Information Overload is the Devil

Information Overload is the Devil
Sarah Houghton-Jan
Digital Futures Manager for the
San Jose Public Library
author of LibrarianInBlack.net
This presentation will be at LibrarianInBlack.net

What does “Information Overload” mean to you?

“ We have become far more proficient in generating information than we are in managing it, and we have also built technology that easily allows us to create new information without human intervention.” ~Jonathan B. Spira

“ In an online world of small pieces loosely joined, librarians are among the most well qualified and highly motivated joiners of those pieces.” ~ John Udell – “Remixing the Library”

Top 5 Barriers to Dealing with Information Overload
1) Lack of time (or perceived lack)‏
2) Lack of interest or motivation
3) Not encouraged/threatened by management
4) Not knowing where to start
5) Frustration with past attempts

10 Tips for Dealing with Information Overload

#1: General Organizational Techniques

Inventory your inputs
Inventory your devices
Think before sending/subscribing
Schedule yourself (including unscheduled work and tasks)‏
Use downtime
Stay neat
Keep a master waiting list

#2: Filter Your Input

Weed, weed, and weed again
Teach others communication etiquette (and stick to it)‏
Schedule unplugged times
Unplug at will

#3: RSS & Twitter Overload Techniques

Limit your feeds and following
Use lists to organize feeds & Twitter friends
Use RSS when applicable
Use RSS to send you reminders

#4: Interruptive Technology Overload Techniques

Phones, text messaging, IM, Twitter
Use these technologies when appropriate
Check when you want to
Don't interrupt yourself
Use your status message
Lobby for IM or Twitter at work

#5: Phone Overload Techniques

Use the phone when appropriate
Turn it off
Keep your number private
Let it ring
Work = work, home=home

#6: Email Overload Techniques

Stop “Doing Email”
Start scheduling email scanning time
Use email when appropriate
Deal with email by subject
Keep your inbox nearly empty
Filter your messages
Limit listservs
Follow good email etiquette
Delete and archive
Work=work, home=home

#7: Print Media Overload Techniques

Just because you can touch it, doesn't mean you should keep it
Cancel, cancel, cancel (CatalogChoice.org)‏
Weed what you do have

#8: Multimedia Overload Techniques

Choose entertainment thoughtfully
Limit television viewing
Schedule entertainment time
Use your commute to your benefit

#9: Social Networking Overload Techniques

Schedule time on your networks
Pick a primary network and point other sites toward it
Limit your “in-network IM”

#10: Time and Stress Management

Use your calendar (!)‏
Take breaks
Eliminate stressful interruptions
Look for software help
Balance your life and work to your own liking, not your boss's or spouse's

Further Resources
“ Being Wired or Being Tired: 10 Ways to Cope with Information Overload” by Sarah Houghton-Jan (from Ariadne )‏
"How to Stop Your Inbox Exploding" by Cory Doctorow
Information Overload: We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us by Jonathan B. Spira

Questions? Sarah Houghton-Jan web: www.LibrarianInBlack.net IM: LibrarianInBlack Skype: LibrairanInBlack Facebook: facebook.com/librarianinblack Twitter: twitter.com/TheLiB email: [email_address]

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Information Overload is the Devil

by Sarah Houghton on Oct 28, 2009

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