History & Theory of Library and Information Science (LIS)
Below is a collection of my work on the history and theory of Library and Information Science.
castles & Inverted castles: The work of Marcia J. Bates
(A paper presented at the CoLIS 8 conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, August 19-22, 2013, and appearing in information research)
ABSTRACT. Theorist and bibliometrician Howard D. White has made a call to action for scientist-poets to synthesize concepts and oeuvres in the centrifugal literature of information science (1999). In response, this paper interprets the work of canonical information scientist Marcia J. Bates through the original metaphor of “castles and inverted castles.” To begin, Bates’ career is sketched and an uncommon characteristic of her mind is revealed. Then, drawing from her oeuvre, eight landmark papers are summarized; analyzed in terms of the architectural metaphor; and located at different conceptual levels in the discipline. Castles (elaborately built seats of power that bridge borderlands) express many of the unique qualities of her work. Inverted castles (an invention of the author) reflect an additional utilitarian and pedagogical aspect of her thinking. A conclusion offers critical remarks on Bates’ contribution. The outcome is a vivid interpretation of the work of one notable information scientist. [This paper appears in the conference proceedings, published in Information Research, and also has an original, handmade mini-book.]
Metatheoretical Snowmen (see the dedicated website)
Metatheoretical Snowmen is a thought experiment to explore the nature of metatheory in information science using the concept of a snowman. It was originally my poster at the 2005 ALISE annual meeting (Boston, MA) and was later developed into a panel presentation at the 2009 (Vancouver) and 2011 (New Orleans) ASIS&T Annual Meetings, and the 2010 CoLIS conference (London, UK).
This unconventional approach to understanding metatheory has since caught on among educators and versions of the Metatheoretical Snowmen panel have been implemented at the School of Library and Information Studies, Florida State University (where it was adapted as "Metatheoretical Flamingos") and the School of Information and Library Science, Pratt Institute (where it was adapted as "Metatheoretical Lions" [slides]), among other information studies programs.
This unconventional approach to understanding metatheory has since caught on among educators and versions of the Metatheoretical Snowmen panel have been implemented at the School of Library and Information Studies, Florida State University (where it was adapted as "Metatheoretical Flamingos") and the School of Information and Library Science, Pratt Institute (where it was adapted as "Metatheoretical Lions" [slides]), among other information studies programs.
Kari, J., & Hartel, J. (2007). Information and higher things in life: Addressing the pleasurable and the profound in Information Science. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(8), 1131-1147.
The article discusses lower and higher contexts for information phenomena, and argues that there is clearly a need for a more concerted research effort in the latter sphere. The discipline of information science has traditionally favored lower contexts-like everyday life and problem solving-that are neutral or even negative by nature. In contrast, the neglected higher things in life are pleasurable or profound phenomena, experiences, or activities that transcend the daily grind. A literature sample of the scarce information research related to higher things indicates that beyond the spotlight of mainstream research, information processes often seem different and there may be significant dimensions of information phenomena that have been overlooked. Therefore, the article outlines a contextual research area in information studies to address higher things from the perspective of information. It is concluded that optimal functioning requires bringing the lower and higher sides to balance in information science. This would offer a rare chance to promote holism and interdisciplinarity in the field, and to make the discipline more relevant tothe human being.
Hartel, J. (2012). Welcome to library and information science. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 53(3), 165-175. (see the online exhibit)
ABSTRACT
This paper enacts the following scenario: At an orientation session for a library and information science (LIS) program an educator gives incoming students a brief address entitled “Welcome to Library and Information Science.” Three versions of that talk are offered here, drawn from seminal works by Shera (1973a), White(1992), and Bates (1999). In turn, each author is introduced, the historical and literary context of the article is noted, and then its unique characterization of LIS is presented in a spoken rhetorical style. The three disquisitions are followed by discussion questions designed to engage newcomers and observations on the pedagogical strengths and weaknesses of each paper. A conclusion crystallizes each work’s conception of library and information science as a unified domain. Readers will benefit from succinct refreshers in these foundational writings and learn new communication and teaching strategies.
This paper enacts the following scenario: At an orientation session for a library and information science (LIS) program an educator gives incoming students a brief address entitled “Welcome to Library and Information Science.” Three versions of that talk are offered here, drawn from seminal works by Shera (1973a), White(1992), and Bates (1999). In turn, each author is introduced, the historical and literary context of the article is noted, and then its unique characterization of LIS is presented in a spoken rhetorical style. The three disquisitions are followed by discussion questions designed to engage newcomers and observations on the pedagogical strengths and weaknesses of each paper. A conclusion crystallizes each work’s conception of library and information science as a unified domain. Readers will benefit from succinct refreshers in these foundational writings and learn new communication and teaching strategies.
Introduction to Library and Information Science
Here is my spoken introduction to Library and Information Science to a group of students interested in our program at the Faculty of Information.
Talja, S., & Hartel, J. (2007). Revisiting the user-centered turn in information science research: An intellectual history perspective. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science: Featuring the Future. Boras, Sweden. Information Research, 12(4). [link to full text article]
Introduction. This article revisits the narrative of the user-centred turn. Descriptions of the evolution of the user-centred approach in information science tend to lean towards accepting the interpretation of the decontextualized and system-centred nature of traditional information needs and uses studies presented in the seminal 1986 review article by Brenda Dervin and Michael Nilan.
Method. A sample of early user studies and comprehensive reviews of user studies written in 1950s and 1960s were reviewed and compared to the interpretative context set by the Dervin and Nilan 1986 article.
Analysis. This comparison captures some of the varying meanings and interpretations given to concepts such as information systems, information sources and information needs in different decades.
Results. Dervin and Nilan's description of the nature of traditional user studies drew major insights from other contemporary articles working toward building a better general conceptualization of information for information science. Dervin and Nilan did not incorporate in their review early user studies conducted between 1950s and 1970s, which would have mandated different conclusions.
Conclusions. Despite the fact that early user studies usually did have an implicit or explicit aim to support the flow of scientific information through the design of information systems or products, scholarly communication and reading habits were in many early user studies explored quite user-sensitively in their natural contexts. Studies by, for instance, Menzel, Parker and Paisley, Allen and Gerstberger, and Garvey focused on information and communication practices conceived very broadly, incorporating not only information seeking but also information receiving and sharing, reading, writing, and publishing activities.
Method. A sample of early user studies and comprehensive reviews of user studies written in 1950s and 1960s were reviewed and compared to the interpretative context set by the Dervin and Nilan 1986 article.
Analysis. This comparison captures some of the varying meanings and interpretations given to concepts such as information systems, information sources and information needs in different decades.
Results. Dervin and Nilan's description of the nature of traditional user studies drew major insights from other contemporary articles working toward building a better general conceptualization of information for information science. Dervin and Nilan did not incorporate in their review early user studies conducted between 1950s and 1970s, which would have mandated different conclusions.
Conclusions. Despite the fact that early user studies usually did have an implicit or explicit aim to support the flow of scientific information through the design of information systems or products, scholarly communication and reading habits were in many early user studies explored quite user-sensitively in their natural contexts. Studies by, for instance, Menzel, Parker and Paisley, Allen and Gerstberger, and Garvey focused on information and communication practices conceived very broadly, incorporating not only information seeking but also information receiving and sharing, reading, writing, and publishing activities.
