ERIC ED363346: Metalibrarianship: A Model for Intellectual Foundations of Library Information Science.

656 Pages·1993·10.9 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
IR 054 611
ED 363 346
Nitecki, Joseph Z.
AUTHOR
Metalibrarianship: A Model for Intellectual
TITLE
Foundations of Library Information Science.
PUB DATE
93
NOTE
664p.
Information Analyses (070)
Books (010)
PUB TYPE
Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
(120)
MF03/PC27 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
History; *Information Science; *Library Science;
DESCRIPTORS
Models; *Philosophy; *Theories
*Metalibrarianship; Metaphysics
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This monograph was written to ansoer questions about
the essence of librarianship, the meaning of informtion, and the
principles behind a desire for information transfer, f,reservation of
older records, or creation of new ideas. The work is organized into
is titled "In Search of a Discipline: Toward a
three parts. Part I
Science of Library Information (LIS)" and includes chapters 1-4. Part
II is titled "Defining Library Reality: Philosophical Inquiry" and
includes chapters 5-8, Part III is titled "Metalibrarianship" and
includes chapters 9-12. The chapters are as follows:
(1)
(2) Historical Milestones in Librarianship;
Introduction;
(3)
(4) The Issue of
Changing Paradigms of Library Information Science;
Library and Information Science Self-Consciousness; (5) Conceptual
(6) What Is Philosophy of Librarianship? (7) Emerging
Framework;
(8) Theories about Knowledge;
Philosophy of Librarianship;
(9)
Intellectual Environment of Metalibrarianship; (10) The Concepts of
'Information' and 'Knowledge' Revisited; (11) Theory of
iletalibrarianship; and (12) Metalibrary Implications. A list of the
major contributors to the philosophy of librarianship is appended.
(Contains 413 references.)
(KRN)
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
*
from the original document.
**************:"%::******************A.****************************
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
011n of Edut.abonal Research and Irnprovernent
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
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METAILIBRARIANSHIP:-.
A MODEL FOR INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS
OF LIBRRAY INFORMATION SCIENCE
bY
JOSEPH Z_ HITECKI
19G1
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Joseph Z. Nitecki
Copyright @ 1993 by J. I. Nitecki
TO THE EDUCATIONAL REIOURCES
Lo
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
omi
ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I acknowledge with gratitude the significant contributions to
this work made by my wife, who believed in the project and helped
me to complete it, and to my daughter, for reviewing parts of the
manuscript.
The prevailing attitude of our library profession to the
philosophical issues in librarianship is well illustrated by the
attitude of publishing industry. I wrote letters to ten pub-
lishers inquiring about the feasibility of publishing a book on
philosophy of librarianship. Some publishers did not bother to
acknowledge receiving the letter; others, claiming a commercial
unprofitability of such a publication, and without even seeing
the manuscript, expressed no interest in it.
I am grateful to Educational Resources Information Cen-
Hence,
ter (ERIC) for giving this essay a chance to be iead.
INSERT ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE:
Fig. 1-1: Metalibrary Patterns
IFor explanation see Fig. 11-11.1
.ir
14
FIG.
1-1:
METALIBRARY PATTERNS
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
iii
CONTENTS
Part I:
TN SEARCH OF A DISCIPLINE:
Toward a Science of Library Information (LIS)
The first part of the book provides a topography for
the essay, by focusing on the emergence of librar-
ianship as a social institution.
