I've seen the word maven used in the book 'The Tipping Point'. The Tipping Point is a non-fiction work about how little things make a big difference with regard to events and trends. In the book the word maven is used to represent a person with many social contacts who is capable of spreading information quickly and efficiently. I can't think of the author's name at the moment but I heard about the book from the author when he appeared on a talk show on National Public Radio. I can certainly track down the information if anyone wants it.

Regards,
Radriano