“The Language of Browsing”
Kate Joranson, Interim Head, Frick Fine Arts Library
Image Credit: Kate Joranson, katejoranson.com/libraries
As search engines and library databases have pervaded the research environment, discussions of browsing have been largely ignored. We know, however, that browsing is a valued component of discovery, and that scholars and students express, explicitly and implicitly, a sense of loss in the face of search-focused discovery tools.
Researchers in diverse disciplines have described their discoveries in terms of browsing, searching, and serendipitous encounters. We examine the work of naturalists, astronomers, and curators to build a greater vocabulary for browsing as we explore their varied paths to discovery.
Join the discussion on the blog: www.ebrowsing.org