Diffusion of Information and Knowledge: How Information Becomes Meaningful - Evolving Global Information Infrastructure and Information Transfer - page 98

duct a search for information; (5) she could call the veterinarian that gave the dog
a physical examination the day after the family acquired their pet.
Behaviors in Search
The client enacts the search strategies. These behaviors might include a
Google search, consulting indexes, consulting with a librarian, asking a friend, etc.
Our young dog owner talks with her parents about her concern that the dog is
misbehaving and asks if they have suggestions. The parents suggest that Jane
and the dog enroll in a training class provided by the local humane society. The
parents suggest that she call the local office to learn when the next class will start.
After dinner that evening, Jane calls her friend Stephanie to ask her about dog
training. Stephanie invites her over after school the following day to talk about
Stephanie's experiences with their dog.
Jane then goes to the computer in her home to check the electronic catalog of
the local public library. She finds the titles of three topics about dog training. She
also conducts a Google search using the terms “dog training” and finds an excel-
lent Web site with training videos. She bookmarks the Web site and vows to return
when she has more time.
Evaluation
The client evaluates the results of the search to determine if the search should
be modified, if the search should continue, or if the search should be terminated.
After completing her computer search, Jane decides that several sources will be
helpful, and she will not need to contact the family's veterinarian. After checking
the school library for appropriate titles, she will stop by the library on the way home
from school. When she gets home, Jane calls the local humane society and learns
that the next training class begins in two weeks and a parent must accompany her.
Assimilation
If the results of the search are deemed satisfactory, the information may be as-
similated into the client's information system; for example, the information may be
copied for further use by taking notes or downloading. As the days pass, Jane
reads the topic she found in the school library and one of the topics from the pub-
lic library. She creates a document in her home computer and makes notes about
training her dog. She copies and pastes into that document pertinent paragraphs
from the Web site she found.
Memory