Foundations of Library and Information Science

Transcription

1 Foundations of Library and Information Science THIRD EDITION Richard E. Rubin Neal-Schuman Publishers New York London

2 Editorial Advisory Board Kendra Albright, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina Michele V. Cloonan, Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Library & Information Science, Simmons College Joseph Janes, Associate Professor, Information School, University of Washington Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Dominican University Published by Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. 100 William St., Suite 2004 New York, NY Copyright 2010 Richard E. Rubin. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this book, in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. Printed and bound in the United States of America. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rubin, Richard, Foundations of library and information science / Richard E. Rubin. 3rd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (alk. paper) 1. Library science United States. 2. Information science United States. I. Title. Z665.2.U6R '.0973 dc

3 Contents List of Figures Foreword Joseph Janes Preface ix Acknowledgments xv Introduction Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. v vii The Educational, Recreational, and Informational Infrastructure From Past to Present: The History and Mission of Libraries Library and Information Science: An Evolving Profession Chapter 4. The Organization of Information: Techniques and Issues Chapter 5. Chapter 6. The Library as an Institution: An Organizational Perspective Redefining the Library: The Impact and Implications of Technological Change Chapter 7. Information Science: A Service Perspective Chapter 8. Information Policy: Stakeholders and Agendas Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Information Policy as Library Policy: Intellectual Freedom The Values and Ethics of Library and Information Science iii

4 IV FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE Appendix A. Summary of Major Library and Information Science Associations and List of Additional Associations Appendix B. Accredited Master s Programs in Library and Information Science in the United States and Canada Index About the Author DON T MISS THIS BOOK S COMPANION WEB SITE! Find expanded Selected Readings lists for the major subject areas covered in this book: History and Mission of Libraries The LIS Profession Intellectual Organization of Libraries Libraries as Organizations Impact of Technology Information Science Information Policy Information Policy and Libraries Ethics and Values

5 Figures Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Average Time Spent with Consumer Media per User per Year Number of Public, Academic, Government, and Special Libraries, Figure 1.3 The Structure of Education in the United States Figure 3.1 Employment by Occupation, 2006, and Projected 2016 Library and Information Science Occupations Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3 Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation and Age, Annual Average Racial and Gender Characteristics of Selected Occupations, Figure 4.1 Dewey Decimal Classification Main Classes Figure 4.2 Library of Congress Main Classes Figure 4.3 Sample Library of Congress Subject Headings Figure 4.4 Cutter s Objects of the Catalog Figure 4.5 Functions of the Catalog Figure 4.6 Selected MARC Fields Figure 4.7 Sample MARC Record with Fields Figure 5.1 Number of Libraries in the United States Figure 7.1 The Spectrum of the Information Disciplines Figure 8.1 Library of Congress Year 2008 at a Glance Figure 9.1 The Library Bill of Rights v

6 VI FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE Figure 9.2 Freedom to View Statement Figure 9.3 The Glasgow Declaration on Libraries, Information Services, and Intellectual Freedom Figure 10.1 ALA Library Code of Ethics Figure 10.2 Code of Ethics for Archivists Figure 10.3 ASIS&T Professional Guidelines Figure 10.4 Libraries: An American Value

7 Foreword Textbooks are unique. We normally think of them, naturally, as instructional aids, sources that can be read or consulted when needed (or perhaps just highlighted as part of some mystically osmotic process of learning), usually accompanying a formal, structured course. They serve both as frameworks for those courses and as a kind of repository to be dipped into on demand; in some ways they re like narrative books and in others more like reference materials. They also have a secondary function they make great milestones, marking the path that a topic or discipline takes as it evolves. This is particularly true when you look at them over time. Reading, for example, Margaret Hutchins s Introduction to Reference Work from 1944, you can see just how far our knowledge and practice of reference services has come and how much remains the same. So writing a good textbook isn t easy, but it is important. The really fine ones leave a mark, and that s what Rick Rubin has done with this latest edition of his foundations textbook. It s staggering to think about how much effort and thought must go into a book like this; trying to distill decades (centuries, really) of theory, practice, opinion, and experience in a field that is broad and expanding and evolving on a daily basis. It s also particularly challenging because of the audience. Many people come to the library and information professions after work in the field for a while, but many don t, so there s no common language or experience to draw upon. For some of you, this will be your first exposure to our world and professional culture. Let me reassure you that you re in very capable hands. For those of you who are joining us, regardless of your background, this book may appear at first glance to be a straightforward exposition of the literature, history, and traditions of the library and information work, and that it is. It is also the story of humanity. Look at the sweep of human history and what you will find is the records and traces: cave drawings, scrolls, clay tablets, manuscripts, books, newspapers, pamphlets, journals, diaries, letters, paintings, sound recordings, moving images, blogs, and on and on and on. From Lascaux to YouTube, the message is the same: I was here, and I have a story to tell. vii

