Are the Economically Poor Information Poor? Does the Digital Divide Affect the Homeless and Access To Information?

Homeless persons lack economic capital, but it is less clear whether they concomitantly lack important information capital. The basic information needed by the homeless is not available on the Internet as this is information controlled by government social service agencies, but does this result in a state of information poverty? This paper examines the issues of how the lack of access to information technology does not affect how the homeless access basic-needs-level information. The author investigates the information needs of the homeless, information sources, and information-seeking behaviors within the analytical constructs of information outsiders and insiders theory of information poverty. The study explores the differences in information seeking pursuits baaed on whether the catalyst for the search is internally or externally motivated. Finally, the paper speculates on whether making basic level needs information available via the Internet would be useful and/or used. (Author).