Knowledge practices are changing
The first step in our ten-step get-fit programme for the IFLA Information Futures Summit encouraged you to look across the ideas in the Trend Report Literature Review. In this second step, we dive into the first individual trend identified. And it’s a pretty existential one: what is information and knowledge? And will we be giving the same answers if asked the same questions in a few years’ time?
Developments already taking place today could both broaden and narrow our definitions.
On the side of broadening, there is a welcome move to recognise the negative consequences of older approaches that considered that only some voices, some experiences, some forms of knowledge were worthy of the name.
Many societies are seeing a pushback against approaches to knowledge that exclude, building on a growing understanding of the real-world implications that this can have (although not without resistance). At the same time, there are moves to respect the desires of communities to limit access to some knowledge.
In parallel, increasing computing power has also made it possible not only to collect more data than before, but use it to generate new ideas. We (or at least those with access to this technology) are ever better at analysing and seeking new understandings of our world.
Yet this same computing power has made it easier to create ever more convincing fakes. Not being able to believe what you see likely requires an evolution in our approach to assessing authenticity, but perhaps also a questioning of what authenticity means and why (and where) it matters in particular.
This may lead to a potential narrowing of our understanding of information and knowledge, or at least clearer lines between different types.
What is more likely to limit this understanding is the control exercised over what we do see enacted by platforms. While the rationale for this is transparent enough – they want to offer a service that is sufficiently adapted to capture attention in order to sell adverts – it does risk leading to people having very different experiences of the knowledge space.
In short, while two people opening the same book will see the same words in front of them (although might interpret them differently), two people opening the same website may not.
Yet the impact of choices around business models on the way we experience the information and knowledge environment is not a new issue. Those campaigning for open access have long been aware of this in the research field, but we’re increasingly seeing challenges to this elsewhere, for example in work to promote wider access to eBooks.
Join us in Brisbane!
These issues and more will be on the table in Brisbane, providing a space to think – and think again – about what we count as information and knowledge, and the practices that shape this.
In particular, look out for Jean Burgess’ keynote exploring how knowledge systems have evolved in response to emerging technologies, and Rebecca Giblin and Paul Crosby’s session on their ground-breaking work with developing alternatives to traditional publisher-centric models for eBooks.
We’ll also dig into questions of knowledge business models and how to make them more equitable and effective in our open access session. Finally, the chair of IFLA’s Professional Council will lead one looking at the latest steps to reassess past knowledge practices and the harm that they have done, and work out how to do better in future.
In short, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to ask – and make some progress towards asking – the questions set out at the beginning of this article. To get thinking, you can look at the questions already proposed in the Trend Report Literature Review.
You can also think back to your own experience – what trends have you seen in terms the availability and recognition of different types of information and knowledge, or sources of it? Where are there still gaps? How can libraries raise attention to these and even help find solutions? And in the face of narrowing, how can we help circumvent practices that limit experiences, without losing the ease of use that they might bring?