This document discusses the problems of information overload, anxiety, and lack of skills that individuals face due to the massive amounts of data available from various sources such as newspapers, the internet, television, and other people. It notes that the amount of information in a single day's edition of The New York Times contains more information than people were likely to encounter in their entire lifetime in the 17th century. The document proposes that individuals need to learn how to better manage, organize, prioritize, and selectively consume information to avoid feeling overwhelmed. The goal is to help people improve their ability to effectively use information.

1. Information Anxiety
and Overload
Ru Story Huffman
Dean of Library Services
Georgia Southwestern State University

2. Problems with Information
 Information Overload
 Information Anxiety
 Information Quality
 Lack of information & technology skills
 Technology out of context

3. Where Does It Come From?
Newspapers
The Internet
(Web sties, Blogs, Social Networking Sites, Podcasts, RSS, Email, etc., etc., etc.)
Magazines/Journals
Television
Radio
Your Neighbor,
Parents,
Friends,
Professors
Random People We Don’t Even Know!!

4. Data Smog
Information
Asphyxiation
Info Glut
Information
Jenny
Craig

5. Information Overload
 “A weekday edition of The New York Times
contains more information than the average
person was likely to come across in a lifetime
in 17th century England” (Wurman, 2001, p. 5)
Wurman, S. (2001). Information Anxiety 2. Indianapolis, QUE.

6. Information
Overload
http://removeandreplace.com/2013/03/13/how-much-
data-is-on-the-internet-and-generated-online-every-
minute/

7. Overload of the Overload
http://www.robertson-associates.eu/blog/

8. How to Manage Information
 1. Be selective
 2. Plan your time
 3. Organize
 4. Prioritize
 5. Read This!

10. According to Webster’s…
 “An overwhelming feeling upon the receipt or
collection of an indigestible or
incomprehensible amount of information, the
feeling of being faced with an amount of data
that one has no hope of completely
processing” (Webster’s, n.d.).
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/information overload

11. Which Leads Us To:
 Our Semester Goal:
 Learning how to manage
and use Information.
See You Next Week, as we get started.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/50/Bookwheel.png/180px-Bookwheel.png