Prof. Lynne Teather - Faculty of Information - University of Toronto

Faculty Research Roundup
Throughout the year, professors at the Faculty of
Information conduct rigorous, interdisciplinary, and
groundbreaking research that contributes to society
and helps shape the field of information. Learn more
about their recent research activities and scholarly
efforts over 2009-2010.
Matthew Brower
Dr. Brower was involved in the
production of seven shows
at the University of Toronto
Arts Centre (UTAC), including
Brothel Without Walls at the
Scotiabank CONTACT Photography
festival in memory
of Marshall McLuhan, and
Gord Peteran: Recent Works.
In addition, he co-organized
“Feeling Photography”, a major
international conference
which addressed the theme
of photography and affect,
and attracted 130 participants
from around the world. His
publications explore topics
ranging from “photographic
emergence” (the ability of
the camera to make manifest
things the eye cannot see), to
the importance of sardonic
portraiture in Janus Dukszta’s
collection.
Nadia Caidi
Although Professor Caidi will
be on sabbatical leave in fall
2010, her book, A Right to
Know? Access to Information
in a Post 9/11 World, will be
published for the 10 th anniversary
of the September 11,
2001 events. She will continue
to pursue her research on the
information practices of vulnerable
communities, including
newcomers, immigrant
groups, and Aboriginal communities.
Prof. Caidi helped
with the integration of the On
Demand Book Service (ODBS),
permitting easy access to
reading materials as well
as providing ODBS-related
equipment for peoples of First
Nation communities. Her work
has earned her numerous
invitations to speak at various
settlement sector-related
meetings, and consultant contracts
with Human Resources
and Social Development
Canada, and Citizenship and
Immigration Canada.
Jennifer Carter
Professor Carter was the
Chair of the Steering Committee
of the “Taking Stock
Conference” held at Hart
House and UTAC from
April 22-24, 2010, which
brought together a network
of scholar-parishioners,
academic researchers, and
graduate students studying
museological issues. Her
research on the history and
theory of exhibition practice
led to a public lecture invitation
at the Design Exchange in
Toronto, where she presented,
“Architecture by Design: Display,
Narrative and Performance
in Exhibition Practice.”
She has also been engaged in
the European Marie Curiefunded
series of workshop
conferences entitled “NaMu,
Making National Museums,”
which studies the emergence
and evolution of national museums
in historic and global
contexts. Currently, Prof.
Carter is involved in a collaborative
research project, From
Coexistence to Convergences:
Studying Partnerships and
Collaborating Among Libraries,
Archives and Museums.
Joan Cherry
Besides fulfilling her responsibilities
as Associate Dean,
Professor Cherry conducted a
web-based survey of students
in Master’s degree programs
in six information schools
across Canada including
Dalhousie University and the
University of Western Ontario,
investigating satisfaction rates
for students in their respective
programs. Initial findings
are that student satisfaction
is higher at UofT than the
average rating across the six
schools. She is also involved
in a project to study partnerships
and collaboration
among libraries, archives, and
museums.
Chun Wei Choo
Professor Choo completed
two collaborative research
projects, one with sylvio cyr,
a Master’s student at the
Faculty, which was published
in the Journal of Documentation.
The paper, “The Individual
and Social Dynamics
of Knowledge Sharing – An
Exploratory Study,” concluded
that knowledge sharing behaviour
is influenced by three
sets of dynamics: a rational
calculus that weighs the
costs and benefits of sharing;
a dispositional preference
that favours certain patterns
of sharing outcomes; and
a relational effect based on
working relationships. Professor
Choo also worked with
Dr. Riva Alvarenga-Neto on a
paper titled “Beyond the ‘Ba’:
Managing Enabling Contexts
in Knowledge Organizations”,
which reviews and extends
the work of Professor Ikujiro
Nonaka on ‘ba’, a social space
for creating and sharing
knowledge, and suggests
that managing knowledge is
fundamentally about creating
an environment that is conducive
to knowledge interaction.
The paper was published
in the Journal of Knowledge
Management.
Juris Dilevko
In addition to teaching six
courses in the field of librarianship,
Professor Dilevko will
be involved in the following
long-term research projects:
Canadian literary culture in
the late 1940s and 1950s; the
serpentine history of school
libraries in the United States
in the late 1960s and early
1970s; and a critical analysis
of the book reviews of a wellknown
United States literacy
critic.
matthew Brower nadia caidi Jennifer carter Joan cherry chun Wei choo
Wendy Duff
Professor Duff is the Director
of the Digital Curation Institute,
and founding members
of AX-NET, an international
16 informed | autumn 2010