Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
in order to manage the complexities of issues and the uncertainties of functioning
in the emergent paradigm.
In Chapter 5 we explored how the information infrastructure has changed the
way we live in the digital age. Now, communication is instantaneous; transmitting
digitally borne information in our networked world is further challenging us to ac-
quire values that support a different way of thinking and doing. Technology may be
understood to be the driving force; however, it is not alone. Other systems are also
at work influencing the information infrastructure. The changing factors, or “the en-
vironmental and social context,” exert a variety of influences on us as individuals
as well as on information agencies in society.
At a time when the place of information and knowledge in society supports an
ever-changing environment, making sense of information and learning is vitally im-
portant. It is in the making of meaning that information is valued and important
to our communities. Needed are information experts to aid learners in identifying
and utilizing information resources for a variety of purposes. Our information-based
economy thrives on learning and then diffusing knowledge.
Libraries increasingly are reaching out to wider audiences by providing services
that go beyond the expectations of a print-only environment. The stereotypic image
of a library is as the place to go when a person needs a topic to read, but that is
not the only reason to go to a local library. Public librarians recognize that the cul-
ture of communication in our global society is more than the written word. We are
increasingly becoming a highly oral and visual society. Information professionals
are shifting their values and approaches, modifying the missions of their libraries
to break down stereotypes and rebrand themselves.
In order to make sense of information, a community needs leadership from
those members who can understand our changing environment. The information
professional is uniquely positioned to experiment and engage in the learning pro-
cess, to understand and then teach and communicate widely, or to make meaning-
ful the vast amounts of information used in our complex society.
The Functions of Information and Role of Professionals
Librarians are information professionals trained to organize, disseminate, dif-
fuse, utilize, and preserve information in ways that provide access for greater pub-
lic consumption. Information professionals have a vital role in assessing the indi-
vidual and social factors that influence the utilization process of information. As
noted in chapters 6 and 7, a vital part of the information transfer process is diffu-
sion, which enables utilization.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search