Foundations of Library and Information Science

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.

Richard E. Rubin is the former Director of the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University, USA. He has spoken and presented at workshops throughout the United States, primarily on aspects of human resource management, and he has been active in professional associations both nationally and locally, having served as Chair of the ALA Committee on Accreditation. Dr Rubin is the author of numerous publications including four editions of Foundations of Library and Information Science (Neal-Schuman 2000, 2004, 2010), and his articles have appeared in journals including Library Quarterly and Library and Information Science Research.

Rachel G. Rubin is Director of Library and Information Services at Capital University, USA and Councillor-at-Large for the American Library Association. Previously, Rubin was library director for Bexley Public Library and has held positions at Worthington and Columbus Metropolitan libraries. Rubin is a graduate of Carleton College and Kent State University, and she holds a Ph.D. in Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions from Simmons College.