Research

My research explores how people seek, share, and use information within informal, everyday community spaces. I focus on information grounds—environments where people gather for a particular purpose (e.g., coffee shops, grocery stores, beauty salons, churches) and engage in meaningful, unexpected information exchanges that have little to do with the original purpose of the space. These exchanges—often described as chit-chat or gossip—play an important role in how people form perspectives and connect with others. 

Early in my doctoral work, I became fascinated with how people share information in informal, unexpected ways. This is the core of the information grounds theory: people gather for one purpose but end up sharing meaningful, often unrelated information simply because they are in the same space. 

I was working on this research one day in my local coffee house when I realized I was sitting in a classic physical information ground. The space held countless information sources and constant information flow, including both informal exchanges and more structured forms of sharing through events like lecture series, poetry readings, tutoring sessions, and book club meetings. Observing these interactions led me to recognize this space as a rich site for studying how people connect through information-sharing.

This coffee shop also served as a textbook example of what sociologist Ray Oldenburg defined as a third place—that vital space between home (the first place) and work (the second place) where people gather to relax, socialize, and be entertained. Located in a rural North Texas town experiencing rapid urbanization, the space provided opportunities for newcomers and long-time residents to interact in ways that might not otherwise occur. This setting inspired my dissertation research, which examined how sustained proximity in third-place environments fosters connection and facilitates understanding across differences in a polarized society. 

Today, my research agenda continues to explore these third-place environments and how they might be intentionally cultivated to bring people together. I am particularly interested in how public library programming and community-based initiatives might foster unlikely and lasting connections that help communities thrive. This work reflects my broader interest in how community-centered information practices can help address social fragmentation and support more inclusive, connected communities.