Introduction
1.0
Prologue
1.1
The Heritage: An Old Profession
1.2
Assumptions
1.3
Objectives of the Study
1.4
1.4.1 Focus of the Argument
1.4.2 Tentative Hypothesis
Emerging Philosophy
1.5
Arrangements of the Content
1.6
Notes
Historical milestones in Librarianship
2.0
Philosophical interpretation of Library History
2.1
2.1.1. Descriptive Approach
Prescriptive Approach
2.1.2
Analytical Approach
2.1.3
Historical Perspectives
2.2
The Beginnings: c. 500,000 (?)--3000 BC
2.3
River Valley Civilization: 3000 BC--1750 BC
2.4
Historical Overview
2.4.1
Library-related Implications
2.4.2
Oriental CiVilizations: 1750 BC--323 BC
2.5
Historical Overview
2.5.1
Library-related Implications
2.5.2
Classical Civilization: 900 BC--AD 900
2.6
2.6.1 Greek City-Scates: 900 BC--336 BC
2.6.1.1. Historical Overview
Library-related Implications
2.6.1.2
2.6.2 Roman Civilization: 753 BC--AD 410
Historical Overview
2.6.2.1
Library-related Implications
2.6.2.2
2.6.3 Byzantine Civilization: 410 BC--AD 1453
Historical Overview
2.6.3.1
Library-related Implications
2.6.3.2
Ii
iv
Transitional period: AD 410 AD--AD 900
2.7
Historical Overview
2.7.1
Library-related Implications
2.7.2
Middle Ages: AD 900--AD 1500
2.8
Historical Overview
2.8.1
Library-related Implications
2.8.2
Modern World: AD 1500 --
2.9
Historical Overview
2.9.1
Library-related Implications
2.9.2
Renaissance: 1400--1600
2.9.2.1
The Seventeenth Century
2.9.2.2
The Eighteenth Century
2.9.2.3
The Nineteenth Century
2.9.2.4
The Twentieth Century
2.9.2.5
Conclusion
2.10
Notes
Changing Paradigms of Library Information Science (LIS)
3.0
Introduction
3.1
Major Concepts in Librarianship
3.1.1
Four Faces of Librarianship
3.1.2
The Library
3.2
Changing Library Image
3.2.1
Evolving Library Objectives
3.2.2
Library Science
3.3
Its Origins
3.3.1
Its Scientific Character
3.3.2
Bibliographic Aspects of Library Science
3.3.3
Classification and Cataloging
3.3.4
Librarianship
3.4
Gradual Development
3.4.1
Major Changes in Library Functions
3.4.2
Different Views of Librarianship
3.4.3
Ethics of the Profession
3.4.4
Reading
3.4.5
Information Science
3.5
a. On information
b. On Information Science
Changing Paradigms of the Discipline
3.6
Sociological Aspects: Society and Its
3.6.1
Expectations
Philosophical Aspects: Information Environ-
3.6.2
ment and Its Nature
Technological Aspects: Inventions and Their
3.6.3
Adaptations
Prophesies of Change
3.7
Criticism of the Discipline
3.8
Summary and Conclusions
3.8
Notes
V
The Issue of Library and Information Science Self-
4.0
consciousness
Definitional Confusion
4.1
Lack of Consensus
4.1.1
Variations in Self-perception
4.1.2
Hypothetical Opposites
4.1.3
Divergences in Defining 'Definitions.'
4.2
Prescriptive Definitions
4.2.1.
Linguistic Definitions
4.2.2
Essentialistic Definitions
4.2.3
Schrader's Linguistic Analysis
4.3
Library Science (LS)
4.3.1
Information Science (IS)
4.3.2
Library and Information Science (L&IS)
4.3.3
Applications of Different Approaches
4.4
Conceptual Unity
4.5
Common Denominators
4.6
Common Subject Matter
4.6.1
Structure of Information Resources
4.6.1.1
a. Resources
b. Bibliographic Organization
c. Access
Purposes of Inf,Frmation Agencies
4.6.1.2
a. Informative End-objectives
b. Educational End-objectoves
c. Cultural End-objectives
Functions of Information Agents
4.6.1.3
a. Managerial Coordination
b. Interpretation of Resources
c. Mediation between Demands for
and Supplies of Resources and
Services
Informational Environment
4.6.2
a. Intellectual Environment
b. Political Environment
c. Technical Environment
Role in a Society
4.6.3
a. Psychological Evaluation
b. Sociological Evaluation
d. Philosophical Evaluation
Summary
4.7
Notes
"IMMIMMIV
vi
PART II:
DEFINING LIBRARY REALITY: Philosophical Inquiry.
Conceptual Framework
5.0
Introduction
5.1
Philosophical Overview
5.1.1
Major Philosophical Questions
5.1.2
What is Philosophy?
5.2
Evolution of Philosophical Interpretations of
5.3
Ultimate Reality
Antiquity: Setting the stage: Indian,
5.3.1
Chinese, and Other Philosophical Teach-
ings (ca. 800 BC--600 BC)
Classical Age: Laying the foundations:
5.3.2
600BC--AD 400
Age of Belief: Medieval speculations:
5.3.3
AD 400-1400
Age of Adventure: Philosophy of Renais-
5.3.4
sance: 1400-1500 AD
Age of Reason: Modern Philosophy: 17th c.
5.3.5
Age of Enlightenment: Philosophy of Natu-
5.3.6
T-al Sciences: 18th c.
