Librarian as an I nformation Architect Stanislaw Skorka Pedagogical University Krakow, Poland Building the Bridge

A piece of History... Librarians have always created and organized information

Librarians have always created and organized information

Yesterday’s Librarian Someone who: Worked with books (collected, selected, borrowed, shifted etc.) Knew any authors of any books („living encyclopaedia”) Focused rather on documents (books) than on people (users)

Someone who:

Worked with books (collected, selected, borrowed, shifted etc.)

Knew any authors of any books („living encyclopaedia”)

Focused rather on documents (books) than on people (users)

Today’s Librarian Person who: manages information in all forms is capable of searching for in every information sources knows where and how to find a relevant information (searcher) analyzes users’ searching behavior

Person who:

manages information in all forms

is capable of searching for in every information sources

knows where and how to find a relevant information (searcher)

analyzes users’ searching behavior

Today’s Librarian (2) also named: cyber librarian (cybrarian) uses analytical information seeking strategies educates next generation users has appropriate knowledge to start a new profession (information professional , information architect )

also named: cyber librarian (cybrarian)

uses analytical information seeking strategies

educates next generation users

has appropriate knowledge to start a new profession (information professional , information architect )

But... Unfortunately... He takes Users into consideration mostly for statistic purposes Today’s Librarian (3)

But...

Unfortunately...

He takes Users into consideration

mostly for statistic purposes

Information Architect Someone who: humanizes technology focusing on people (Lynne Duddy) enables data to be transformed into understandable information organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge. (R.S. Wurman)

Someone who:

humanizes technology focusing on people (Lynne Duddy)

enables data to be transformed into understandable information

organizes the patterns inherent in data, making the complex clear

creates the structure or map of information which allows others to find their personal paths to knowledge.

(R.S. Wurman)

Librarian vs IA-ct Common elements of interest Managing huge information resources (collecting, selecting, accessing) Organizing information Servicing users/readers Developing searching tools (indexes, catalogs, navigation systems) Creating findable information spaces (websites, readers rooms etc.)

Managing huge information resources (collecting, selecting, accessing)

Organizing information

Servicing users/readers

Developing searching tools (indexes, catalogs, navigation systems)

Creating findable information spaces (websites, readers rooms etc.)

Librarian vs IA-ct (2) Librarian’s main aim is to provide access to information Information architect’s main aim is to facilitate this access

Librarian’s main aim is to provide access to information

Information architect’s main aim is to facilitate this access

Five Laws of Library Science by S.R. Ranganathan (1931) 1. Books are for use . 2. Every reader his or her book . 3. Every book its reader . 4. Save the time of the reader . 5. The Library is a growing organism .

1. Books are for use .

2. Every reader his or her book .

3. Every book its reader .

4. Save the time of the reader .

5. The Library is a growing organism .

A librarian is a natural information architect. But in Poland very few librarians consider this fact. IA makes up a chance to appear new, attractive profession in library science: Information Architect Librarian (IAL) The possible scope of IAL profession: designing of usable library web sites, easy findable library rooms, training to use IA in everyday life etc. Benefits from his work are hard to over-estimate because knowledge is invaluable. Conclusion

A librarian is a natural information architect.

But in Poland very few librarians consider this fact.

IA makes up a chance to appear new, attractive profession in library science:

Information Architect Librarian (IAL)

The possible scope of IAL profession: designing of usable library web sites, easy findable library rooms, training to use IA in everyday life etc.

Benefits from his work are hard to over-estimate because knowledge is invaluable.

IA in librarian activity 1. Library webpage designing 2. Organization of physical library space (reading rooms, book collections etc.) 3. Evaluation of web resources 4. Educating IA

1. Library webpage designing

2. Organization of physical library space (reading rooms, book collections etc.)

3. Evaluation of web resources

4. Educating IA

Polish Library Web Sites Current state-of- art Boring content Limited to official information (amount of resources, facts) Very weak informative Old fashioned Unusable Difficult to find Non-strategic approach to web site designing

Polish Library Web Sites Current state-of- art

Boring content

Limited to official information

(amount of resources, facts)

Very weak informative

Old fashioned

Unusable

Difficult to find

Non-strategic approach

to web site designing

Polish Library Web Sites Challenges and goals user-centered design strategic and tactical planning approach to web site designing and management supporting education and research helping users finding needed information providing access to various e-sources (web catalogs, portals, e-journals, data bases) reporting the news about library and school live showing the better, valuable site of the Internet incorporating students into creation process

