Easing our download overload

Mike Eisenberg eagerly surfs the biggest waves of change.

I called him because I've been seeing a renewed burst of questions about the ongoing explosion in information driven by continuous advances in technology.

Will individuals be enslaved by e-mail, or gag on overdoses of information?

Will physical schools disappear? Can newspapers survive?

A decade ago Eisenberg came to the University of Washington and answered the question: Whither the dusty old library in the digital age?

He transformed UW's library-science program into the iSchool. (He's dean emeritus and professor there now.)

Ten years ago, 150 students studied library science. Now 750 students in the information school learn to use technology to manage information.

We all need an upgrade.

"Computers are on every desk," he said, "and there is more ahead: cloud computing ... social networking, Second Life."

We can't yet guess how they will evolve, but we need the skills to make them useful.

In education, Eisenberg said, "the new basics must include how to find and use information effectively."

He has been involved in efforts to infuse info-tech literacy into K-12 curricula, even created a program called The Big6: Information and Technology Skills for Student Achievement (www.big6.com).

Eisenberg thinks our area is ahead of others.

"People talk about Silicon Valley as being the computing-technology capital of the world," he said. "I think a case could be made that Seattle is the information-technology capital of the world."

He praises the UW and the Seattle and King County library systems, and says the schools here have made info literacy a priority.

Amazon is here, too. Remember the card catalog? Tags make searching for a particular book much easier on Amazon.

I'm reading a book by David Weinberger, "Everything is Miscellaneous." He writes about technology freeing information from the limits old physical systems put on it. Only so much will fit on an index card.

As for people being flooded with information, Weinberger says the cure for an avalanche of information is more information, like Amazon's tags instead of paper cards. Everyone can sort and filter in whatever way is most useful.

Eisenberg, too, sees possibilities standing above worries. He's not fearful that people will be isolated behind their computer screens, for instance.

When I spoke with him, Eisenberg was in his home state, New York, where he spends summers.

"This morning I've already had a telephone conference, an online chat and about 40 e-mails. I'm still part of the University of Washington, but I'm 3,000 miles away."

He said we are changing our behavior and activity, but "is it changing who and what we are? I don't necessarily think so. People are interacting more today than ever in history."

He rides the waves so well, I didn't want to mention how often I've felt washed out to sea by too much information.

I'm learning, though. You can ride only one wave at a time.

Jerry Large's column appears Monday and Thursday. Reach him at 206-464-3346 or jlarge@seattletimes.com.