Experiencing documents

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to invite further consideration of how people experience documents. By offering a model from Reader Response theory -Louise Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory of Reading -as well as examples from research on numinous experiences with museum objects, the author hopes to open further avenues of information behavior studies about people and documents. The goal is to incorporate more aspects of lived experience and the aesthetic into practice with and research of documents. Design/methodology/approach -Theoretical scope includes Louise Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory of Reading, John Dewey's concepts of transaction and experience and lived experience concepts/methods derived from phenomenology. Findings -Rosenblatt's Transactional Theory explicates the continuum of reader response, from the efferent to the aesthetic, stating that the act of "reading" (experience) involves a transaction between the reader (person) and the text (document). Each transaction is a unique experience in which the reader and text continuously act and are acted upon by each other. This theory of reading translates well into the realm of investigating the lived experience of documents and in that context, a concrete example and suggested strategies for future study are provided. Originality/value -This paper provides a holistic approach to understanding lived experience with documents and introduces the concept of person-document transaction. It inserts the wider notion of document into a more specific theory of reading, expanding its use beyond the borders of text, print and literature. By providing an example of real document experiences and applying Rosenblatt's continuum, the value of this paper is in opening new avenues for information behavior inquiries.

Information sharing as embodied practice

“…This research contributes to information scholarship -especially the emerging movement to explore issues of spirituality, materiality, and corporeality (e.g. Gorichanaz 2016; Kari & Hartel 2007;Latham 2014;Lloyd 2014b) -by highlighting the bodily and creative aspects of information practice. While participants also referred to the importance of academic publications, magazines, sacred texts, websites, and online discussion forums for learning their religion, they reflected on the significance of practicing postures, wearing particular clothing items and styles, and being physically present in worship spaces and at classes and conventions for learning about Islam and articulating their identities.…”

Memory making and documenting in a diaspora small world

“…Based on the researcher's observation and understanding of this world and a literature review, a preliminary model of a small world has been drawn up and a theoretical framework combining information experience as a concept, Latham's () model of document experience (from a user/reader perspective), Gorichanaz & Latham's document phenomenology, and Gorichanaz's () first person model of documentation (creator/writer perspective) will be employed. Document experience has been termed as information experience from a document perspective.…”

Including the Voices of Librarians of Color in Reference and Information Services Research

“…Although there are few studies in LIS that use this method, it has been used recently to explore a variety of topics in information science, including how Catholics experience the Bible as a source of religious information, 29 the information behavior of birthmothers relinquishing a child for adoption, 30 how people experience documents, 31 and the lived experience of information services work. 32 Like grounded theory studies, IPA studies are generally not guided by a theory at the outset-existing theory is introduced at the interpretation phase.…”