Foundations of Library and Information Science, 4thed.

Abstract

Over the last century the Library and Information Science (LIS) discipline has developed It is
so much so that the textbook writers writing on its specialized areas such as knowledge organization,
digital libraries, library effectiveness or library users, to name a few. as though hardly anyone is
interested, even competent, a general or sufficiently advanced textbook covering the entire field1.
eneralists in the LIS field have become specialists Therefore, this book is welcome. The fact that
it is in its fourth edition (earlier editions were published in 2000, 2004 and by Neal-Schuman,
USA) sufficiently indicates its continuing value and acceptance by the profession at large. The
book has been published by two outstanding publishers, namely Facet, London and the American
Library Association which endows it with a brand value and much authenticity.
This rather voluminous text has been contained in ten logically ordered chapters, starting from
broader aspects of a library and its social and intellectual environment, and going on to the much
more specialized but multidisciplinary topics of information policies and intellectual freedom. In
addition, there are four appendices describing major library and information science associations
in the USA and IFLA, listing ALA accredited library schools in the US, addressing ALA standards
for accreditation of library schools, and lastly containing the Unesco/IFLA manifesto (1994) on
public libraries. The text can broadly be divided into two parts. The first part, consisting of five
chapters, mostly dwells on library related issues. These chapters progressively discuss the knowledge
infrastructure of the society social history of libraries (mostly of the USA) and their mission, the
library as a social institution, kinds of libraries and their services, the impact of technology on
libraries and library services, and LIS as a profession. It views the libraries in tandem with other
memory institutions, namely archives museums . This integrative approach broadens the perspective
of libraries as social and cultural institutions and as a collective social memory. Chapter 6 on the
organization of knowledge both the twin fields.
The other four chapters of the second part mostly dwell on information science and policies. The
long chapter on the nature and evolution of information science discusses and describes its relation
with librarianship. The chapter on knowledge organization discusses up-to-date techniques and methods
for describing information, its representation and retrieval in the traditional print libraries and the
e-environment as well. The remaining chapters essentially deal with information policies and their
stakeholders, intellectual freedom, right to information, censorship and the ethics of the LIS profession.

In the preface the author sets out six articulated purposes, namely a broad introduction to the
entire field, major current issues of the discipline, place of the library in the larger social, political
and cultural contexts, a guide to search deeper into the LIS studies with the help of references
and carefully selected up-to-date reading lists given at the end of each chapter. These reading
lists, which have been divided into articles and books/monographs, are a very valuable feature
of this text. Though mostly biased to the US situations, the book is a standard work broader
but sufficiently detailed introduction to the LIS field in general. It provides good reading and
an informative guide for the teachers and new entrants to the LIS profession the world over to
help them get to know and learn the scope, nature, objectives, mission and methods of the library
and information services.
To every chapter is divided into numbered sections with apt feature headings. The text is seasoned
with numerous figures and to illustrate the concepts. The book, marked by clarity of thought and
expression, is encyclopedic both in scope and function as is evident from the 14-page index, which
in itself is a piece of professional work. It lucidly explains and sufficiently discusses thousands
of major and minor concepts and methods and issues with authority, and quotes other authorities
wherever needed. That is indeed. he author has a of making axiomatic generalizations such as:
“Libraries of all types serve a critical function in our society” (p.157); “The information environment
grows more complex every year” (p.338) has the insight to make wise statements: “… The best
way to combat a bad idea is not to suppress it but to produce a better idea.” (p.491); Tolerance
has a complementary relationship to truth. (p.540). In addition he tenders practical advice such
as: “Public institutions today must demonstrate their value to citizens and to funders if they expect
support” (p.145). All of these make the book engaging, lucid and reliably informative. May the
book be kept up-to-date for generations and generations of future LIS.

In the preface the author sets out six articulated purposes, namely a broad introduction to the
entire field, major current issues of the discipline, place of the library in the larger social, political
and cultural contexts, a guide to search deeper into the LIS studies with the help of references
and carefully selected up-to-date reading lists given at the end of each chapter. These reading
lists, which have been divided into articles and books/monographs, are a very valuable feature
of this text. Though mostly biased to the US situations, the book is a standard work broader
but sufficiently detailed introduction to the LIS field in general. It provides good reading and
an informative guide for the teachers and new entrants to the LIS profession the world over to
help them get to know and learn the scope, nature, objectives, mission and methods of the library
and information services.
To every chapter is divided into numbered sections with apt feature headings. The text is seasoned
with numerous figures and to illustrate the concepts. The book, marked by clarity of thought and
expression, is encyclopedic both in scope and function as is evident from the 14-page index, which
in itself is a piece of professional work. It lucidly explains and sufficiently discusses thousands
of major and minor concepts and methods and issues with authority, and quotes other authorities
wherever needed. That is indeed. he author has a of making axiomatic generalizations such as:
“Libraries of all types serve a critical function in our society” (p.157); “The information environment
grows more complex every year” (p.338) has the insight to make wise statements: “… The best
way to combat a bad idea is not to suppress it but to produce a better idea.” (p.491); Tolerance
has a complementary relationship to truth. (p.540). In addition he tenders practical advice such
as: “Public institutions today must demonstrate their value to citizens and to funders if they expect
support” (p.145). All of these make the book engaging, lucid and reliably informative. May the
book be kept up-to-date for generations and generations of future LIS.

Note:
1. Shera, Jesse H. Introduction to Library Science. Littleton, Colo: Libraries Unlimited, 1976.
2. Chowdhry, G.G. et al. Librarianship: an Introduction. London: Facet Publishing, 2008, 329 p.

URL: http://ijkcdt.net/xml/06779/06779.pdf