science

Information activism

Information activism is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Information activism rather than just read about it. In short: Information activism at libraries and among librarians began in the 1960s, when many libraries advocated for the information rights of their clients. Their activism projects thereafter extended beyond library walls to advocate for issues such as tenancy and labour rights.

Key takeaways

Information activism belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Information activism to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Information activism from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Information activism at libraries and among librarians began in the 1960s, when many libraries advocated for the information rights of their clients. Their activism projects thereafter extended beyond library walls to advocate for issues such as tenancy and labour rights. With the advent of new information technologies and the information explosion of the late 20th century, information activism expanded in scope to include people who utilize information in the service of advocacy. An information activist is someone who works to make information available to the general population. According to Anthony Molaro, "An information activist is a vigorous advocate of knowledge gained through study, communication, research or instruction". Tactical Technology Collective has proposed a definition of information activism as "the strategic and deliberate use of information within a campaign" which specifically refers to the use of publicly available information in activist projects. Information activists take on many projects to work to remove barriers and provide access to knowledge for all people. Information activism can take on many different forms and be used in many different fields including in librarianship, in archiving, and in activist projects.

In librarianship Carla Hayden was quoted describing librarians of today as people "who are activists, engaged in the social work aspect of librarianship ... Now we are fighters for freedom, and we cause trouble! We are not sitting quietly anymore."

Library Juice Press Library Juice Press is a publisher that specializes in theoretical and practical issues in librarianship from a critical perspective, for an audience of professional librarians and students of library science. They began as the webzine and blog Library Juice and still hold no affiliations to an academic institution. Some topics they investigate are: library philosophy, information policy, library activism, and in general anything that can be placed under the rubric of "critical studies in librarianship." Library Juice Press is an imprint of Litwin Books, LLC.

In archiving Interference Archive is a collectively-run archive in Brooklyn, New York that opened in December 2011. The Archive "explores the relationship between cultural production and social movements." They are a volunteer driven archive whose mission is to bring attention to and honour the history of activist movements, which are often ignored by mainstream institutions. Their collection includes books, prints, music, moving images, and ephemera that were produced by various social movements. Since 2011, Interference Archive has expanded their collection of activist materials, hosted sixteen public exhibitions, written four publications, given over one hundred talks and workshops, and held various film screenings.

In activist projects The Tactical Technology Collective is an nongovernmental organization that works to "advance the use of information and digital technologies by advocates and activists worldwide" The organization runs a number of information activism projects including the 10 Tactics for Turning Information into Action, 10 Tactics Revisited, and the Info Activism Camp. Their two 10 Tactics campaigns are both a film and a project which aims to link the ways in which information and information technologies have been used in social movements. In particular, information is used to "monitor the state, corporations, and powerful social institutions," hold them accountable, and promote local and global activism. The Info Activism Camp exists as space to bring together activists from around the world to develop information activism techniques.

See also Data activism Information criticism Information wants to be free Information war Library and information science Zine Free culture movement Freedom of information Librarians Without Borders Open data Radical Reference

References

External links Librarians Without Borders LIS Wiki Library Juice Press Interference Archive Tactical Technology Collective 10 Tactics: for turning information into action 10 Tactics Revisited Info Activism Camp 2013

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Information activism

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Information activism claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Information activism before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Information activism ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Information activism

In research: Information activism appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Information activism in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Information activism is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Access to Knowledge movement, Library science, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Information activism outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Information activism in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Information activism means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Information activism out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Information activism in simple terms?

Why does Information activism matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Information activism?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Information activism.