Forum 2.2 – Information Society

globe with gold lights

geralt / Pixabay

Information Society is as hard to define as information itself.  Webster (2014) describes it as a concept with multiple definitions changing according to the perspective we approach it from:  Technological; Economic; Occupational; Spatial; or Cultural.  Like information, it is constantly evolving according to our needs and wants.  The relationship between the information society and information is symbiotic as the society changes to meet our information needs (demands) and these solutions (supply) continue to fuel new demands.

Information Society to me is just like society itself, multi layered, multi-dimensional and stratified according to your ‘informational IQ’.  Informational IQ is my own term (as far as I know) that I would use to define a person’s ability to interact with information whether it is online or offline.  It is important for teacher-librarians to have an understanding of the information landscape, so that we can build our students information IQ.  Misinformation is the trap that is ever lurking to seduce the unsuspecting researcher.  Arming our students, and fellow teachers, with skills to navigate for themselves through this vast, ever growing landscape is a crucial part of the role the teacher-librarian of the 21st century will play.

Webster, F. (2014). Theories of the Information Society. Florence: Taylor and Francis. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=1656811

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