular customers could be studied beyond the initial basic observations, if the
researcher were to implement in-depth interviews. Through the interviewing process, the
researcher could develop a personal connection with each of the participants. A deeper
connection between the participants would allow the researcher to gain personal information.
This extraction of information may bring greater insight into the roles and relationships found
between the customers and the information ground.
Conclusion
The coffee shop observed in this study provided an environment ideal for an information
ground. The accessibility and physical attributes of the coffee shop seemed to foster the sharing
of information. The sharing of information included a broad range of topics among the
customers. A third place type of atmosphere was evident in the relationship that formed from the
customers discussions. The participants were able to engage in conversation about everyday

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events without feeling pressure or obligation to their audience. Commonality and camaraderie
were important components in the information ground.

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Bibliography
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Counts, Scott and Karen E. Fisher. 2010. Mobile Social Networking as Information Ground: A
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Gustafson, Per. 2001. Meanings of Place: Everyday Experience and Theoretical
Conceptualizations. Journal of Environmental Psychology 21: 5-16.
Oldenburg, Ramon. 1982. The Third Place. Qualitative Society 5(4): 265-84.
Pettigrew, Karen E. 1999. Waiting for Chiropody: Contextual Results from an Ethnographic
Study of the Information Behavior Among Attendees at Community Clinics.
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Savolainen, Reijo. 2009. Small World and Information Grounds as Contexts of Information
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Trumanan, Mary Anne R. and Joseph Ryan G. Lansangan. 2012. More Than Just a Cuppa
Coffee: A Multi-Dimensional Approach Towards Analyzing the Factors That Define
Place Attachment. International Journal of Hospitality Management 31: 529-34.
Williamson, Kirsty. 1998. Discovered by Chance: The Role of Incidental Information

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Acquisition in an Ecological Model of Information Use. Library & Information Science

Research 20(1): 23-40.

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