Informatics Book List

For those who are taking my information science and services course in the fall, please acquire these books before the semester begins. There will also be a fairly extensive collection of articles I will ask you to read, but you will have a chance to track these down when you arrive at the university. The following books have not been ordered for the university bookstore. You are on your own for ordering them. I have linked to Amazon for the books below (any kickback to be funneled toward class refreshments), but you may order these through your local book store, or any other way you like.

Required

Thomas P. Hughes, Human-Built World
Hans Christian von Baeyer, Information: the New Language of Science
John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid, The Social Life of Information
Siva Vaidhyanathan, The Anarchist in the Library
Neil Gershenfeld, When Things Start to Think

Recommended

If you do not have a copy of Strunk & White’s Elements of Style, I strongly recommend you get a copy and (re)read it.

Read First

You should read the following before our first meeting,

* Steve Sawyer, “Social Informatics: Overview, Principles and Opportunities,” ASIST Bulletin, vol. 31 (no. 5), 2005.

* Kevin Kelly, “We are the Web,” Wired, 13.08 (August 2005).

And you need to have the Hughes book read and digested by our second meeting.

I will distribute a course syllabus during the orientation, and I look forward to meeting you then.