Competency C ~
Recognize the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of information use.
Statement
Recognizing the social, cutlural, and economic dimensions of information use is a principle responsibility for librarians and information professionals. There are many environmental factors that contribute to how and why people use information. Some of these factors include the activities people choose to engage in, their level of education, family dynamics, social status, and age. The three dimensions of information use can be discussed within their own contexts, but it is important to recognize that the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of information use feed off each other and where one is present another is usually present as well. Before a discussion of the dimensions of information use can begin, it is important to point out that the term "information" has many definitions. For the purpose of discussion here I have chosen to define information as "the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
People seek and use information for a variety of reasons, and as Donald Case has noted, "Information needs do not arise in a vacuum, but rather owe their existence to some history, purpose, and influence" (as cited in Rubin, 2004, p. 40). Individual information needs can present themselves for social, cultural, or economic reasons, but a primary reason for us to seek out and use information is so that we can communicate with each other. In the social dimension, information can be used to initiate social interactions and it can help people network for personal or professional reasons whether using online networking tools or traditional research methods. An important use of information within the social dimension is to promote social awareness about political issues, controversial community issues, or to advocate for public health and safety. An example of this would be the need to research government action immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. In order for people to begin to understand why it happened information was disseminated and researched by individuals all over the world.
In the cultural dimension, libraries help to bring diverse communities together by developing a collection that is representative of all facets of the community. Libraries serve as knoweldge centers that many people depend on to find reliable information that will satisfy their information needs. Information pertaining to different religions, customs, ethnicities, and languages can be used to help bridge the communication gaps within a community. When I think of the cultural dimension of information use I think of the many ways we use information to understand each other and to form more unified communities. Immigrants who become U.S. citizens use information to learn the laws of American governments and the customs of the American people. New citizens use this information to assimilate so they can begin to adopt certain American customs as their own.
Within the economic dimension, information is used by individuals to create a self-directed education plan that might otherwise not occur if library services were not made freely available for public use. Information housed by libraries is used to find employment and it is used to find perspective employees. Small busniess owners utilize information within the economic dimension to educate themselves and their employees about the law and their rights and responsibilities as employee/employer. Because libraries provide services and resources at little to no cost to the public, libraries help to feed economic stimulation as people inform themselves so they can create a more sustaining economic situation for their families. Another way to look at the economic dimension of information use is to imagine the chain of events of a specific information transaction and how the chain contributes to the economic growth of a community. A recent high school graduate decides to pursue an entrepreneurial career path and seeks out information on the subject of entrepreneurship at his local public library. With the guidance of an informed librarian he finds books like A History of Entrepreneurship by Robert F. Hebert and 201 Tips to Start Your Own Business by Jay Miletsky. He uses the information gathered from reading these books, and others like them, to write a business plan for a small tutoring center. He learns how to get government funding to help with start up costs and soon after he opens the doors to his new Teen Tutors for Teens center in his hometown. By providing jobs for local teens he is helping to instill independence and financial responsibility within the youth of his community, and the services his tutor center provides helps teens excel in subjects they struggle with. One of the teens who uses the tutor center graduates high school with honors and is granted a scholarship which will allow her to attend college having all of her expenses paid. After earning a law degree the young woman returns to her hometown to open her own law firm so that she can help defend the wrongly accused.
Evidence
As evidence for this competency I will disciss two reflective essays I wrote in preparation for a research paper. The purpose for writing the essays was to explore my research topic, my thoughts on the subject, and any questions that I wanted to try to resolve during my research. In Reflective Essay #1 I explore the "library as community center" concept as I discuss what activities I witnessed people engaged in at my local public library. I also reflect on the fact that "libraries provide the necessary tools which facilitate lifelong learning to [people] who would otherwise not have [access to] them (Cowham, 2008a, p.2). By suggesting that libraries transform into community centers where people can come together to share cultural awareness and reap the benefits of free access to library services and resources, I recognize this as an example of the cultural and economic dimensions of information use existing as one.
In Reflective Essay #2 I focus on the social dimension of information use. Today, most communities are a mix of many different social situations and many different levels of library awareness. I conducted a brief survey that opened my eyes to how some of the people I am close to view libraries and the services libraries offer. One survey response, which the essay discusses in detail, suggests that libraries offer a quiet place where people can work and have study groups. The response recognizes that not everyone has a computer and that some people might "still like tha old way" (as cited in Cowham, 2008b, p. 1) of using books. Communication happens on many different levels and in many different contexts, and libraries today act as forums for people to share information and communicate with each other on all levels. Meaningful social interactions occur when information is shared, and when we spread awareness throughout a community we afford people with more opportunities to interact. After reflecting on the suvey responses, my own awareness of how information use aids in creating social interactions was enhanced. I began to associate library use and level of awareness with social status. I had assumed that people who are financially stable, well educated, and socially responsible would recognize the positive impact library services have on their communities; I learned that this is not necessarily the case through my reflective writing.
Conclusion
A firm understanding of this competency will equip any librarian or information professional with the knowledge and compassion to serve library patrons genuinely, honestly, and with an unbiased attitude. It is important to recognize the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of information use so we can determine in what context our patrons' information needs exist and how to best guide them on their quest for knowledge.
References
Cowham, R. (2008a). The shifting roles of public libraries. Research paper.
Cowham, R. (2008b). The shifting roles of public libraries (part 2). Research paper.
Information. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information
Rubin, R.E. (Ed.). (2004). Foundations of library and information science (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.
