History of Information Science

Information Science is a interdisciplinary field combining aspects of philosophy, mathematics, science, and scholarship. Some of the deepest roots of Information Science grow out of the field of Library Science and Computer Science. Information Science works with the conceptual organization of fields of knowledge to provide structure and related concepts. "Why has information science emerged on its own and not as a part of librarianship or documentation, which would be most logical? It has to do with relevance . . . to be effective, scientific communication . . . has to deal not with any old kind of information but with relevant information (Saracevic, 1975).

With the advent of the World Wide Web this principle as taken on greater meaning. The field of Information Science is rapidly growing in an effort to provide relevant and accessible information thought the development of usability, information retrieval, and information architecture. To better understand where the field is going one must know where it began. The goal purpose of this pathfinder is to provide information about the history and roots of Information Science and resources that will assist in further study.

Scope

This pathfinder is intended for graduate students at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina. All resources mentioned can be found in UNC's library system or are readily available on the web. This pathfinder will focus on the portion of the curriculum which falls under the discipline of Information Science. The intent of the pathfinder is to give an overview of the most important individuals and resources for understanding the development of the discipline as a whole. This is by no means comprehensive but is intended to guide students to the resources available and to point out the important ideas to remember when studying the discipline.