24 November 2008

About sociality, knowing, learning and technology

Earlier this month I completed my doctorate at the Faculty of Information University of Toronto where I studied the social knowledge and learning practices of reference staff and their clients at the reference desks of three branch libraries in a large Canadian urban public library.

I am going to use this blog to throw ideas down on paper and put them out to anyone who finds them. It will be a place to collect ideas that I find provocative and which I might turn into research projects down the road. A place to put the first words to intuitions and experiences.

I am currently interested in social theory, sociality and social practices as they influence organizations. I am interested in organizing for learning, the immaterial value of material objects, the roles of structure and agency in our day to day informational lives. I am deeply connected to the world of public libraries and more generally to all libraries and the activities of librarians and information professionals. I hope I can both influence and participate in building the future of libraries and libraries of the future.

I like debate and I like to find the boundaries and then try to do my bit to move them. I laugh a lot and prefer to believe the glass is always at least half full. And I have many years of experience already of talking to myself, so this blog is another manifestation of that activity.

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