What is information? An introduction to the concepts of data and information for Library Science students and librarians.

1. I N F O R M AT I O N
B A S I C S

2. W H AT M A K E S U S D I F F E R E N T
F R O M O T H E R A N I M A L S ?
Q U E S T I O N :

3. - E N C Y C L O P E D I A B R I T TA N I C A
“One of the reasons that humans have risen to
become the dominant creatures on Earth can be
attributed to their innate ability to communicate
and to store, retrieve, and use knowledge so that
each generation does not have to relearn the
lessons of the past in order to act effectively in the
present.”

4. C AV E PA I N T I N G S
S Y M B O L S R E P R E S E N T I N G K N O W L E D G E

5. D E V E L O P M E N T O F W R I T I N G
E N A B L E D U S T O PA S S O N I N F O R M AT I O N

6. P R I N T I N G P R E S S
L E D T O R I S E O F L I T E R A C Y

7. I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y
2 0 T H C E N T U RY

8. W H AT I S I N F O R M AT I O N ?
• Information knowledge derived from data
• Data are recorded facts and figures that result from
observations, surveys, or research
• Knowledge is data with meaning
• Wisdom application of information and knowledge in
a practical way

9. I N F O R M AT I O N I S M A D E O F…
• DATA
• IMAGES
• TEXT
• DOCUMENTS
• SOUND

10. W H AT I S I N F O R M AT I O N ?
• It is the result of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
based on available data
• In other words, the data has been:
• Organized, Structured, Considered, and
Communicated

11. C H A R A C T E R I S T I C S O F I N F O R M AT I O N
• Information is a commodity. It can be bought, sold,
exchanged, accumulated, stored, presented, and
owned. There is unlimited potential demand for
information.
• Information is a personal, organizational, and national
resources
• Information is most valuable when it is quickly and
easily available and effectively organized

12. W H Y S E E K
I N F O R M AT I O N ?
• We look for information:
• to gain knowledge
• to collect data
• to solve problems

13. W H AT I S G O O D I N F O R M AT I O N ?
• Relevant
• Timely
• Accurate and Complete
• Concise
• Reduces Uncertainty

14. F O R I N F O T O B E U S E F U L I N M A K I N G
D E C I S I O N S …
• It must be the right information
• Available at the Right Time
• Available to the Right Person
• At the right Cost
• Presented in the Right Format

15. W H AT I S P O O R I N F O R M AT I O N ?
• Irrelevant
• Swamping
• Unclear
• "Not all there”

16. S O U R C E S O F
I N F O R M AT I O N
• Primary
• Secondary
• Tertiary

17. I N F O R M AT I O N L I T E R A C Y
• Information Literate people know how to find, organize,
and evaluate and use information effectively to solve a
problem or make a decision
• Information literacy involves knowing:
• What info is available
Where it is
How it can be located and searched
How it can be retrieved and stored
How it can be processed and presented

18. I N F O R M AT I O N O V E R L O A D
• When a person doesn’t understand the situation
• feels overwhelmed by the amount of information
• doesn’t know if certain information exists
• doesn’t know where to find information
• knows where to find it, but inaccessible

19. U S E S O F
I N F O R M AT I O N
• Business and Industry
• Education
• Research and
Development
• Entertainment