This course (INF1323H — The Information Experience) focuses upon information’s human dimension. Newcomers to LIS develop sharpened vision to discern “the red thread of information in the social texture of people’s lives” (Bates, 1999). To that end, INF1323 introduces information behaviour, that is, the many ways in which human beings interact with information, in particular, the ways in which people seek and utilize information. First, students are introduced to foundational theories, models, and concepts of information behaviour. Next, these ideas are situated within contexts of long-standing relevance to the field, such as reference services and reader’s advisory. Further, participants in the course are taught a qualitative method to conduct information behaviour research, and across the semester enact individual, small-scale, exploratory studies on a topic or population of choice. Overall, the meaning of the course title is twofold: students have their own novel experience of information, and they learn how to discern information-related experiences of others.
