Research and theories of information behavior have traditionally focused on the \"information man,\" i.e., on the individual as a seeker and user of information. The collective aspects of information behavior have been conceptualized, for instance, as consulting, informal seeking, use of person sources, and peer influence. These conceptualizations suggest a one-way process in which an individual consults another individual, however, information acquisition and filtering often is undertaken as a collective and collaborative effort. The paper develops a conceptual framework for the description of types and levels of information sharing in relation to document retrieval in academic communities. The concepts of strategic information sharing, paradigmatic information sharing, directive information sharing, and social information sharing are introduced to describe differences in the goals and purposes of information sharing in different groups and contexts of interaction.

Information sharing in academic communities: Types and levels of collaboration in information seeking and use.

This paper puts forth a vision and an architecture for a community knowledge evolution system. We propose augmenting a multimedia document repository (digital library) with innovative knowledge evolution support, including computer-mediated communications, community process support, decision support, advanced hypermedia features, and conceptual knowledge structures. These tools, and the techniques developed around them, would enable members of a virtual community to learn from, contribute to, and collectively build upon the community's knowledge and improve many member tasks. The resulting Collaborative Knowledge Evolution Support System (CKESS) would provide an enhanced digital library infrastructure serving as an ever-evolving repository of the community's knowledge, which members would actively use in everyday tasks and regularly update.

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Toward Virtual Community Knowledge Evolution

The article highlights the importance of conceptual and theoretical work in the design of information retrieval systems. Two epistemological positions leading to different solutions in digital library (DL) design are examined: the information transfer perspective and the social contructionist knowledge production perspective. The first section of the paper explores how the information transfer perspective affects the principles by which documents are organized in DLs. The second section analyzes the basic assumptions of the knowledge production perspective. The third section discusses how social constructionist ideas affect the design principles and information architecture of DLs. The authors suggest that, in the electronic Information environment, traditional noun-based approaches can be replaced by solutions that combine verbs and nouns to visualize the structure of conversations concerning a particular issue or topic. Finally, the potentials and problems of building constructionist digital libraries are discussed.

Multiperspective digital libraries: the implications of constructionism for the development of digital libraries

The Information World of Retired Women

Describes how media can be useful in assisting reference librarians in 'going where the questions are' while still maintaining the personal element in creating real-time reference transactions in a technological environment. Introduces the idea of the 'roving librarian' model going to where help is needed. Models for the management of electronic information requests also discussed e.g. Internet Public Library's QRC system. Libraries need to state the level of reference service they provide. Conclusion -to continue to serve patrons with different needs, librarians must walk across the library, access the computer screen from across the campus intranet system, answer email and explore other interactive tools for reaching patrons in a personalised manner. 32. Arnold, J. and Kaske, N. Chat with a librarianNixon, C., Ed. Proceedings of the 17th Annual Computers in Libraries Conference; Washington, DC. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.; 2002: 1-6.

Guidelines for e-reference library services for distance learners and other remote users.

Digital libraries need to provide and extend traditional library services in the digital environment. This paper presents a project that will provide and extend library services through the development of a sharium-a workspace with rich content and powerful tools where people can collaborate with others or work independently to explore information resources, learn, and solve their information problems. A sharium is a learning environment that combines the features of a collaboratory, where people collectively engage in research by sharing rich information resources, and a local library, where people come to meet, find information resources, and discuss common interests. To achieve this, collaboration services that build on synchronous and asynchronous communication technology should be integrated with other digital library services, including searching, browsing, and information management and authoring services. This paper presents our motivation for providing collaboration services and describes the types of collaboration services that will be included in the digital library.

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Charles R. Viles

Papers

Collaboration Services in a Participatory Digital Library: An Emerging Design