So What is Information???

So I bet many of you are wondering what in the world I'm going to graduate school for. You've all heard me say "Information," but what the heck is that? Well, here's my best shot at 'splainin' myself:
[Disclaimer: I don't yet know everything there is to know about Information, so I've tried to simplify this as much as possible. Some things written here may not be exactly correct to the tiniest detail.]

So, the discipline now called "Information Studies" used to be called "Library Science," and then "Library and Information Science." What?! Being a librarian requires a masters degree?! Indeed it does, and has since Library Science was established as an academic discipline at the University of Chicago in 1930s. Librarianship isn't just about stamping books and shushing people - it's about the organization of information and providing its access to users. But Information is not only about libraries. Especially since computers and the internet have become major tools for finding and organizing information, Information has expanded to include information architecture (think web design), information organization (think Google), and pretty much every way possible to use and access information within today's technology.

Essentially, Information includes public librarianship, academic librarianship, school librarianship, special libraries (law and medical libraries), informatics (information structure and access), records management (corporate files and records), digital librarianship, conservation, preservation, archives (my favorite), and any other application of the organization and access of information that technology comes up with.

My personal focus is archives, which essentially means the organization and care of archival materials, being the records (of organizations) and papers (of individuals) after they've left the purpose for which they were originally created. I know, it sounds a little dull, but if you know me, you know I love "old stuff," and archives are just full of old dusty bits of paper, like letters, clippings, maps, photos, and postcards. What I love is seeing the little ways in which people leave their mark on the world long after they're gone, kind of like what I love about archaeology. And, of course, I'm obligated as a member of the Society of American Archivists to say that I'm all about providing users access to these records for their personal research purposes (like history and genealogy), at least that's what I'll be getting paid the big (a.k.a. little) bucks for.

So, this has been your crash course on Information, what my education is all about! Did I really have to come all the way to Texas just for that, you ask? Well, no - that's the Excellent Adventure part of it!