Anticipating the Internet: how the predictions of Paul Otlet, H.G. Wells and Vannevar Bush shaped the Digital Information Age

This is an historical research project that investigates predictions of future information technology made by Paul Otlet, H.G. Wells and Vannevar Bush, specifically those described in the Mundaneum, World Brain and Memex respectively. It is carried out by means of an extended review of the relevant Library and Information Science literature and aims to determine the reasons for their predictions, the relationship (if any) between them, and their influence upon the development of the modern-day Internet. After investigating the work of each figure in turn, further investigation is undertaken through a comparative analysis. It concludes that, although there are differences in approach and emphasis between the predictions, each of them was made in reaction to a common problem – the proliferation of published information – and each of them aimed to solve this problem by applying scientific means to improve the free flow of information throughout society, thus improving it for the benefit of all. Furthermore, their ideas stemmed from the same intellectual traditions of positivism and utopianism, and were expressed through technology, that although advanced for its time, was rapidly superseded by the rise of digital computing during the second half of the twentieth century. Finally, although the technology they used to express their predictions is now obsolete, and had little direct influence on the practical workings of the contemporary Internet, the works, concepts and ideas of Otlet, Wells and Bush remain highly relevant in today’s ever-increasingly Digital Age

The Roles of Transnational Associations in World Order in the 1919 Paris Peace Settlement: A Comparative Assessment of Proposals and their Influence

In contrast to previous state-centric accounts, this article sheds new transnational light on the 1919 Paris peace settlement through its investigation of proposals for transnational associations’ roles in the envisaged new world order. The popularity of some of these proposals, and their perceived potential to contribute towards a more democratic, legitimate and peaceful international order, stimulated their consideration during official negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference, and subsequent League of Nations practice was also perceived to have reflected some of the ideas put forward in these proposals. This article provides a typology of these proposals, and it critically evaluates the claims made with respect to their repercussions for democracy, legitimacy and peace. The article further elucidates how, despite their limitations, these proposals helped open up diplomacy to transnational associations both at the Paris Peace Conference and in the League of Nations era

Analysis of the concept of "document" from the perspective of the tradition of documentation and neo-documentation

The Documentation Movement was formed in Europe in the late nineteenth century by the leadership of Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine, with the primary goal of establishing international mechanisms for organizing information and knowledge through which all kinds of documents could be collected, organized, and accessible. One of the characteristics of this historical event was the increasingly theoretical treatment of the concept of document as a discourse concept in the field of information. This approach has been revived in recent years under the name of neo-documentation. The purpose of this work is to analyze the conceptual dimensions of "document" from the perspective of the documentation literature and especially neo-documentation. In the field of documentaion literature, the theories of Paul Otlet and Suzanne Briet are emphasized, and in the field of neo-documentation literature, the theories of Lund, Buckland, Irvine-Smith, and Hjorland are emphasized. The research is basic in terms of purpose and conceptual analysis in terms of method and data collection. Also in this research, conceptual analysis has been used with the aim of "concept interpretation" and as far as possible to gain a more accurate understanding of the studied concept. The results showed that former review research on the subject had recognized two general approaches to conceptualizing document, namely, the "document-as-object approach" (inspired by positivism and with emphasis on the objectivity component) and "document-as-medium approach" (inspired by the hermeneutic tradition). The present study identifies three other approaches and adds to this categorization which include: the "integrated approach" (with a comprehensive emphasis on the physical, mental, and social aspects of the document), the " document-as-agent approach" (with emphasis on the concept of agency), and the "Hjorland's intradisciplinary approach" (with emphasis on the concept of context, reference to the tradition of documentation, and the bibliographic paradigm). In addition, researchers have proposed adding a new dimension to the integrated approach. Researchers believe that because of the importance of the "power" and "discourse" components in relation to knowledge, information, and documents, adding a "power relations dimension" to Lund's integrated approach could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the document from a variety of technical, Social, intellectual-content, as well as discourse perspective

Knowledge Actors : Revisiting Agency in the History of Knowledge

Historical actors are central to the history of knowledge as they are to all historical scholarship. Every country, every era has its biographies of eminent scientists, intellectuals, and educational reformers. Yet the theoretical currents that have left their mark on the historical and sociological study of knowledge since the 1960s have emphasized structures over actors, collectives over individuals.Knowledge Actors instead stresses the importance of historical actors and re-engages with their actions from fresh perspectives. This volume thus fosters a larger discussion among historians about the role of knowledge actors. Do we want individuals and networks to take centre stage in our historical narratives? And if so, which knowledge actors do we want to highlight and how best to conduct our research? What are the potential pitfalls of following an actor-centric path?This is the third of three volumes about the history of knowledge from the Lund Centre for the History of Knowledge (LUCK). The two other books are Forms of Knowledge and Circulation of Knowledge

Information and Design: Book Symposium on Luciano Floridi’s The Logic of Information

Purpose – To review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his philosophy of information (PI) tetralogy, particularly with respect to its implications for library and information studies (LIS). Design/methodology/approach – Nine scholars with research interests in philosophy and LIS read and responded to the book, raising critical and heuristic questions in the spirit of scholarly dialogue. Floridi responded to these questions. Findings – Floridi’s PI, including this latest publication, is of interest to LIS scholars, and much insight can be gained by exploring this connection. It seems also that LIS has the potential to contribute to PI’s further development in some respects. Research implications – Floridi’s PI work is technical philosophy for which many LIS scholars do not have the training or patience to engage with, yet doing so is rewarding. This suggests a role for translational work between philosophy and LIS. Originality/value – The book symposium format, not yet seen in LIS, provides forum for sustained, multifaceted and generative dialogue around ideas