Knowledge Handler

Information Sources & Information Sifting Techniques

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Location: Independence, Ohio, United States

I am a retired librarian, most recently serving at Indiana Wesleyan University's Cleveland Education Center.

Monday, October 15, 2007

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point, a book published in 2000 by Malcalm Gladwell, talks about how ripe ideas presented in a "sticky" way by well-connected, authoritative sponsors can result in infectious fads or rapid cultural change. One sponsor that Gladwell mentions is the "maven" or knowledgeable expert. Gladwell's description of a maven being a person who compassionately provides knowledge to others describes many librarians I know.

Chip & Dan Heath authored a follow-up book, Made to Stick gives examples of how ideas can be presented to make them "sticky", and provides six key concepts to make communication memorable:

  1. Narrated with

  2. Simplicity;

  3. Using Concrete images spiced with

  4. Unexpected twists that invoke

  5. Emotions.

  6. Crediblity



-D.D.