A Survey and Comparison of Semantic and Episodic Memory Functions in Public service librarians in Tehran special libraries

Document Type : مقالات پژوهشی

Authors

• Alireza Oboodiat ¹
• Ali Jalali Dizaji ²
• hassan Asadzadeh ¹

¹ Allameh Tabataba’i University

² University of Tehran

10.22067/riis.v4i2.20888

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of the present research was to study and compare the semantic and episodic memory functions in public service librarians in Tehran special libraries.
Methodology: Population consisted of 151 special libraries in Tehran. Having used purposive sampling, the researcher selected 31 special libraries. In the second step, 40 librarians were randomly selected to be surveyed. Data were gathered by using 2 kinds of tests. High and low frequency words as well as famous and non-famous images tests were used to examine episodic memory. On the other hand, Word fluency and semantic categories tests were used to examine semantic memory.
Findings: According to research findings, no difference was seen between two kinds of memory. Job experience was not a determined factor in the memory functions and last but not least there was a clear meaningful difference Episodic and Semantic memory scores among public librarians.

Keywords

• Episodic memory
• Semantic memory
• Librarians
• Public Services
• Special Libraries
• Reference Services

---

References

Butler, W. (2008). Re-establishing memory: memory’s functions and thereference librarian. Reference services review, 36 (1), 97-110.

Fraser, D. (1985). Memory skills: Whose concern? College and research libraries, 46, 320-326.

Georg Elias Muller. (2012). In encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396844/Georg-Elias-Muller

Kormi-nouri, R & Aarab Sheibani, K. (2008). Survey and comparison of Semantic and Episodic memories between the youth and elderly people. Advances in cognitive science, 1(2), 201-213. Retrieved December 25, 2011, from Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences (Noormags database). (In Persian)

Kormi-nouri, R. (1999). How meny kinds of memory are available: multiple memory systems. Advances in cognitive science,3 , 34-43. Retrieved Feburary 6, 2012, from Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences (Noormags database). (In Persian)

Memory. (2011). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/374487/memory

Mousavi, S. & Kormi-nouri, R. (2009). Survey and comparison of Semantic and Episodic memories between deaf and normal students. Advances in cognitive science, 10(4), Retrieved December 3, 2011, from Academic center for Education Culture and Research (The Scientific Information Database). (In Persian)

Najarian, S. E. (1981). Organizational factors in human memory: Implications for library organization and access systems. Library Quarterly, 51, 269-291.

Neill, S.D. (1984). The reference process and certain types of memory: semantic, episodic and Schematic. Reference Quarterly, 23(4), 417-23. Retrieved October 12, 2012, From ITHKA (JSTOR).

Nikdel, F., Kormi-nouri, R. & Arabzadeh, M. (2009). The Effect of Memory Self-efficacy on Episodic and Semantic Memory. Advances in cognitive science, 11 (2), 19-26. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from Academic center for Education Culture and Research (The Scientific Information Database). (In Persian)

Nosrati, K. & Kormi-nouri, R. (2002). Study of different kinds of memory between The Quran-memorized and normal girls. Advances in cognitive science, 4 (3), 12-26. Retrieved December 21, 2011, from Academic center for Education Culture and Research (The Scientific Information Database). (In Persian)

Quinn, B. A. (1994). Beyond efficacy: The exemplar librarian as a new approach to reference evaluation. Illinois libraries, 76, 163-173.

Quinn, B. A. (2007). A multimodal approach to enhancing memory in reference service. Libraries faculty research. Retrieved August 15, 2011, from esr.lib.ttu.edu/bitstream/handle/2346/498/fulltext.pdf?sequence=1

Richardson, J.V. Jr (1995), Knowledge-Based Systems for General Reference Work: Applications, Problems, and Progress, Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Tulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In Endel Tulving & Wayne Donaldson. (Eds.), Organization of memory (pp. 381-402). New York, NY: Academic press.