Grete Pasch
Submitted: November 14, 1994
Revised February 28, 1998: All courses listed here have been
completed.
Unit 1: Technologies for Information Organization
Unit 2: Cultural/Social Context of Information Management
Unit 3: The Development of Information Resource Management
in Latin America
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Computers and communications systems are helping us discover new ways of managing information. We can now integrate text, graphics, sound, animation, links, and much more into a single digitally produced "document", without the need for intermediate paper, celluloid, video, or other physical representations. The notion of "work" is shifting rapidly, from the orderly sequence of words printed on paper and published by a responsible entity, to the individual homepages placed online directly by the creator and available in many different versions. The concept of "authorship" is also evolving, given that dozens of computer programmers, sound mixers, photographers, digital artists, and many other specialists may collaborate in the creation of one work.
These changes pose new challenges to all information managers. While some authors predict that books and paper will soon be replaced by computer screens and networked databases, others remind us of the trillions of bytes stored worldwide on paper and other media in libraries, archives, and on our own desktops. While some fear Orwelland and the threat of computerized, networked, centralized control, others believe that we are approaching Computopia: the perfectly democratic workplace and playground. There is also the debate about the widening information gap and the injustices done to the information poor peoples: will certain disadvantaged groups ever gain access to the new information technologies, and if not, what will be the social consequences?
I chose to pursue the PhD in library and information science because I wish to explore these issues with the help of professors who are actively involved in various relevant research areas.
My background in computer science and systems analysis gives me the necessary technical tools for understanding and exploring the technologies involved. By living, studying, and working in Guatemala, England, and the United States I have experienced information technologies in various settings and acquired a global perspective on the importance of information management. The present program of studies intends to complement my past studies and experience so I will be prepared to conduct relevant research in the field of library and information studies.
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Unit 1: Technologies for Information Organization
For centuries, librarians have been developing cataloging and classification systems used for organizing books and other library materials. More recently, computer scientists have built computers capable of storing and quickly searching huge files and computer networks, making distributed databases and instant remote access possible. The approaches to information organization of these two groups (i.e., librarians and computer scientists) are coming together in several areas, such as the use of digital imaging in records management, the study of electronic records as archival materials, and the parallels between classification work and the study of knowledge representation in the field of artificial intelligence.
With the objective of gaining an understanding of how these two fields complement each other, the coursework in unit 1 explores all areas of the LIS curriculum, concentrating on the applications of computers and communications systems in each area.
New (PhD program):
Unit 2: Cultural/Social Context of Information Management
Culture can be seen as the set of shared beliefs and forms of expression which help a group of people interact and deal with uncertainty. Anthropologists, linguists, and communications scholars have developed methods to observe and describe cultures in societies. Organizational cultures are studied by occupational folklorists (who seek to describe and understand them) and by management consultants (who see culture change as a means of fulfilling the organization's objectives).
At the heart of cultural interaction is information, transmitted orally or in recorded form, and stored, organized, and perceived according to the human environment. The purpose of this unit is to study the social and cultural dimensions of information management, especially the factors that affect the transfer of information between cultures and its impact on cultural change.
New (PhD program):
Unit 3: The Development of Information Resource Management in Latin America
Many centuries ago, various systems for recording information were in use in what is now the Latin American region. With the European colonization, pen and paper and a new information culture replaced the old traditions. Today, the use of information technology in Latin America is growing rapidly. This introduces new opportunities and also new concerns, especially from the point of view of social impact. Information technologies also create a large research space for the study of diffusion and adoption of the new technologies.
The purpose of this unit is to concentrate on specific issues in the development of information resources in Latin America, e.g., challenging the social relevance of archival records, explaining the slow growth of regional publishing, comparing the impact of foreign vs. locally created databases, studying the introduction of electronic mail and its consequences, and defining the role of leaders in adopting library automation. My work focuses on Central America, a region composed of six similar, but interestingly distinct countries.
New (PhD program):