The Ultimate Irony: An Information Age Without Librarians

• Main Author: Ady, Dawn S.
• Format: Others
• Published: UNF Digital Commons 2016
• Subjects: Thesis; University of North Florida; UNF; Dissertations; Academic > UNF > Master of Arts in Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics; Academic > UNF > Philosophy; library; librarian; libraries; librarians; library science; information; information literacy; librarianship; democracy; Education; Ethics and Political Philosophy; Information Literacy; Liberal Studies; Library and Information Science; Philosophy
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/634; https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1658&context=etd

In this thesis, the continuing relevance of the profession of librarianship in the digital age is explored and assessed. After defining the library as information itself, the thesis establishes that electronic formats replacing printed matter is not an indication of libraries becoming extinct. Further, various aspects of the profession of librarianship—including library ethics, information extraction skills, and information literacy instruction—are discussed. Additionally, the potential for librarians to play an important role in a largely “jobless” society (as forecast by some experts and scholars as well as in a recent Oxford University study) is evaluated. Finally, a proposal is made for librarians to actively contribute to a more participatory and deliberative democracy by using the Internet to facilitate information access in the public sphere.