Information History - An Introduction

This is a pioneering introduction to the emergent field of information history. It explores how the contemporary values and concerns of our own information society have helped lead to a reconsideration of our history, and of what constitutes our historical understanding of information in the twenty-first century. In Information History, Toni Weller examines the historiography of information and asks how the key schools of thought have explored the concept in terms of its social, technological, economic and cultural understandings. Based on personal experiences, the author also proposes some practical applications of information history in research and university teaching, offering some suggestions as to how the field may develop based on its growth during the last decade.

"…an accessible overview of information history."—Journal of Documentation

"…an eloquent and readable call for the further development of information history."—Journal of Librarianship and information Science

"…highly recommended for all of the various researchers in the key areas of thought in information history. …the book serves as a brief handbook for both the nonhistorian (particularly one teaching beginning professionals in the library and information sccience) and the professional historian."—Libraries and the Cultural Record