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The fourth edition of the classic textbook offers a firm foundation of knowledge and guidance for library and information science (LIS) students and professionals alike.Foundations of Library and Information Science will prepare LIS students and professionals to cope with and effectively manage their many complex responsibilities by, providing an introduction to the LIS field; identifying and discussing the current major topics and issues in LIS that will continue to affect the profession for years to come; providing librarians and information professionals with an opportunity to refresh their knowledge through a systematic review of the major issues and topics that have changed the field; placing LIS in a larger social, political, economic, political and cultural context; inviting readers to further explore topics raised in the book.Responding to the many changes occurring both in the field and in society at large, this text includes comprehensive coverage of, the impact of digital devices and social networking; the impact of digital publishing and e-books; the evolution of library services including virtual reference, embedded librarianship, digital access and repositories, digital preservation and civic engagement; the new efforts to organize knowledge including FRBR, RDF, BIBFRAME, the Semantic Web and the next-generation library catalogue; the significance of the digital divide and policy issues related to broadband access and network neutrality; legal developments including new interpretations of copyright related to mass digitization of books and scholarly articles; the continuing tensions in LIS education between information science and library science; new initiatives to integrate libraries, archives, and museums.Spanning all types of libraries, from public to academic, school, and special, this book illuminates the major facets of library and information science for aspiring professionals as well as those already practising in the field. The book will be essential reading for students of information science, information and knowledge management, librarianship, archives and records management worldwide. It will also be of interest to students of other information-related disciplines such as museum studies, publishing, and information systems and practitioners in all of these disciplines.