The first of its kind, this book provides a theoretically informed research guide and draws attention to areas of potential research in Library and Information Science. It explores the nexus of theory and practice and offers suggestions for collaborative projects. The clear text, simple style and rich content make the book an invaluable resource for students, scholars and practicing librarians, as well as the general reader who may be interested in library and information science research. - Apart from providing basic research tools, it acquaints librarians with a theoretical compass for dealing with digital media - It pays particular attention to the electronic media - Addresses topics of current interests in the field, such as user-centered services

The 21st Century Academic Library: Global Patterns of Organization and Discourse discusses the organization of academic libraries, drawing on detailed research and data. The organization of the library follows the path of a print book or journal: acquisitions, cataloguing, circulation, reference, instruction, preservation and general administration. Most libraries still have public services and technical services, and are still very print-based in their organization, while their collections and services are increasingly electronic and virtual. This book gathers information on organizational patterns of large academic libraries in the US and Europe, providing data that could motivate libraries to adopt innovative organizational structures or assess the effectiveness of their current organizational patterns. - Contributes to the literature on the globalization of information and of library and information science - Analyzes and presents data in a way that allows librarians and library administrators to consider what organizational patterns are the most effective for the goals they are pursuing - Includes emerging patterns that are not widely seen in the academic library population

Presents copy for use as a reference brochure and a giveaway sheet to be distributed to guidance counselors to help them direct young people into the growing field of Information Science. Sets forth that Information Science is concerned with the properties, behavior, and flow of information. Describes how it is used, both by individuals and in large systems. Discusses the opportunities in Information Science and outlines three relatively different career areas: (1) Special Librarianship; (2) Literature Analysis; and (3) Information System Design. Details an educational program appropriate for participation in these career areas. Concludes that Information Science is a new but rapidly growing field pushing the frontiers of human knowledge and, thus, contributing to human well-being and progress. (Author).

The convergence of technologies and emergence of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary modus of knowledge production justify the need for research that explores the disinterestedness or interconnectivity of the information science disciplines. The quantum leap in knowledge production, increasing demand for information and knowledge, changing information needs, information governance, and proliferation of digital technologies in the era of ubiquitous digital technologies justify research that employs a holistic approach in x-raying the challenges of managing information in an increasingly knowledge- and technology-driven dispensation. The changing nature of knowledge production for sustainable development, along with trends and theory for enhanced knowledge coordination, deserve focus in current times. The Handbook of Research on Records and Information Management Strategies for Enhanced Knowledge Coordination draws input from experts involved in records management, information science, library science, memory, and digital technology, creating a vanguard compendium of novel trends and praxis. While highlighting a vast array of topics under the scope of library science, information science, knowledge transfer, records management, and more, this book is ideally designed for knowledge and information managers, library and information science schools, policymakers, practitioners, stakeholders, administrators, researchers, academicians, and students interested in records and information management.

Public Libraries in the 21st Century presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of recent policy initiatives directly targeted at public libraries along with broader developments in the public sector environment within which they operate. Key features include: • An exploration of the context within which public libraries are operating and analysis of their role in local and national life; • Examples of best practice in service delivery; • Evaluation of the challenges and opportunities confronting public library managers; • Wide ranging coverage, including information from published and unpublished sources, supplemented by interviews with key stakeholders in the public library sector. The book provides a unique and thorough guide to the contemporary discourses surrounding issues of identity, social purpose, value and strategy facing the public library service.

The 1970 and 1994 editions of The Black Librarian in America by E.J. Josey singled out racism as an important issue to be addressed within the library profession. Although much has changed since then, this latest collection of 48 essays by Black librarians and library supporters again identifies racism as one of many challenges of the new century. Essays are written by library educators, library graduate students, retired librarians, public library trustees, veteran librarians, and new librarians fresh out of school with great ideas and wholesome energies. They cover such topics as poorly equipped school libraries and the need to preserve the school library, a call to action to all librarians to make the shift to new and innovative models of public education, the advancement in information technology and library operations, special libraries, recruitment and the Indiana State Library program, racism in the history of library and information science, and challenges that have plagued librarianship for decades. This collection of poignant essays covers a multiplicity of concerns for the 21st-century Black librarian and embodies compassion and respect for the provision of information, an act that defines librarianship. The essays are personable, inspiring, and thought provoking for all library professionals, regardless of race, class, or gender.

Due to changes in the learning and research environment, changes in the behavior of library users, and unique global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries have had to adapt and evolve to remain up-to-date and responsive to their users. Thus, libraries are adding new, digital resources and services while maintaining most of the old, traditional resources and services. New areas of research and inquiry in the field of library and information science explore the applications of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to better serve and expand the library community. The Handbook of Research on Knowledge and Organization Systems in Library and Information Science examines new technologies and systems and their application and adoption within libraries. This handbook provides a global perspective on current and future trends concerning library and information science. Covering topics such as machine learning, library management, ICTs, blockchain technology, social media, and augmented reality, this book is essential for librarians, library directors, library technicians, media specialists, data specialists, catalogers, information resource officers, administrators, IT consultants and specialists, academicians, and students.

Social justice in library and information science (LIS) seeks to achieve action-oriented, socially relevant impacts through information work. This edited volume includes papers that explore intersections between critical theory and social justice in LIS while focusing on social relevance and community involvement to promote progressive community-wide changes. Contributors include LIS researchers, practitioners, educators, social justice advocates, and community leaders who identify theories, methods, approaches, strategies, and case studies that apply these intersections in mobilizing community action to deliver tangible community building and development outcomes. The frame of study is inclusive of (though not limited to) academic, public, school, and special libraries, museums, archives, and other information-related settings. An international context of analysis is included along with a focus on social impact and community involvement in LIS practice and research, education, policy development, service design, and program implementation.

Public libraries, through their mission, vision, and position in the community, play a significant part in building community sustainability and are already positioned to serve as a “backbone support organization” for collective impact initiatives.

Enshrined in the mission statement of ALA, intellectual freedom is one of the core values of the information professions. The importance of ensuring information access to all, and the historical, social, and legal foundations of this commitment, are powerfully explored in this essential primer. Designed to function as both an introductory text for LIS students as well as a complementary resource for current professionals, this book provides a cohesive, holistic perspective on intellectual freedom. Extending beyond censorship to encompass such timely and urgent topics as hate speech and social justice, from this book readers will gain an understanding of the historical and legal roots of intellectual freedom, with an in-depth examination of John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” and Article 19 of the U.N Declaration of Human Rights, and its central concepts and principles; the intersection of intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and social justice; professional values, codes of ethics, ALA’s Library Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read/View Statements; pro- and anti- censorship arguments and their use in impeding and facilitating access to information; book banning and internet filtering; privacy and its relationship to information services; U.S. case law and precedents; the basics of U.S. copyright law, including fair use, and how it differs from international copyright law; and emerging global issues and their impact on future intellectual freedom.