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- Description
- Table of Contents
- About the authors
- Reviews
Foreword by Camila A. Alire
This book is available in e-book format for libraries and individuals through aggregators and other distributors—ask your current vendor or contact us for more information.
Richard E. Rubin’s book has served as the authoritative introductory text for generations of library and information science practitioners, with each new edition taking in its stride the myriad societal, technological, political, and economic changes affecting our users and institutions and transforming our discipline. Rubin teams up with his daughter, Rachel G. Rubin, a rising star in the library field in her own right, for the fifth edition. Spanning all types of libraries, from public to academic, school, and special, it illuminates the major facets of LIS for students as well as current professionals. Continuing its tradition of excellence, this text addresses
- the history and mission of libraries from past to present, including the history of service to African Americans;
- critical contemporary social issues such as services to marginalized communities, tribal libraries, and immigrants;
- the rise of e-government and the crucial role of political advocacy;
- digital devices, social networking, digital publishing, e-books, virtual reality, and other technology;
- forces shaping the future of libraries, including Future Ready libraries, and sustainability as a core value of librarianship;
- the values and ethics of the profession, with new coverage of civic engagement, combatting fake news, the importance of social justice, and the role of critical librarianship;
- knowledge infrastructure and organization, including Resource Description and Access (RDA), linked data, and the Library Research Model;
- the significance of the digital divide and policy issues related to broadband access and net neutrality;
- intellectual freedom, legal issues, and copyright-related topics;
- contemporary issues in LIS education such as the ongoing tensions between information science and library science; and
- the changing character of collections and services including the role of digital libraries, preservation, and the digital humanities.
In its newest edition, Foundations of Library and Information Science remains the field’s essential resource.
List of Figures
Foreword by Camila A. Alire
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Knowledge Infrastructure
2. From Past to Present: The History and Mission of Libraries
3. The Library as an Institution: An Organizational Perspective
4. Transforming the Library: The Impact and Implications of Technology
5. Library and Information Science: An Evolving Profession
6. The Organization of Knowledge: Techniques and Issues
7. Information Science: A Service Perspective
8. Information Policy: Stakeholders and Agendas
9. Intellectual Freedom
10. The Values and Ethics of Library and Information Science
Appendixes
- A. Major Library and Information Science Associations and List of Additional Associations
- B. List of ALA-Accredited Programs
- C. Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies
- D. IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994
About the Authors
Index
”Excellent and up-to-date. I would recommend it for any library/information science program."
— Dr. Lesley S. J. Farmer, Professor of Library Media, CSULB Teacher Librarian Program Coordinator, CSU ICT Literacy Project Manager
"What does it mean to be a library and information science (LIS) professional in 2021? How do our issues differ from those addressed by archivists or knowledge managers or people who work in museums and galleries? What is the body of knowledge that underpins our professional identity? How is it evolving in response to social, political, economic and technological change? What’s the latest? Big questions. Fortunately, lots of big answers in this classic textbook, encyclopaedic in its coverage – and heft! ... For students qualifying and qualified, for practitioners, teachers and researchers, this book is a stimulating, informative and reassuring companion. Thoroughly recommended."
— Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association
Praise for the fourth edition
”In this fourth edition, Rubin excels at providing everything working library professionals and those desiring to become library professionals need to know. This text could be considered ‘the librarian’s Bible,’ as it is so comprehensive in its coverage of the profession. Rubin’s relaxed and conversational writing style makes it a highly approachable text and a valuable addition to any professional resource collection, library and information science classroom, or personal reference."
— VOYA
”Well informed about the latest developments and issues in the field ... LIS faculty who teach introductory courses in LIS should consider assigning Rubin’s text as the primary reading. No textbook can perfectly match every instructor’s desired learning outcomes, but this one may serve well with just a few supplementary readings."
— ARBA
”Continues to deserve its place in the required curriculum of many American MLS programs ... in its latest edition, [it] lives up to the broad expectations set by its title."
— Against the Grain