Martin De Saulles, London, Facet Publishing, 2012, 160 pp., £49.95 (soft cover), ISBN 978-1-85604-754-8, (available from Inbooks)
The invention of the printing press over 500 years ago had a significant impact on the way society interacted with information. Today, the Internet and digital technologies are challenging the information lifecycle once more. While there is much that is positive about these changes, it also raises issues around what these new models now present. Everyone who works with information, including information professionals, must reassess their role in the lifecycle now that consumers have easier access to the flow of information. Information (and communicating it) is a more powerful commodity than in times past due to smarter, simpler computing power. This is the backdrop to Martin De Saulles's book, written in a clear, thought-provoking manner.
The four main chapters of the book discuss the changing nature of information production, storage, distribution and consumption. Each includes short case studies describing those who have taken advantage of this new environment and poses questions to the LIS student or general reader for further consideration. The Internet has given rise to new media such as blogs and podcasts, which means that people can rely on several formats for receiving their information. Some businesses have seen the potential value of this and supplement print content with digital. The impact of search-engine activity and data from sites such as Facebook and Twitter on information production is also discussed, and De Saulles sees a future role for information professionals in mining and interpreting these data. The question of how to store information both in print and digitally in the future, not only for preservation purposes but also for legal requirements, is the subject of the next chapter. It is the most interesting chapter of the work, given how ubiquitous the digital world has become, both professionally and personally.
Where previously people would have relied on specialist information providers to access information, thanks to the Internet becoming more open in the 1990s searching has become easier and gatekeepers less essential. The impact of this is the focus of the following chapters. Access to more information has been a great boon, but it has also created problems. Music downloads and file-sharing have brought the issue of copyright to the fore, and too much sharing of information has raised privacy issues and concerns about information overload. DeSaulles sees LIS professionals creating new online information products and developing higher-level information literacy skills, enabling people to make better information choices.
Overall, while he acknowledges that and explains how the information lifecycle is changing, De Saulles' analysis and commentary does not paint a bleak picture of the future. Although the roles played in the traditional information lifecycle are also changing, a range of new and interesting possibilities are presented here. The biggest challenges to address are the associated issues surrounding this new environment, and it is on this level that the book provides the most pause for thought.
©2013, Daniel Giddens