The Flow of
Information in Society
Mirah J. Dow, BSE, MLS, PhD
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
theory of school librarianship

School librarians are experts in content areas and pedagogy, particularly
guided inquiry, an instructional method concerned with perception,
emotions, imagination, and how they relate to knowing, understanding,
and feeling about the world. They are experts in locating and retrieving
information; organization and classification of information; and
evaluation and use of information.

School librarians are experts in understanding and communicating about
human information behavior, the human capacities that people have to
need, seek, give, and use information in different contexts, and in
understanding the flow of information in society (information transfer
cycles).
Information Transfer Model
(in contrast to traditional library models)
Info Users
Recorded
Message
Sender
Information
System
Library system designed as a traditional system requires information users to
go to the system - - the library, computer, or other collection of information.
The motivation to use the information system is on the user of the
information. The information system is designed more on behalf of
preserving the information than it is on meeting the users’ needs.
Library system designed in the information transfer model provides an
information system to meet the needs of information users.
Life Cycle of Information
Creation – assembly of data to make meaning
Recording – analysis of data into many formats
Reproduction – copying so that it can be used
Dissemination – getting it out there; technology makes possible mass production;
vast networks are necessary to move publications to publishers to consumers
Bibliographic Control – organization, cataloging; a complete record of all that
exists (National Bibliographies; Private Sector Publisher; OCLC, Lib of
Congress; British Library; subject bibliographies
Organization by Discipline – academic disciplines provide their own indexing
Diffusion – to help users understand information and make sense of it
Utilization – role of professionals is to facilitate the use of information
Preservation – retention of recorded information
Deletion – decide when irrelevant or obsolete – need to get rid of it
Reference: Greer, R. C., Grover, R. J., & Fowler, S. G. (2013). Introduction to the library and
information professions (2nd ed.). Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited.
Infogram – the information lifecycle at work
S-E-N-D Diffusion Model (Dow, 2014)
Social media and networks for communicating
Electronic formats that will attract attention of
the public
New language of information literacy-USE IT!
Details that are meaningful in today’s society
EXAMPLE
Infogram
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
and more