Information Visualization and Keyword Searching

The session will provide an overview of advances in visual literacy and their relevance to library instruction and focus on the sub-field of information visualization as an emerging area that synthesizes trends in computer science, education, and psychology. Information visualization will then be related to the search behaviors of users which appear to be deteriorating under the influence of the internet. Three graphical pedagogies (based on information visualization) for teaching the generation of keywords will be discussed. The session will end with an update on research underway to test the effectiveness of the three pedagogies