Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter Overview
Diffusion, a vital stage in the information transfer process, precedes information and
knowledge utilization. Utilization is the goal of information transfer. In this chapter
we explore the elements of utilization and the factors that can influence or hinder it.
Utilization is not an all-or-nothing process, and library and information professionals
must assess the individual and social factors that may influence the utilization pro-
cess. In addition to exploring these factors, we provide a model that enables library
and information professionals to design services that will enable utilization of new
knowledge in an organization.
Utilization in the Information Infrastructure
Utilization is a critical component of the information transfer process and is en-
abled by diffusion, as explained in Chapter 6. When information is created, the ulti-
mate goal is utilization, and to understand the information infrastructure, one must
understand the elements of utilization.
The concepts of an information infrastructure and knowledge utilization have
their foundation in much earlier times. The Greeks believed that the production
and use of knowledge benefits society. They understood that a democratic govern-
ment demands higher learning and higher education. With the collapse of the Greek
city-states, with the exception of the Roman Republic, this attitude toward learning
and the application of knowledge was largely lost until its rediscovery in the Italian
Renaissance.
It was not until the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries that dis-
coveries by such luminaries as Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Kepler, prompted
the emergence of modern science in the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy,
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