On the Methods by which we Acquire Information, and the Effectiveness of Libraries in Supporting these Behaviors
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Jack Kormos
It seems clear that one of the primary functions and goals of libraries and librarians in our societies is to connect people with information, whether it be in the form of a book, manuscript, painting or digital document. But what is not clear is how this connection in fact takes place, which is essential to understand if librarians are to design and manage their libraries most effectively. It is the purpose of this paper to argue that there are two distinct ways in which people come in contact with information, namely self-initiated acquisition of information and environment-imparted acquisition of information, and that the former is dependent upon the latter. Given this, this paper argues that the present state of librarianship is catering primarily to self-initiated acquisition and paying little attention to environment-imparted acquisition of information, and that as a result, the connection of people with information is not as effective as it could be and indeed should be, if we are striving to live in societies the foundations of which are well educated individuals.
© 2005 by K. G. Saur Verlag GmbH, Federal Republic of Germany
Articles in the same Issue
- On the Methods by which we Acquire Information, and the Effectiveness of Libraries in Supporting these Behaviors
- Libraries and the Communicative Citizen in the Twenty-first Century
- Indigenous Australians and the ‘digital divide’
- Usability Assessment of Academic Digital Libraries: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Satisfaction, and Learnability
- Curricular Design and Labour Market Demand: Comparing Three Carlos III University of Madrid Curricula
- Library Funding in Pakistan: A Survey
- Use of School Libraries by Teachers: the Case of Oman
- Co-Operation among Caribbean Theological Libraries: A Case Study
- Environmental Monitoring and Control at National Archives and Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa
Articles in the same Issue
- On the Methods by which we Acquire Information, and the Effectiveness of Libraries in Supporting these Behaviors
- Libraries and the Communicative Citizen in the Twenty-first Century
- Indigenous Australians and the ‘digital divide’
- Usability Assessment of Academic Digital Libraries: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Satisfaction, and Learnability
- Curricular Design and Labour Market Demand: Comparing Three Carlos III University of Madrid Curricula
- Library Funding in Pakistan: A Survey
- Use of School Libraries by Teachers: the Case of Oman
- Co-Operation among Caribbean Theological Libraries: A Case Study
- Environmental Monitoring and Control at National Archives and Libraries in Eastern and Southern Africa
