Information Access Seminar

Information from the Individual’s Perspective

Friday, February 10, 2023
3:10 pm - 5:00 pm

Michael Buckland

Theorizing about information and information systems generally privileges a providers’ perspective — with more or less concern for the user. But what if the individual living subject's perceiving, interpreting, reasoning, knowing, and remembering really were treated as central? and as the point of departure?

I will present a tentative outline of how this might be approached: the components, how they are related, some implications and two remaining open questions. This approach requires some changed definitions but, I will argue, offers a more complete and more coherent view of the field of information studies.


This seminar will be held both online & in person. You are welcome to join us either in South Hall or via Zoom.

For online participants

Online participants must have a Zoom account and be logged in. Sign up for your free account here. If this is your first time using Zoom, please allow a few extra minutes to download and install the browser plugin or mobile app.

Join the seminar online

Michael Buckland is emeritus professor in the School of Information and co-director of the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative. He grew up in England and studied history at Oxford and librarianship at Sheffield University. He trained at the Bodleian Library in Oxford and moved to the University of Lancaster Library in 1965. In 1972, Buckland moved to the United States to be Assistant Director of Libraries for Technical Services at Purdue University Libraries before becoming Dean of the School of Library and Information Studies at Berkeley from 1976 to 1984. He served from 1983 to 1987 as Assistant Vice President for Library Plans and Policies for the nine campuses of the University of California. Professor Buckland’s interests include bibliography, library services, search and discovery, cultural heritage, and the history and theory of documentation.

Last updated: January 31, 2023