8 VIII FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE That cultural heritage, and the human record that tells those stories, is entrusted to us to preserve, collect, organize, manage, search, and help people to use, and that s what we do. So as you read this, learning about the rich heritage and traditions of your new professional domain, once in a while I want you to stop and take a deep breath and remember that while the fine details of AACR or CIPA or OCLC or the OED are important, there s more going on. We make humanity more human. We grease the wheels of knowledge, so that the people we serve can consult that human record more easily and effectively, and use what they find to learn and better themselves and their communities. The only thing I can guarantee you is that almost everything important in our world will change... yet much endures and you ll find a lot to help you along here. One final word, on behalf of the long line of those who have gone before, and the thousands of colleagues eagerly awaiting your arrival. There is nothing better you can do with your life. You re entering a profession that we cherish deeply and hold dear and we can t wait to see the wonderful things you do. All the best as you start on your way. Joseph Janes Associate Professor, The Information School University of Washington Seattle, Washington

9 Preface Keeping up is hard to do. Much has happened since the second edition of Foundations of Library and Information Science was published six years ago. The boundaries of library and information science (LIS) continue to expand, the issues proliferate and grow in complexity, and the challenges we face are serious and relentless. It is daunting and delightful. Our profession demands constant growth, continuous learning, and open minds. We know that next year something new will again force us to reexamine our thinking and reassess our practices, policies, and sometimes even our purpose. We are fortunate that we have a firm foundation on which to make changes: a distinguished history, strong values, and an active professional and academic community ready to address our challenges. As with its predecessors, this new edition has been designed to respond to the many changes occurring in the field and the society at large. It preserves much of the content of the second edition but has been reorganized, rewritten, and extensively updated. Most important, new or enhanced discussions have been added including (1) the growing impact of the World Wide Web; (2) blogs, wikis, and other forms of social networking on services; (3) electronic publishing, including e-books, digital libraries, digital preservation, mass digitization, and digital repositories; (4) new efforts to organize knowledge such as the development of Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR); (5) the significance of the digital divide and policy issues related to broadband access and network neutrality; (6) changes in library services such as roving reference, e-government, and gaming; (7) legal developments such as new applications and impacts of the U.S.A. PATRIOT Act; and (8) the increasing tensions in LIS education between information science and library science. Regarding this last point, there remains an ongoing debate as to whether library science and information science are separate disciplines. There are also arguments about what constitutes the domains of each. Foundations of Library and Information Science is focused on the complementary nature of these disciplines using Boyd Rayward s 1983 description of the relationship between library and information science as a disciplinary continuum... with no easily identifiable ix

10 X FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE boundary separating them though the difference between the extreme ends of the continuum are clear and even dramatic (p. 344). This book focuses on the points of convergence. PURPOSE The primary purpose of Foundations of Library and Information Science remains to describe the current library and information science environment and examine some of the ever-changing forces that shape that environment and the larger society. My intent is to help prepare LIS professionals to cope with and effectively manage their many complex responsibilities. Bearing this emphasis in mind, this text is designed to accomplish six objectives: 1. To provide an introduction to the field for individuals intending to work in libraries or library-like institutions, related settings, or the information field in general. 2. To identify and discuss major topics and issues in library and information science that are current in the United States and that will continue to affect the profession for years to come. 3. To provide librarians and information professionals with an opportunity to refresh their knowledge through a systematic review of major issues and topics that have changed the field. 4. To introduce the profession to interested individuals or those undecided about entering the library and information science field and to show its multifaceted character and possibilities. 5. To place library and information science in a larger social, economic, and political context. It is too easy to view the work of LIS professionals purely within an institutional setting. Increasingly, librarians and other information professionals must negotiate and respond to a variety of political, economic, technological, and social forces. 6. To invite the interested reader to further explore topics raised in this book. Many of these topics are part of an ongoing discussion in our field that requires further reading, research, and exchange. ORGANIZATION Although many of the original chapter headings remain, the arrangement of chapters in this edition has been altered in response to feedback from faculty members and our editorial advisory board.