Polish Library Web Sites Challenges and goals

user-centered design

strategic and tactical planning approach to web site designing and management

supporting education and research

helping users finding needed information

providing access to various e-sources (web catalogs, portals, e-journals, data bases)

reporting the news about library and school live

showing the better, valuable site of the Internet

incorporating students into creation process

Process of designing cycle (example) Library Web Site is not only for librarians but for their users (students, teacher, parents etc.) 1. Library Web Site

Notices Users of a library Web site (lws) are mostly the readers of this library (students, pupils, teacher, parents, scientists), so it is quite easy to collect important information about them and their opinion about the site lws should indicating appriopriate resources in the Web Web site designing is an endless process... 1. Library Web Site

Users of a library Web site (lws) are mostly the readers of this library (students, pupils, teacher, parents, scientists), so it is quite easy to collect important information about them and their opinion about the site

lws should indicating appriopriate resources in the Web

Web site designing is an endless process...

2. IA of real library space Library has the same IA’s elements as web sites: organization system navigation system searching labeling Library resources need to be organized in a usable way

Library has the same

IA’s elements as web sites:

organization system

navigation system

searching

labeling

Foundations enabling free access to library resources giving fast and short information about library resources, new books etc. supporting users to move through the shelves in search of a document, pointing ways to important places in library supporting users’ decisions about where to go, what to read, borrow etc. 2. IA of real library space

enabling free access to library resources

giving fast and short information about library resources, new books etc.

supporting users to move through the shelves in search of a document,

pointing ways to important places in library

supporting users’ decisions about where to go, what to read, borrow etc.

3. Evaluating IA Goals: Educate methods of evaluating information critically Characteristic of Web site layout, navigation and searching systems Improvement in Web resources quality selection skills Support information searching for educational purposes Learn how to recognize whether a Web site is trustworthy

Goals:

Educate methods of evaluating information critically

Characteristic of Web site layout, navigation and searching systems

Improvement in Web resources quality selection skills

Support information searching for educational purposes

Learn how to recognize whether a Web site is trustworthy

Elements of IA evaluation 3. Evaluating IA structure grouping labeling IA Web resources evaluation By Steve Toub

By evaluating librarian teaches better Web sites designing and how to avoid common mistakes The main aim is to improve the quality of educational and informative Web sites It is one of criterion involved in complex process of Web pages evaluation including: authority, objectivity and currency of resources evaluation Benefits 3. Evaluating IA

By evaluating librarian teaches better Web sites designing and how to avoid common mistakes

The main aim is to improve the quality of educational and informative Web sites

It is one of criterion involved in complex process of Web pages evaluation including: authority, objectivity and currency of resources evaluation

4. Educating IA in Library Topics: recognize Web sites elements organize information understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information strategies or methods using in Web searching The part of information literacy curriculum

Topics:

recognize Web sites elements

organize information

understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information

strategies or methods using in Web searching

Handful of conclusions Library and Information Science (LIS) and Information Architecture are inseparable disciplines The bridge is a metaphor of communication, cooperation and corelation between these disciplines IA is a metadiscpline not having its own identity so LIS ought to be a source IA-ct derive from

Library and Information Science (LIS) and Information Architecture are inseparable disciplines

The bridge is a metaphor of communication, cooperation and corelation between these disciplines

IA is a metadiscpline not having its own identity so LIS ought to be a source IA-ct derive from

The bridge between two disciplines

Handful of conclusions (2) IA needs librarians because: they deal with collecting, organizing and searching of information. they educate future information and web users Librarians need the IA’s knowledge because of its awareness of users IA is not only a craft or discipline but also it is a point of view

IA needs librarians because:

they deal with collecting, organizing and searching of information.

they educate future information and web users

Librarians need the IA’s knowledge because of its awareness of users

IA is not only a craft or discipline but also it is a point of view

Future’s Librarian Information Architect Librarian A person who incorporates attributes from today’s librarian and information architect Evolution of traditional profession Interesting opportunity to develop research areas in Library and Information Science

Information Architect Librarian

A person who incorporates attributes from today’s librarian and information architect

Evolution of traditional profession

Interesting opportunity to develop research areas in Library and Information Science

In the end... The Internet is constantly evolving towards global information resources, we could call it, according to Jorge J. Borges, The Library of Babel But every library needs librarians...

The Internet is constantly evolving towards global information resources, we could call it, according to Jorge J. Borges,

The Library of Babel

But every library needs librarians...