Webber, Sheila

Sheila Webber

BA (Kent at Canterbury), Dip Lib (London Metropolitan University), FCLIP, FHEA

Information School

Senior Lecturer

s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 2641

Room C236, The Wave

Full contact details

Sheila Webber
Information School
Room C236
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
91̽��
S10 2AH

Profile

My key areas for research and teaching are information literacy (IL) and information behaviour (IB). My career started with post in the Health and Safety Executive, followed by 13 years at the UK’s national library, the British Library (BL). Starting with the BL’s pioneering online service, BLAISE, I proceeded to become manager of BLAISE Online Services, and my final job there was Head of the BL’s Business Information Service.

In 1992 I joined the Information Science department at Strathclyde University, Scotland, as a lecturer. Achievements included leading a funded project investigating small business’ use of information, and creating Business Information Sources on the Internet in 1994. In the late 1990s my focus shifted to information literacy, an interest which developed further after joining the Information School at 91̽�� in 2000.

As well as teaching, researching and publishing in this field, I maintain the popular . In 2015 I was recipient of the Jason Farradane Award for services to Information Science and in 2017 I was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information professionals.

University Responsibilities

Head of the Libraries and Information Society Research Group.
Director, Centre for Information Literacy Research.
Coordinator of Library and Information Services Management programmes (MA/PG Diploma/PG Certificate)
Module Coordinator: Information Literacy modules (INF6350; INF6553)

Research interests

My primary research interest is investigating information literacy and information behaviour in context. Contexts include different disciplines, different countries and cultures, different lifestages, and in the context of both physical and virtual environments. Examples include information behaviour in virtual worlds and in computer gaming, and information literacy of older people.

To do this, I favour qualitative methods, particularly phenomenography, case study approach and autoethnography. I think it is important to connect research and teaching, by engaging students as researchers and bringing research into the physical or virtual classroom. I also think it is important to make a connection between research and practice, and this is part of the mission of the Centre for Information Literacy Research which I direct.

I have been an invited keynote at doctoral forums and have run practitioner workshops on research methods (for example at the). I was a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Peer Review College 2010-2017. I have been external examiner for doctoral theses at Edinburgh University, Napier University, Aberystwyth University, Warwick University, Northumbria University, Loughborough University, Strathclyde University, the University of Middlesex, and Queensland University of Technology (Australia).

I am interested in supervising PhDs in any aspects of information literacy and information behaviour, and the use of technology (e.g. virtual worlds, computer gaming) in learning.

I am head of the Libraries and Information Society Research Group.

