Information Studies

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Information Studies

• The discipline of the future
• Andrew Dillon
• School of Information
• The University of Texas at Austin

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What is the field of Information?

• A discipline that investigates the properties and
  behavior of information
• the forces governing the flow of information,
• the means of providing optimum accessibility and
  usability.
• the origination, collection, organization,
  storage, retrieval, interpretation, transmission,
  transformation, and utilization of information.
• It is both a science
• theories and data on information properties and
  behaviors,
• and field of practice,
• develops services and products.

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Information?

• Two components
• Representation
• Book
• Web site
• Algorithm
• Tape
• Means of decoding
• Intelligent perceiver
• With necessary tools

1st phase
2nd phase
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The legacy of our field

• Representation trumps decoding
• Phase 2 insufficiently acknowledged
• Need to extend our studies to human meaning
• But phase 2 is irrelevant without phase 1

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What our graduates do

• Librarianship
• Public, academic, special
• Information architects
• Usability and user experience analysts
• Archivists and records managers
• School media specialists
• Preservation managers,
• Conservators
• Information officers, managers
• And other, as yet unnamed, careers

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Commonalities

• Focus on the user
• Without the human element, information is a
  meaningless concept
• User and social advocacy
• Human-centered design
• Information as a common need
• Part of the information lifecycle
• From creation, through use to preservation

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Distinctions?

• Emphasis on one or more stages of the lifecycle
• E.g. archives or school media
• Interest in technology
• E.g. media design or conservation
• Area of application
• Business, academia, public sector

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Major issues in information

• Designing for usability and utility
• Preservation for shifting media
• Overcoming a digital divide
• Improving accessibility
• Education and role of information professionals
• Information policy, literacy, privacy and access

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Larger picture

• Bifurcation of information schools
• Danger of deskilling
• Need to consider IS role in academy
• Breaking down barriers
• What is uniquely ours?

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Where we should be

• Engaged across disciplines
• At the center of information policy and
  discussions
• Applying our values where they have impact
• Its more than a title, our profession is a way
  of operating

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How we get there

• Acceptance of change
• Embracing debate
• Willingness to engage
• Outward focus on issues of importance

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Conclusions

• Information technology without human values is
  worthless
• The focus of information studies is people, not
  artifacts
• Libraries are more than collections
• Our field is the hub, not a spoke!

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UTs Knowledge Gateway

• "The university is setting the goal of providing
  a digital Knowledge Gateway to all Texans. We
  will provide access for every citizen, via a
  personalized Internet window, into the resources
  of our libraries, collections, museums and much
  more.
• President Faulkner March 2002

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Final pieces of advice

• Take a chance on classes
• Explore the university
• Be flexible in your studies
• Mix and engage with each other
• Attend iForum and seminars
• Talk to the faculty