Lesson 1 Contents:

Learning Objectives

I. The Information Age
* The Information Explosion
* What is Information and Who Produces It?
* Information Anxiety

II. Recording and Storing Information: A Brief History

III. Understanding the
Information Universe: Formats, Sources, and Types
* Information Formats
* Information Sources
* Types of Information

IV. Finding the Information You Seek

V. Key Points to Remember

Lesson One Quiz

Lesson One Exercise

V. KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

LESSON 1 : KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

• We live in a period of history often referred to as "The Information Age" because vast amounts of information are being produced with ever-greater speed. A condition known as information anxiety can come about when one feels overwhelmed with the challenges of accessing, selecting, understanding, and interpreting information.

• Information can be defined broadly as everything that's been created or studied by the human mind and recorded in some way. Information comes to you through your own direct experience (your five senses) and through a variety of individuals and institutions in society.

• Humans have recorded transmitted, stored, retrieved and used information in many ingenious ways throughout human history, from cave walls to computers.

• When information is recorded and stored, it exists in what is termed a format. The three main types of format are print, audio-visual, and electronic.

• A wide array of information sources exist, including books, periodicals, Websites, and others.

• Information itself can be categorized into primary and secondary types of information.

• To find information on a topic that interests you, use the appropriate access tools. There are four types of information access tools: indexes, catalogs, bibliographies, and Web “search tools.”

• The research process depends on skillful use of appropriate access tools.

Quiz