Overview

This book explores the rich history of the keyword from its earliest manifestations (long before it appeared anywhere in Google Trends or library cataloging textbooks) in order to illustrate its implicit and explicit mediation of human cognition and communication processes. The author covers the concept of the keyword from its deictic origins in primate and proto-speech communities, through its development within oral traditions, to its initial appearances in numerous graphical forms and its workings over time within a variety of indexing traditions and technologies. The book follows the history  all the way to its role in search engine optimization and social media strategies and its potential as an element in the slowly emerging semantic web, as well as in multiple voice search applications. The author synthesizes different perspectives on the significance of this often-invisible intermediary, both in and out of the library and information science context, helping readers to understand how it has come to be so embedded in our daily life. This book:  Provides a thorough history of the keyword, from primate and proto-speech communities to current times Explains how the concept of the keyword relates to human cognition and communication processes Highlights the applications of the keyword, both in and out of the library and information science context

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9783031325298

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Reviews

“This book is primarily targeted for the general reader who is curious about how modern information technology came into being through keywords. A close analogy to the style of this book is the BBC television series Connections with James Burke from the 1990s, which traced the origins of modern scientific and technological developments from the earliest days. It is an interesting and entertaining read.” (Anthony J. Duben, Computing Reviews, February 9, 2024)

Author Information

Betsy Van der Veer Martens, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining the University of Oklahoma in 2006, she taught at Syracuse University in the School of Information Studies. She received her Ph.D. in Information Transfer from Syracuse University in 2004. 

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