Information Ecologies: The A, B, Cs

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Information Ecologies The A, B, Cs

• Dr. John V. Richardson Jr.
• Professor of Information Studies
• UCLA

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Presentation Outline

• Historical Development
• S.S. Green
• Douglas Waples
• The Role of Models
• Affective (especially mood)
• Behavioral (Watson)
• Cognitive

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Greens 1876 Vision

• Now, the policy advocated of freedom of
  intercourse between librarian and readers, when
  adopted in the conduct of these departments, does
  much to give efficiency to the efforts of the
  officers to get readers to take out wholesome
  books and such works as are adapted to their
  capacity and the grade of enlightenment to which
  they belong. It is a common practice, as we all
  know, for users of a library to ask the librarian
  or his assistants to select stories for them. I
  would have great use made of this disposition.
  Place in the circulating department one of the
  most accomplished persons in the corps of your
  assistants--some cultivated woman, for instance,
  who heartily enjoys works of the imagination, but
  whose taste is educated. She must be a person of
  pleasant manners, and -while of proper dignity,
  ready to unbend, and of social disposition. It is
  well if there is a vein of philanthropy in her
  composition. Instruct this assistant to consult
  with every person who asks for help in selecting
  books. This should not be her whole work for
  work of this kind is best done when it has the
  appearance of being performed incidentally. Let
  the assistant, then, have some regular work, but
  such employment as she can at once lay aside when
  her aid is asked for in picking out books to
  read. I am confident that in some such way as
  this a great influence can be exerted in the
  direction of causing good books to be used.
• The person placed in charge of this work must
  have tact, and be careful not to attempt too
  much. If an applicant would cease to consult her
  unless she gives him a sensational novel, I would
  have her give him such a book. Only let her aim
  at providing every person who applies for aid
  with the best book he is willing to read. (bold
  emphasis added)

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Douglas Waples, 1893-1978

• Professor at the Chicago GLS
• Educational psychology background and interest
  in reading behavior
• What People Want to Read About, with Ralph W.
  Tyler (1931)
• The relation of Subject Interests to Actual
  Reading, Library Quarterly 2 (1932)
• Libraries and Readings in the State of New York,
  with Leon Carnovsky
• What Reading Does to People, with Bernard
  Berelson and Franklyn R. Bradshaw

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Reading as Non-Goal Oriented

• The role played by affective
• Role of pleasure reading in generating feelings
• Importance of mood
• Entertainment or incidental information
• Work of Catherine Ross (1999)
• Emotional support in providing confirmation,
  reassurance, courage or self-acceptance
• Work of Jessica Moyer (2004)
• Recreational and educational outcomes

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Role of Mood

• Six dimensions (Ross, 1999 Ross and Chelton,
  2001)
• Familiarity versus novelty
• Safety versus risk
• Easy versus challenging
• Upbeat and positive versus hard-hitting/ironical/c
  ynical
• Reassuring versus stimulating/frightening/amazing
• Confirming of beliefs and values versus
  challenging them

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Can You See It?

• The Behavioral School
• Borrows heavily from psychology, especially
  Watson
• In information studies, characterization of IS as
  a rational, information problem driven
• Importance of mechanistic precision and
  quantitative formulation notably, statistical
  measurement
• Work of Kuhlthau (1983 to present)

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Cognitive School

• Role of the mind
• Mental constructs
• Importance of thinking aloud
• Work of R.S. Taylor (filters)
• Tell me about a book you recently enjoyed

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NoveList/EBSCO

• Http//www.epnet.com
• Search Our Database
• Describe a Plot

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Resources

• Genreflecting by Betty Rosenberg _at_ UCLA
• New York Public Library Guide to Reading Groups
• What to Read The Essential Guide for Reading
  Group Members and Other Book Lovers