Publications

Journal articles

Webber S, Aparac‐Jelusic T & Pestana O (2023) . Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 60(1), 853-855.
Batool SH & Webber S (2019) . Library & Information Science Research, 41(2), 123-131.
Batool SH & Webber S (2019) . Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 68(3), 164-176.
Madden AD, Webber S, Ford N & Crowder M (2018) . Journal of Documentation, 74(4), 692-721.
Wella K & Webber S (2018) . Library Trends, 66(4), 442-465.
Webber SA & Johnston B (2017) . Journal of Information, 11(1), 156-183.
Wella K, Webber SA & Levy P (2017) . Aslib Journal of Information Management, 69(3).
Batool SH & Webber S (2014) , 282-290.
Webber S & Johnston B (2014) , 15-30.
Webber S (2013) Information literacy: A subject for the 21^st century. Pakistan Journal of Library and Information Science(14), 1-2.
Nazari M & Webber S (2012) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 44(2), 97-107.
Lameras P, Levy P, Paraskakis I & Webber S (2012) . Instructional Science, 40(1), 141-157.
Webber S & Nahl D (2011) Sustaining learning for LIS through use of a virtual world. IFLA Journal, 37(1), 5-15.
Gumulak S & Webber S (2011) . Aslib Proceedings, 63(2-3), 241-255.
Nazari M & Webber S (2011) . Journal of Documentation, 67(2), 334-354.
Webber S (2010) . International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments, 1(3), 55-70.
Cox A, Levy P, Stordy P & Webber S (2008) . Italics, 7(1).
Mansourian Y, Ford N, Webber S & Madden A (2008) . Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 42(4), 402-417.
Webber S & Zhu W (2007) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 39(4), 223-233.
Boon S, Johnston B & Webber S (2007) . Journal of Documentation, 63(2), 204-228.
Koontz C, Gupta D & Webber S (2006) Key publications in library marketing: a review. IFLA journal, 32(3), 224-231.
Johnston B & Webber S (2006) . Research Strategies, 20(3), 108-121.
Webber S, Boon S & Johnston B (2005) A comparison of UK academics’ conceptions of information literacy in two disciplines: English and Marketing. Library and Information Research, 29(93), 4-15.
Jay M & Webber S (2005) . Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 39(1), 25-38.
Johnston B & Webber S (2004) . New Library World, 105(1/2), 12-20.
Johnston B & Webber S (2003) . Studies in Higher Education, 28(3), 335-352.
Levy P, Ford N, Foster J, Madden A, Miller D, Nunes MB, McPherson M & Webber S (2003) . Journal of Information Science, 29(4), 298-310.
Webber S (2003) . Journal of Information Science, 29(4), 311-330.
Webber S (2001) The information specialist's guide to searching and researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 35(3), 314-316.
Webber S (2001) . Business Information Review, 18(4), 16-23.
Webber S & Johnston B (2000) . Journal of Information Science, 26(6), 381-397.
Webber S (1998) . Business Information Review, 15(4), 229-237.
Webber SAE (1998) Pricing and marketing online information services. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 33, 39-83.
Webber S (1996) Library performance indicators and library management tools - Ward,S, Sumison,J, Fuegi,D, Bloor,I. Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 30(4), 411-412.
Webber S (1995) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 27(1), 53-54.
Webber S (1994) The Changing Context of Information - An Introductory Analysis - McGarry, K.. Education for Information, 12(4), 474-475.
Webber S (1994) . Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 26(4), 232-233.
Webber S (1993) . Health Libraries Review, 10(4), 202-223.
Webber S (1993) Online Information-retrieval - An Introductory Manual to Principals and Practice, 4th Edition - Convey, J.. Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, 27(4), 443-445.
Webber S (1993) The Best of CD-ROM Professional - Timeless Tips and Practical Advice - Herther, NK.. Online Information Review, 17(5), 329-329.
Webber S (1993) CD-ROM Information Products - The Evaluative Guide, Vol. 3 - Armstrong, CJ, Large, JA. Online Information Review, 17(4), 264-265.
Webber SAE (1990) . IFLA Journal, 16(2), 220-230.
Webber S, Chen X & Lin A () “We do not always enjoy surprises”: Investigating artificial serendipity in an online marketplace context. Journal of Documentation.
Webber S & Johnston B () . Journal of Information Literacy, 13(2), 276-276.
Webber S () . Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 26(4), 28-29.
Webber S () . Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 25(5), 27-29.
Webber S () . Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 26(1), 28-29.

Chapters

Webber S (2024) , Doing Phenomenography (pp. xii-xiv). Policy Press
Webber SA, Andrews P, Chapman E, Elmore J, Grace D & Nunn E (2018) Reflections on Running a critLIS Reading Group In Nicholson KP & Seale M (Ed.), The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship (pp. 167-179). Sacramento: Library Juice Press.
Webber S (2012) , I in the Sky: Visions of the Information Future (pp. 185-190).
Webber S (2008) Educating Web 2.0 LIS students for information literacy In Godwin P & Parker J (Ed.), Information Literacy meets Library 2.0 (pp. 39-50). London: FACET.
IFLA (2006) Walter de Gruyter – K. G. Saur
Webber S & Johnston B (2006) , Information Literacy (pp. 42-53). Elsevier
Webber S (2006) , Marketing Library and Information Services: International Perspectives (pp. 237-246). Walter de Gruyter – K. G. Saur
Webber S () , Education and Research for Marketing and Quality Management in Libraries / La formation et la recherche sur le marketing et la gestion de la qualité en bibliothèque DE GRUYTER SAUR

Conference proceedings papers

Chen X, Lin A & Webber S (2024) (pp 28-45)
Batool SH & Webber SA (2017) Conceptions of school libraries and the role of school librarians: findings from case studies of primary schools in Lahore. Information Research: an international electronic journal, Vol. 1(22), 27 June 2016 - 29 June 2016.
webber S, clough P & Bonne MA (2016) An exploratory study into the usability of online maths games. Proceedings of the European Conference on Games-based Learning
Nazari M & Webber S (2008) Conceptions Of Geospatial Information In Online Distance Learning Gis Programs.. e-Learning (pp 161-168)
Webber S (1998) The global electronic information industry: Squeezing out the middle ground?. Proceedings of the ASIS Annual Meeting, Vol. 35 (pp 179-189)
Webber S (1998) The global electronic information industry: Squeezing out the middle ground?. Proceedings of the 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science, Vol 35, 1998, Vol. 35 (pp 179-189)

Presentations

Webber S, Ford N, Madden A & Crowder M .

Teaching activities

INF6024 - Researching Social Media

INF6350 - Information Literacy

INF6553 - Information Literacy DL