Evidentiary Material
Recognizing the social, cutlural, and economic dimensions of information use is a principle responsibility for librarians and information professionals. There are many environmental factors that contribute to how and why people use information. Some of these factors include the activities people choose to engage in, their level of education, family dynamics, social status, and age. The three dimensions of information use can be discussed within their own contexts, but it is important to recognize that the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of information use feed off each other and where one is present another is usually present as well. Before a discussion of the dimensions of information use can begin, it is important to point out that the term "information" has many definitions. For the purpose of discussion here I have chosen to define information as "the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
People seek and use information for a variety of reasons, and as Donald Case has noted, "Information needs do not arise in a vacuum, but rather owe their existence to some history, purpose, and influence" (as cited in Rubin, 2004, p. 40). Individual information needs can present themselves for social, cultural, or economic reasons, but a primary reason for us to seek out and use information is so that we can communicate with each other. In the social dimension, information can be used to initiate social interactions and it can help people network for personal or professional reasons whether using online networking tools or traditional research methods. An important use of information within the social dimension is to promote social awareness about political issues, controversial community issues, or to advocate for public health and safety. An example of this would be the need to research government action immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. In order for people to begin to understand why it happened information was disseminated and researched by individuals all over the world.
In the cultural dimension, libraries help to bring diverse communities together by developing a collection that is representative of all facets of the community. Libraries serve as knoweldge centers that many people depend on to find reliable information that will satisfy their information needs. Information pertaining to different religions, customs, ethnicities, and languages can be used to help bridge the communication gaps within a community. When I think of the cultural dimension of information use I think of the many ways we use information to understand each other and to form more unified communities. Immigrants who become U.S. citizens use information to learn the laws of American governments and the customs of the American people. New citizens use this information to assimilate so they can begin to adopt certain American customs as their own.
Within the economic dimension, information is used by individuals to create a self-directed education plan that might otherwise not occur if library services were not made freely available for public use. Information housed by libraries is used to find employment and it is used to find perspective employees. Small busniess owners utilize information within the economic dimension to educate themselves and their employees about the law and their rights and responsibilities as employee/employer. Because libraries provide services and resources at little to no cost to the public, libraries help to feed economic stimulation as people inform themselves so they can create a more sustaining economic situation for their families. Another way to look at the economic dimension of information use is to imagine the chain of events of a specific information transaction and how the chain contributes to the economic growth of a community. A recent high school graduate decides to pursue an entrepreneurial career path and seeks out information on the subject of entrepreneurship at his local public library. With the guidance of an informed librarian he finds books like A History of Entrepreneurship by Robert F. Hebert and 201 Tips to Start Your Own Business by Jay Miletsky. He uses the information gathered from reading these books, and others like them, to write a business plan for a small tutoring center. He learns how to get government funding to help with start up costs and soon after he opens the doors to his new Teen Tutors for Teens center in his hometown. By providing jobs for local teens he is helping to instill independence and financial responsibility within the youth of his community, and the services his tutor center provides helps teens excel in subjects they struggle with. One of the teens who uses the tutor center graduates high school with honors and is granted a scholarship which will allow her to attend college having all of her expenses paid. After earning a law degree the young woman returns to her hometown to open her own law firm so that she can help defend the wrongly accused.
Evidence
As evidence for this competency I will disciss two reflective essays I wrote in preparation for a research paper. The purpose for writing the essays was to explore my research topic, my thoughts on the subject, and any questions that I wanted to try to resolve during my research. In Reflective Essay #1 I explore the "library as community center" concept as I discuss what activities I witnessed people engaged in at my local public library. I also reflect on the fact that "libraries provide the necessary tools which facilitate lifelong learning to [people] who would otherwise not have [access to] them (Cowham, 2008a, p.2). By suggesting that libraries transform into community centers where people can come together to share cultural awareness and reap the benefits of free access to library services and resources, I recognize this as an example of the cultural and economic dimensions of information use existing as one.
In Reflective Essay #2 I focus on the social dimension of information use. Today, most communities are a mix of many different social situations and many different levels of library awareness. I conducted a brief survey that opened my eyes to how some of the people I am close to view libraries and the services libraries offer. One survey response, which the essay discusses in detail, suggests that libraries offer a quiet place where people can work and have study groups. The response recognizes that not everyone has a computer and that some people might "still like tha old way" (as cited in Cowham, 2008b, p. 1) of using books. Communication happens on many different levels and in many different contexts, and libraries today act as forums for people to share information and communicate with each other on all levels. Meaningful social interactions occur when information is shared, and when we spread awareness throughout a community we afford people with more opportunities to interact. After reflecting on the suvey responses, my own awareness of how information use aids in creating social interactions was enhanced. I began to associate library use and level of awareness with social status. I had assumed that people who are financially stable, well educated, and socially responsible would recognize the positive impact library services have on their communities; I learned that this is not necessarily the case through my reflective writing.
Conclusion
A firm understanding of this competency will equip any librarian or information professional with the knowledge and compassion to serve library patrons genuinely, honestly, and with an unbiased attitude. It is important to recognize the social, cultural, and economic dimensions of information use so we can determine in what context our patrons' information needs exist and how to best guide them on their quest for knowledge.
References
Cowham, R. (2008a). The shifting roles of public libraries. Research paper.
Cowham, R. (2008b). The shifting roles of public libraries (part 2). Research paper.
Information. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information
Rubin, R.E. (Ed.). (2004). Foundations of library and information science (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.
Evidentiary Material
shiftingrolesreflectiveessay1_libr200.pdf | |
File Size: | 72 kb |
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shiftingrolesreflectiveessay2_libr200.pdf | |
File Size: | 149 kb |
File Type: |