Semiotics Methods in Library and Informations Science

Semiotics Methods in Library and Information Science

1. Semiotics Methods in Library and Information Science (LIS) By: Mutia Metpen IIP TM-2

2. Semiotics: concepts of signs, signifiers ( penanda ), signified ( petanda ), and sign systems to gain deeper insights into the role of signs and symbols in human communication and culture which used in various contexts to convey information, messages, and cultural significance process of meaning-making

3. W ork in fields: Communication Advertising ( art) Marketing M edia (song, films) literature to understand how messages are constructed and conveyed through visual, linguistic, and symbolic elements (colors, shapes) and other visual elements, cultural artifacts, rituals and practice (decode their meanings --cultural studies: examining how signs and symbols reflect and shape cultural identities, ideologies, and values) convey meaning and emotions

4. What’s the meaning of this picture? (source:google)

5. Semioticians: Ferdinand de Saussure Charles Peirce Roland Barthes Umberto Eco Julia Kristeva Thomas A. Sebeok Algirdas Julien Greimas They examine how signs function to communicate meaning, both within specific cultures and across cultures. interpretation of signs and symbols can vary widely depending on cultural, historical, and social factors helps us better understand how meaning is constructed and conveyed in our complex world of signs and symbols.

6. Ferdinand de Saussure: a Swiss linguist, particularly known for his work on structuralism and the study of signs and language (influential work "Course in General Linguistics“)

7. C ore elements s emiotics of Ferdinand de Saussure (1) : 1. Sign, Signifier, and Signified: sign consists of two fundamental components, the signifier and the signified: Signifier: This is the physical or material form of the sign, such as a word, a sound, or an image (the part of the sign that we can perceive through our senses). Signified: This is the conceptual or mental representation associated with the signifier. It is the meaning or idea that the signifier conveys. The relationship between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary or natural. The connection between the sound or shape of a word and the concept it represents, is established by convention and exists within a particular linguistic community. There is no inherent connection between the two.

8. Ferdinand de Saussure (2): 2. Synchronic vs. Diachronic: Synchronic Linguistics: focuses on the study of a language at a particular point in time, emphasizing its structure and the relationships between signs within that specific linguistic system. Involve examining the grammatical rules, word meanings, and sentence structures that are currently used in language, or focus on regional dialects . Diachronic Linguistics: looks at the historical development and evolution of a language over time. It examines how languages change and evolve, tracing their historical trajectories.

9. Ferdinand de Saussure (3): 3. Langue and Parole: Langue: refers to the underlying structure of a language, which includes the rules, conventions, and norms that govern it. It represents the idealized, shared system that exists in the minds of speakers. ( eg : Indonesian Grammar, Alphabet and Phonology) Parole: on the other hand, refers to the individual acts of speech or writing, where speakers or writers use the elements of the langue to create specific utterances. ( eg : actual spoken words, written text---a novel, essay, or email, content and style of the speech, and poetry--artistic expression. Parole is concrete and individual, while langue is abstract and collective.

10. Charles Peirce: an American philosopher and logician, study of signs, symbols, and their meaning, provided valuable insights into how its function in our understanding of the world.

11. C ore elements s emiotics of Charles Peirce (1) : 1. Signs: anything that stands for something else capacity: Icon: sign that resembles the object it represents Index: sign that has a direct connection or causal relationship with what it represents (Smoke is an index of fire, sleep is index of….) Symbol: sign that represents its object through a conventional or agreed-upon association. Words are symbols because their meanings are determined by shared linguistic conventions.

12. Charles Peirce (2): 2. Semiosis: refers to the process of signification or the way signs convey meaning, considering the dynamic nature of signs and meaning as ongoing process of interpretation over time: Sign: The sign itself, consisting of a signifier and a signified. Object: What the sign represents or refers to. Interpretant: The mental or cognitive process that links the sign and the object, the way individuals understand and make sense of signs. Emphasizing that signs are not just dyadic (between a signifier and a signified), but triadic relations.

13. What is that?

14. Roland Barthes : a French literary theorist and philosopher, focuses on understanding the signs and symbols in culture and language.

15. C ore elements s emiotics of Roland Barthes : 1. Signs and Signifiers: meaning is conveyed through signs: Signifier: physical form of a sign (word, image, sound). Signified: conceptual or mental content associated with the signifier, representing the meaning or idea it conveys. 2. Denotation and Connotation : Denotation: literal or primary meaning of a sign, straightforward and objective. Connotation: additional layers of meaning and cultural associations that a sign carries, subjective, and contextual interpretations of the sign.

16. Denotation and Connotation (source: google)

17. Roland Barthes ( 2): Death of the Author: texts are interconnected and that meaning is constructed through the references, and relationships between different texts ( Intertextuality )

18. Umberto Eco : an Italian semiotician, philosopher, and novelist semiotics can be applied to the analysis of various cultural phenomena: art, literature, music, and everyday life

19. C ore elements s emiotics of Umberto Eco (1) : 1. "The Limits of Interpretation” the role of interpretation in understanding signs and texts, as an essential part of the semiotic process and that meaning is not fixed but constructed by readers or interpreters. e ach interpretation of a sign can generate further interpretations, leading to an open-ended chain of meaning. This idea challenges the notion of a fixed, definitive interpretation. readers play an active role in the interpretation of signs and texts: open to multiple interpretations, readers bringing their own experiences and perspectives to the reading process explores the tension between the desire for unlimited interpretation and the constraints imposed by signs and texts.

20. Umberto Eco (2): 2. A cknowledges Charles Peirce's classification of signs: icons, indexes, and symbols 3. Codes and Encodings: interpretation of signs within specific cultural and communicative systems: linguistic codes, social codes, and cultural codes. 4. S emiotics of fiction and narrative: how narratives are constructed, the role of characters and plot in storytelling, and the ways in which readers engage with fictional texts

21. S emiotics methods in LIS research: Information systems : metadata, user interfaces, information access and retrieval, designing user-friendly interfaces for library websites, online catalogs, and digital libraries (employ signs and symbols to convey meaning, make the interfaces more intuitive and navigable) Cataloging and Classification: effectiveness of subject headings, keywords, cataloging systems, and other metadata in facilitating resource discovery and information retrieval. L ibrary spaces : signage, wayfinding, and furniture design (user experience, perceptions and behaviors within the library) Information Behavior: users interpret and interact with signs and symbols when seeking information. This research informs strategies to improve information services and resources.

22. Thank you