Information Ecologies

This paper argues that the way we see, think, and talk about technology has consequences for the way we use it. The author observes that we have difficulty bringing critical sensibilities into our evaluation and use of technology; she posits three reasons for this difficulty: the rhetoric of inevita...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Serials librarian 2000-03, Vol.38 (1-2), p.31-40
Main Author: O'day, Vicki L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ecology
Exact sciences and technology
Information and communication sciences
Information and communication technologies
Information science. Documentation
Information society concept
Information technologies: storage media, equipment
Libraries
Sciences and techniques of general use
Technology
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Summary:This paper argues that the way we see, think, and talk about technology has consequences for the way we use it. The author observes that we have difficulty bringing critical sensibilities into our evaluation and use of technology; she posits three reasons for this difficulty: the rhetoric of inevitability, the limitations of partial perspectives, and the effects of metaphor. The author proposes paying attention to technology and observing the social practices surrounding its use. One good way of paying attention to technologies and concomitant social practices is to think ecologically. By positing an information ecology, we will provide ourselves with a framework for thinking about and evaluating technology, both within and outside libraries.
ISSN:0361-526X
1541-1095
DOI:10.1300/J123v38n01_05