Age of Ideology: Ideological and Cultural
5.3.7
Reconstruction: 19th c.
Age of Analysis: Entering Uncharted
5.3.8
Philosophical Territory: 20th c.
What is Reality?
5.4
Major World Vievs
5.5
introduction
5.5.1
Empirical Viewpoint: Philosophy of
5.5.2
Objective Reality
Rational Viewpoint: Philosophy of Logical
5.5.3
Reality of Ideas
Cultural Viewpoint: Subjective Philosophy
5.5.4
of an Individual and his Society
Notes
What is Philosophy of Librarianship?
6.0
Environment for the Philosophy of Librarianship
6.1
Scope of the Philosophy of Librarianship
6.1.1
The Need for a Philosophical Approach
6.1.2
The Value of Philosophy to Librarianship
5.1.4
Major Components in the Definitions of the
6.2
Philosophy of Librarianship
Introduction
6.2.1
Evolving Objectives of the Library
6.2.2
Philosophy
vii
Epistemological, Ethical and Metaphysical
6.2.3
Questions
Philosophers on the Philosophy of Librarianship
6.3
Ceitique of the Philosophical Approach to Librar-
6.4
ianship
Notes
Emerging Philosophy of Libl'arianship
7.0
Introduction
7.1
Reviewers of Literature in Philosophy of Librar
7.2
ianship
Patricia Peirce, A Study of the Philosophy
7.2.1
of Librarianship, 1930-1950/ 1951
Haynes McMullen, Research in.Backgrounds in
7.2.2
Librarianship, 1957
A.K. Mukherjee, Librarianship; Its
7.2.3
Philosophy and History, 1966
Myrna Downs, The Emergence of a Philosophy
7.2.4
of Librarianship in the United States, 1969
Barbara McCrimmon, American Library
7.2.5
Philosophy, 1975
Marie Foster, Philosophy of Librarianship,
7.2.6
1979
J.M. Whitehead, Logos of Library and
7.2.7
Information Science, 1980
A.R. Rogers and K. McChesney, The Library
7.2.8
in Society, 1984
Jesse Shera, Librarianship, Philosophy of,
7.2.9
1980
Barbara McCrimmon, Librarianship,
7.2.10
Philosophy of, 1993
Partial Reviews of Philosophy of Librar-
7.2.11
ianship
Notes
Theories about Knowledge
8.0
Theories about theory
8.1
Introduction
8.1.1
Principles
8.1,1.1
8.1.1.2
Laws
Theories
8.1.1.3
Models
8.1.1.4
Systems
8.1.2
Definitions
8.1.2.1
General Systems Theory
8.1.2.2
General Systems and Librarianship
8.1.2.3
3
viii
8.2
Theories
in Library Information
Science:: Examples
8.2.1
Bryson
8.2.2
Bennett
8.2.3
Menzel
8.3
Explanation and
Understanding of Reality
8.3.1
Beagle
8.3.2
Howard
8.3.3
Hollnagel
8.4
Theories
about
Reality
8.4.1
Empirical Stimulus-Response
Theories
8.4.2
Motivational Psycho-analytical
Theories
8.4.3
Rational Cognitive
Theories
8.4.4
Continuity Principle
8.4.5
Individual Interpretations
of
Reality
8.5
LIS Theories of
Recorded Knowledge
8.5.1
Definitions:
8.5.1.1
Kemp (1976)
8.5.1,2
McGarry (1975)
8.5.1.3
Machlup (1983)
8.5.2
Models
8.5.2.1
Shera
8.5.2.2
P. Wilson
8.5.2.3
Dretske
8.5.3
Limitations in Structuring
Knowl-
edge
8.5.3.1
Harmon
8.5.3.2
Storer and Parsons
8.5.4
C-,gnitive Models
Notes
PART III:
METALIBRARIANSHIP
9.0
Intellectual Environment
of Metalibrarianship
9.1
The Concept of
Intellectual Environment
(IE)
9.1.1
Introduction
9.1.2
Contemporary Anti-intellectualism
9.1.3
Definition of Intellectual
Environment
9.1.4
The three-dimensionality
of Information
Environment
9.1.5
Significance of Intellectual
Environment
9.2
Interpretation of IE in
Librarianship
9.2.1
Introduction
9.2.2
As a Goal-setting
Process (Swanson)
9.2.3
As an Interpretation
of Library Mission
(Khurshid).
.