11 PREFACE XI The Introduction and Chapter 1 provide a broad overview and context for the ensuing chapters. The Introduction identifies and discusses four major forces shaping the broader society and concomitantly the world of LIS professionals and institutions. Chapter 1, The Educational, Recreational, and Informational Infrastructure, provides an important context by describing and discussing critical institutions that support libraries and other information-disseminating institutions. Chapters 2 and 3 provide the historical foundations of libraries as institutions and of library and information science as a profession. From Past to Present: The History and Mission of Libraries examines the character of libraries through time with specific emphasis on their many and varied purposes. Chapter 3, Library and Information Science: An Evolving Profession, reviews the evolution and development of the profession. The contemporary American library and information professional is a product of more than a hundred years of growth and change. The current role of LIS professionals and the professional tensions that they experience are best understood when placed in the context of the historical development of library and information science education and the profession. Chapter 4 examines the intellectual organization of libraries. The Organization of Information: Techniques and Issues discusses the organizational systems that make information, in all its myriad forms, available. In spite of the vast quantities of disparate materials, our classification systems, subject headings, thesauri, databases, and powerful catalogs enable LIS professionals to offer information retrieval on demand. Organizing information is one of the touchstones of our profession. Chapters 5 and 6 explore libraries as institutions; first from a general perspective, and then focusing on the specific effects of technology. Chapter 5, The Library as an Institution: An Organizational Perspective, examines contemporary libraries, their types, and internal functions, as well as the major organizational issues that they face. Chapter 6, Redefining the Library: The Impacts and Implications of Technological Change, deals with one of the biggest areas of change in our field, the growth of information technologies, especially those that have affected the organization and delivery of information in libraries and information centers. Information technologies have altered the way information providers in all types of organizations interact with their users. Issues arising from these changes are addressed. Chapter 7, Information Science: A Service Perspective, focuses on the nature of information science as a field of study, calling special attention to those aspects of the discipline that inform the work of LIS professionals. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 deal with philosophical and policy issues affecting library and information science. These include the policies, laws, values, and ethics that define our work. Chapter 8, Information Policy: Stakeholders and Agendas, discusses the more general aspects of information policy and the legal environment in which libraries and other information institutions operate. Government, business, industry, public institutions, LIS professionals, and citizens all are stakeholders in

12 XII FOUNDATIONS OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE trying to shape how information will be disseminated and who will disseminate it. Chapter 9, Information Policy as Library Policy: Intellectual Freedom, focuses on libraries and examines key information policies, such as those related to intellectual freedom and equitable access to information. Chapter 10, The Values and Ethics of Library and Information Science, examines the many ethical ramifications of working in the field. Ethical principles, codes, and situations are reviewed and the values that undergird our profession are examined. To permit an examination of the same topic from different vantage points, Foundations of Library and Information Science addresses most topics primarily in one chapter, but some important issues are raised anew in a different context in other chapters. For example, censorship and intellectual freedom issues are discussed most thoroughly in Chapter 9, but they also arise in Chapter 8, on information policy, and The Library as an Institution, Chapter 5. The Internet and Web, because they undergird most information transmission today, are covered in multiple chapters as well. Similarly, because of the tremendous breadth of our field, some complementary areas are mentioned but not explored in depth, including such fields as publishing and book arts, archives, and computer science. A list of highly selected readings follows each chapter. These selections provide sources of additional information and stimulate thought on the basic issues raised in this text. See this book s companion Web site ( for expanded lists of selected readings for the major subject areas covered in this book: History and Mission of Libraries The LIS Profession Intellectual Organization of Libraries Libraries as Organizations Impact of Technology Information Science Information Policy Information Policy and Libraries Ethics and Values Readers should understand that continuous consultation with the most recently published material is essential if one is to stay current. Rounding out the book, two appendixes provide supplemental information on LIS associations and accredited schools of library and information science in the United States and Canada. No LIS professional can function unless he or she understands the importance of information, how libraries are organized intellectually and administratively, the effects of information policies, and the values and ethics of librarians and

13 PREFACE XIII the profession. The challenge of all professionals is to stay current in a world in flux. The library is a special place; library and information science is a special profession. The roles of the former and latter, as well as the broader forces that shape those roles, constitute the major focus of Foundations of Library and Information Science. Its goal is to be a valuable resource for those entering the profession and those who have already taken their place within it. REFERENCE Rayward, Boyd Library and Information Sciences. In The Study of Information: Interdisciplinary Messages. Edited by Fritz Machlup and Una Mansfield. New York: Wiley,