The use of Foucault’s theories in LIS and knowledge organization Tara Das, PhD, MPH Pratt Institute Student Showcase May 10, 2013

I. Introduction The primary purpose of a library is to collect and organize information for retrieval and use 5 tools for information organization – Classification systems – Controlled vocabularies – Library catalog – Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies – Electronic databases

II. Foucault and discourse Foucault’s theories on discourse and power Discourse = set of historical and cultural rules that define what can be said and thought about a phenomenon. Discourse shapes knowledge and defines what is “normal.” Individuals internalize discourses in their behaviors and thoughts

III. Foucault in LIS studies Radford and Radford: The library is a conservator of order The ideal library is one that is never disrupted Librarians are keepers of the order Users are potential disrupters of the order Discursive practices in library – reference interview, cataloging, indexing – organize knowledge and limit access

IV. Conclusion Knowledge organization in libraries needs to be analyzed as human activity within broader context An organizational ethnography would elicit the individual opinions and beliefs as well as organizational norms and practices that underlie the production process, so that knowledge organization would not be treated as an automatic given.