Serendipity in the Stacks: Libraries, Information Architecture, and the Problems of Accidental Discovery | Zendy

Patrick L. Carr | Zendy

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Serendipity in the Stacks: Libraries, Information Architecture, and the Problems of Accidental Discovery

Author(s) -

Patrick L. Carr

Publication year - 2015

Publication title -

college and research libraries

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 1.886

H-Index - 52

eISSN - 2150-6701

pISSN - 0010-0870

DOI - 10.5860/crl.76.6.831

Subject(s) - serendipity , argument (complex analysis) , situated , accidental , outcome (game theory) , architecture , computer science , perception , process (computing) , epistemology , data science , artificial intelligence , art , philosophy , visual arts , programming language , mathematics , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , mathematical economics , acoustics

Serendipity in the library stacks is generally regarded as a positive occurrence. While acknowledging its benefits, this essay draws on research in library science, information systems, and other fields to argue that, in two important respects, this form of discovery can be usefully framed as a problem. To make this argument, the essay examines serendipity both as the outcome of a process situated within the information architecture of the stacks and as a user perception about that outcome.

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