Information and its Organization

Students will be able to perform effectively in the library and information professions by demonstrating competency in information and its organization. By the conclusion of the master’s degree program, students should be able to:

• explain major concepts, theories, issues and trends in knowledge representation and information organization

• explain the relationship between information organization and information retrieval

• explain information-seeking behavior in theoretical and practical terms

• demonstrate proficient professional skills in information searching

• explain and demonstrate the techniques of bibliographic organization and control

• explain the principles and techniques of physical and digital preservation of materials

Description - Analysis - Reflection

Taking ISCI 706 with Professor Ehsan Nik in Spring 2024 led me to develop a cohesive understanding of information seeking behaviors as they relate to the organization of resources. In a sense, libraries are designated spaces for connecting people’s questions with history’s answers. Understanding information as data and gaining familiarity with the structures used to manage it, digitally and otherwise, aids us in locating the most relevant and reliable results. In this course, we explored concepts of query formulation, e.g. Belkin’s ASK model which offers one explanation for user’s inability to articulate questions, as well as theories of data as a natural resource, the impact of big data (volume, velocity, variety, value), and the importance of linking data for both preservation and access. The Evaluation of Information Retrieval Systems essay assignment [LINK below] provided an opportunity to compare different catalogs and forms of indexing, including controlled vocabularies, free text and social tags. 

ISCI 706 was challenging for me (B.A. in English here : ) but this exercise in particular reinforced the value of casting a wide net when searching the web. I had little prior experience using GoogleBooks, WorldCat, or Internet Archive; now I regularly refer to all three and advanced search with ease. Analyzing multiple resource requests for a singular author made it easier to understand how results are located and presented in various contexts. It opened the door for a deep dive on controlled vocabularies in Research, and a continued (growing!) interest in digitally linking “legacy data,” i.e. traditional cataloging materials. This work now looks like adding, updating, and refining metadata for cultural heritage institutions, including Special Collections at College of Charleston last semester. I also do this on a smaller scale while managing the studio and website for environmental activist artist Mary Edna Fraser. I expect to continue working with archival processing and metadata management in future positions, and seek to gain experience in museum settings.