Searching for Mr. Good-data…

Focusing on how data makes it way across the internet during last week’s class got me thinking about the topic that pervades so many LIS class discussions — and presumably many library conferences — what is the role of the library in the digital age? It never really struck me before last Monday that this is a very different question than the one that concerns me as I progress towards my degree, what exactly is the role of the information scientist in the digital age?

Here, I should confess that I’m an art history teacher, which influenced how I felt about the quality and accessibility of quality information available on the web even before I became an LIS student. I should also confess that I’m also taking Knowledge Management this semester where I have been reading about agnotology, or the study of ignorance. Even information that is good for us takes awhile to disseminate into culture even when there is no logical reason for people to not believe or acknowledge it as fact. In part, we are resistant to new ideas, and in most cases we only accept information that reinforces our current beliefs.

The library as an institution and how it can operate with relevance in today’s communities is a different issue than how can we effectively harness digital formats to raise the quality of information unseen users interact with online. This broadens the possibilities for what realms information scientists can influence, at least in my small mind.