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College and Research Libraries
January 2005, Vol. 66, No. 1

Book Review

Warner, Julian. Humanizing Information Technology. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow, 2004. 156p. alk. paper, $35 (ISBN: 0810849569). LC 2003-17048.

As librarians, we need to be aware that information and information technologies are ever-growing organisms spreading both into and out from the traditional roles we have defined for them. As more of our resources become digitally based, librarians need to be not only cognizant of, but also involved in, discussions going on between other sectors of the information science community. These professionals—information scientists, information architects, instructional technologists, and human factors experts, to name a few—have a tremendous wealth of expertise and insight to offer and, conversely, can benefit from the expertise of the library sector.

Julian Warner’s new book, Humanizing Information Technology, gives insight into an ongoing discussion among information scientists. The discussion, which is of long standing, focuses on two topics: information as an autonomous variable, and the primacy of theoretical knowledge. Warner, a faculty member in the School of Management and Economics at Queen’s University of Belfast, has written a series of eight essays that develop this contrasting view. Among the essays are "An Information View of History," in which Warner argues that the information society should begin to study the history and the historical importance of information technology. By conducting this study the members of the information society can benefit themselves as well as others who are interested in the roles played by information and information technologies in human societies.

In "Organs of the Human Brain, Created by the Human Hand: Toward an Understanding of Information Technology," Warner applies concepts from Karl Marx and economic theory combined with an understanding of information science to draw a distinction between the invention and the diffusion of information technology. With this distinction in place, Warner uses primary source information to suggest that in the late nineteenth century, the United States was ideally positioned for the development and dissemination of information technologies.

In "Information Society or Cash Nexus? A Study of the United States as a Copyright Haven," Warner uses the late nineteenth century as a backdrop to examine the economic ramifications of copyright. He argues that governments that disregard foreign copyright claims are actually putting themselves at an economic disadvantage. He examines government enforcement of copyright and how the history of this enforcement can help information scientists develop an appreciation of the history of information technology and to shape future developments in this field.

Currently, the primary focus of information retrieval systems is on providing users with the most relevant records. In "In the Catalogue Ye Go for Men: Evaluation Criteria for Information Retrieval Systems," Warner calls for a shift in focus. Pointing to changing user demands and systems developments outside the normal arena, he explains the need for information retrieval systems that allow for exploration, discovery, and cognitive control.

Warner makes some thought-provoking points and covers topics—information retrieval, copyright, and the distinction between meta-objects and meta-language—that many librarians will find valuable. Unfortunately, Humanizing Information Technology is at times dense and difficult to grasp, which greatly diminishes the overall value of the work.—Tim Daniels, Georgia State University.