Using my metaphor for information today as a “sea of chaos”, I started thinking about how rarely we get to float on calm smooth water. Within my profession (libraries and information science), the turbulent changes taking place sometimes resemble a storm at sea! I could picture myself as an old sea captain at the helm of a weather-beaten boat. But it is not only the amount of information flooding over us in waves that causes us to feel overwhelmed. Constant upgrades in our computer applications (software and hardware) add to the turmoil.

I could make a list of the most frustrating upgrade “storms” I have had to face! The hours I spent relearning Adobe Premiere when my computer crashed and I had to purchase version CS5. I am reminded of the quote by Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

With the goal of providing library service to others in all formats, I have become proficient in both Mac and PC platforms. Which means I have traveled the sea of chaos in different vessels!

Last week, on my PC, Windows updated automatically to Internet Explorer 9- which caused some audio problems. It took me three hours of investigation to figure out the cause. I installed and uninstalled programs, went back to an earlier browser, tried Firefox instead, and finally reset my browser to default. (If you got through that sentence you must be a geek!) When I finally got the audio to work (it was working on my computer, just not on the Internet), I felt like I had conquered the storm and pulled into port.

Remember when information was received through simple formats, like a book? Wasn’t it like floating on calm smooth water? We humans love to reminisce.