What is the Information Universe?

"We have all had the sensation of drowning in a sea of information -- the challenge we face is to learn to swim in that sea, rather than drown in it."

Peter Lyman and Hal R. Varian .
Released: November 22, 2000 iMP Magazine:

There is no doubt about it: we are living in the Information Age, dealing with what has been described as an information explosion.

Information comes to us in a myriad of forms and from a variety of sources including books, videos, television, online databases, billboards, web sites, newspapers, people and more!

We are very dependent on information because it helps us make decisions and it guides our actions. While in college, you need to use information to conduct research and complete class assignments. However, your need for information does not stop once you complete school. After graduation you will continue to need it to make informed decisions at work, at home and at play.

To cope with the unprecedented amount of information that surrounds us, it is crucial that you become information literate. Information literate people know when to use different types of information sources and how to access these sources effectively.

Going through this online module will help you become a competent member of our information society. Your abilities will improve over time as you practice . . . searching for, selecting and evaluating information, and as you gain expertise in the specific subject areas you choose to investigate.

Continue to the next section of the Information Universe Tutorial - What are the types of information sources?