Laura Williams is a PhD student in the School of Information Journalism and Communication, but this presentation was not about her PhD topic; instead, this was a topic of personal interest to her. Laura created a Zine as a way to cope with semester 1 library teaching, and this stimulated the presentation today. This is a conceptual paper, that isn't based on research other than reading lots of literatyre about mushroom hobbyists, and Laura's growing interest in mushroom foraging. This is an information-rich hobby: enthusiasts learn about mushrooms, they spot mushrooms and photograph them, go to mushroom social events. Is hobbyist mycology a risky hobby? Yes even the most experienced mycologiest need to continually update their knowledge of mushrooms to avoid dangerous encounters. Laura reviewed the current literature on hobbyist mycology to identify the information aspects to this. Laura dtaws on Lloyd's work to define Il as a socially enacted practice, and Hicks' book on risk in information literacy. Risk-informed information practice focuses on everyday information literacy, but Laura wants to apply these ideas to a leisure context, as much information science literature about leisure hobbies focuses on the joy of the hobby and sharing information.
There hasn't been much research on fungi from an information perspective. There is a growing body of literature on multispecies information literacy, and fungi are mentioned as a fascinating area to look at as they are neither animals or plants. There is a body of literature on risky leisure practices, but information literacy isn't mentioned often or drawn on, even though information is a theme explored in the research. Risk is conceptualised as a balance between potential harm and the desired benefits. Information literacy: the mushroom itself is a source of information (drawing on Bates ideas of what is information). Laura has identified 6 ways that information literacy is enacted to manage risk
Rules of thumb: quick and personal rules to assist decision-making, e.g. "never munch on a hunch". But the problem with these is that they take time to develop and are difficult to share with others, and can be affected by complacency.
Folkways: folk knowledge of mycology and folk practices such as hunting and foraging. The common names of mushrooms are linked to folklore. Some folk knowledge fuels mycophobia and can perpetuate misinformation.
Documentary sources are a critical information source; they contain authoritative information. However, documented knowledge can become outdated. In the UK, mushroom guides might identify a mushroom as poisonous, but a guide in another country might say that a mushroom isn't dangerous as long as it's prepared in the right way.
The body & sensory information. This is incredibly important. Foraging is a physical practice that forces the forager to use all their sensory information: touch, taste and smell are very important. Sensory information must be used alongside other forms of knowledge. Mushroom books contain vivid descriptions of the sensory impact of mushrooms.
Participating in communities: there is a long history of fungi groups, on and offline e.g. facebook groups. Some are only for the scientific identification of mushrooms, others are about foraging and eating mushrooms. There is always the potential that these groups can share poor-quality information. Groups have very specific rule that many photos of a mushroom must be shared in order to invite others to identify a mushroom.
Technologies: AI and social media are affecting the information landscape of mushrooms, e.g. AI image tools to identify mushrooms. AI tools can't engage in sensory information, so they tend to be very bad at identifying mushrooms. Content creators are active on social media to share mycology.
Each of these 6 dimensions could be explored further to investigate aspects of risk in mycology, and could be a rich site of information literacy research.
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