Library Science - Information Matters

Managing traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) within library settings can be cumbersome for any librarian, and is especially challenging for those lacking adequate training to handle the complex legal and ethical issues involved in collection development and managing collections including TCEs. Below, we explore intersections between TCEs and librarianship, including current issues and potential remedies within LIS education.

August 14, 2023 Jenna Hartel

“Library and Information Science” Explained and Embodied in 5 Minutes

“What is Library and Information Science?” in a 5-minute video. LIS is cast as the mediating force between publications and people. Further, the video distinguishes the academic discipline (library and information science) from the related concepts of its institution (the library) and profession (librarianship). Along the way, several key concepts are defined, such as the reference interview, reader’s advisory, bibliographic control, and information retrieval. Three distinct types of libraries are named (public, academic, special).

Translation

July 5, 2023 Tom Mason

Times New Plural – The Multiple Temporalities of Contemporary Life and the Infosphere

We might illustrate the infosphere by picturing a person walking down a street in the weather of the day (rain, sun, wind, etc), negotiating traffic, other people, obstacles, using services, all the while with their smartphone; messaging, listening to a podcast, on a video call, checking bus times, etc. This example highlights everyday plural temporalities; as the various activities occurring here include the general time, work time and ‘free’ time, the temporalities of the online network their device is operating within, the device’s battery life, the time of whoever else is being communicated to via messaging or video call, the time(s) of other people around.