The reflection prompt invites the consideration of libraries framed by an ‘economic’ definition of the Information Society. It asks whether libraries are managers, creators and distributors of information, or data processors?
O’Connell et al. suggests that “when we talk about the information society we think of rapid technological change, convergence of technologies and changes to the ways in which we work and live” (2021, module 2.3). Webster postulates that the term “Information Society” can be distinguished in five different ways, with each definition having its own set of criteria (2014, p. 10). The five definitions of the Information Society include:
- technological
- economic
- occupational
- spatial
- cultural
Focusing in on an economic definition, it “charts the growth in economic worth of informational activities” (Webster, 2014, p. 15). For example, it attributes the idea of existence of an ‘Information Society’, when a large portion of worker industries contributing to an increased economic value are ‘informational’ in nature. Such industries include “education, law, publishing, media and computer manufacture” (Porat, 1977, as cited in Webster, 2014, p. 15).
So, returning to the reflection prompt: are libraries are managers, creators and distributors of information, or data processors? I would argue that libraries do not cleanly fit in one category alone. Libraries (or more specifically, librarians) are ‘all of the above’, in the sense that they are:
- managers of information – organising collections for ease of access and use; organising library spaces and displays for learning support
- creators of information – assisting learners in developing understandings of content; creating curriculum-based, contextually relevant teaching and learning activities
- distributors of information – assisting users in accessing required resources and data; delivering explicit teaching and learning lessons and activities
- data processors of information – undertaking stocktaking activities, accessioning and weeding of resources.
References
O’Connell, J., Derouet, L. & Korodaj, L. (2021). 2. The information environment [Learning module]. ETL401: Introduction to teacher librarianship. Interact 2. https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContentEditable.jsp?content_id=_4449688_1&course_id=_57504_1
Webster, F. (2014). Theories of the information society (4th ed.). Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=1656811