Matthew Weirick Johnson, MSLS

I am a professional librarian and freelance photographer. I’m interested in academic library instruction, information literacies (e.g. digital, personal health, sexual health, other health), and health information behavior, especially as enacted on dating applications.

Professional Librarian Work Experience

Associate Librarian & Director, University of South Florida, Tampa Campus, Libraries, January 2023 - Present

Associate Librarian (Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian), UCLA Library, July 2019 - January 2023

  • Lead for Teaching & Learning, June 2020 - January 2023
  • Humanities & Social Sciences Lead for Research Services, March 2020 - July 2022
  • Librarian for English & History, July 2019 - January 2023

Education

MS in Library Science, University of North Carolina

BA in English, Virginia Tech

Academic Interests

  • Professional
    • Academic Librarianship
    • Medical & Health Sciences Librarianship
    • Academic Instruction & Information Literacy
  • Research
    • Health Information Behavior
    • HIV
    • Dating Applications
    • Critical Information Literacies
    • Job satisfaction

Master’s Paper

“Not playing that game”: An Exploratory Study of Queer Men’s Health Information Behavior on Location-Aware Dating and Sex-Seeking Mobile Applications [in the Carolina Digital Repository]

The present study seeks to determine how location-aware mobile dating and sex-seeking applications manipulate, complicate, contribute to or develop the landscape of the health information environment for queer men, specifically focusing on information around human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The study used purposive sampling to recruit 8 participants who are male, have sex with men, and use mobile phone applications that are marketed primarily to queer men (e.g. Grindr, Scruff, Jack’d). Within the sample of this study, health information sharing related to sexual health information needs, such as HIV status, PrEP usage, and current sexual health, seem to be normalized. Further, this information, which is easily accessible via categorical input fields on dating application profiles, is important for making decisions about interacting with individuals on applications. Finally, negotiating sex with other individuals on dating or sex-seeking applications leads to discussions involving the exchange of health information.