Information Services Today: An Introduction - Hardcover

Finally, sometimes a soup-to-nuts textbook is needed to gather current thinking on an issue of professional practice and to get pointers on where to go for deeper knowledge. Edited by Sandra Hirsh, Information Services Today: An Introduction serves this purpose well, with 39 essays by library leaders grouped into broad areas. * American Libraries * Information Services Today brings together many different voices through its contributors, covering a multitude of topics all combining to provide diverse perspectives and unique points of view. Bottom line: this textbook is simply a good read. . . .Information Services Today is a book created expressly for lifelong learning, for immediate access and thoughtful advice from experienced professionals who have followed this path, and now share their expertise for the benefit of the next generation. When your field is constantly changing, life-long learning is an necessary path to education, and Information Services Today can be a key investment to LIS enlightenment. * LIBREAS * Through its comprehensive profile of the services, skills, and challenges that exist within today's information organizations, Information Services Today: An Introduction demonstrates that though the work of information professionals may be carried on in the background, at times with little fanfare, the true impact of that work on the lives of community members is far-reaching and immeasurable. * Hack Library School * This textbook appeals to a diverse audience. It is a foundational instructional resource for information science students and lecturers, an excellent refresher on the current state of the information professions for practitioners, and a solid introduction to the information professions for general readers who want to better understand information work. * Information Management * The chapters in Information Services Today: An Introduction demonstrate the broad scope of information and the many career paths that information professionals may take in libraries and broader information-intensive enterprises. The challenge of rapid change is treated on two fronts: first, the chapters themselves represent contemporary point estimates of modern information work. The topics for discussion suggested in most chapters are structured to not only stimulate students to reflect on the status quo of the chapter's focus but also to consider the core principles associated with the topic-principles that will carry through even as technology and work practices evolve over time. Secondly, the text has associated online materials that have the potential to allow topics to be updated and new cases or examples to be added to keep the materials fresh over time. Overall, this textbook will serve to introduce students who are preparing for information careers to appreciate the broad scope and rapid changes in our field. -- Gary Marchionini, Dean, School of Library and Information Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Information Services Today: An Introduction is a wide-ranging, edited text on topics of interest to today's information professional. It advances the notion of librarian to that of information professional in ways that are responsible and thoughtful, while presenting challenges facing the information professions today. It is a useful text for introductory courses in library and information science programs and for professionals who would like to update their knowledge of the field. -- Kendra Albright, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina

This essential overview of what it means to be a library and information professional today provides a broad overview of the transformation of libraries as information organizations, why these organizations are more important today than ever before, the technological influence on how we provide information resources and services in today s digital and global environment, and the various career opportunities available for information professionals. The book begins with a historical overview of libraries and their transformation as information and technology hubs within their communities. It also covers the various specializations within the field emphasizing the exciting yet complex roles and opportunities for information professionals. With that foundation in place, it presents how libraries serve different kinds of communities, highlighting the unique needs of users across all ages and how libraries fulfill those needs through a variety of services, and addresses key issues facing information organizations as they meet user needs in the Digital Age. The book then concludes with career management strategies to guide library and information science professionals in building not only vibrant careers but vibrant information organizations for the future as well."