Libraries In The Information Society

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

This book reviews both the historical and future roles that public, private, academic and special libraries have in supporting and shaping society at local, regional, national and international levels. Globalisation, economic turmoil, political and ethnic tensions, rapid technology development, global warming and other key environmental factors are all combining in myriad and complex ways to affect everyone, both individually and collectively. Fundamental questions are being asked about the future of society and the bedrock organisations that underpin it. Libraries and Society considers the key aspects of library provision and the major challenges that libraries – however defined, managed, developed and provided – now face, and will continue to face in the future. It also focuses on the emerging chapter in cultural, economic and social history and the library’s role in serving diverse communities within this new era. Looks at all types of library in a period of major and discontinuous change, tackling the fundamental questions of the future of libraries in the context of major societal, political and environmental issues Poses important questions for the profession and policy development Fills a major gap in literature (recent discourse and debate on the future of democracy, for example, the library is rarely included)

What is information? Who are the information rich and who are the information poor? How can there be equality of access for users in the light of the political, economic and cultural pressures that are placed upon information creators, gatherers and keepers? Set against a broad historical backdrop, The Information Society explores the information revolution that continues to gather pace, as the understanding and management of information becomes even more important in a world where data can be transmitted in a split second. This latest edition of this standard work has been fully updated to take account of the changing landscape and technological developments since 2008. The social Web, or Web 2.0, is now embedded in daily life, and some of its applications have become the most popular forms of communication system. Even the predominance of email – one of the most familiar manifestations of the information revolution – is now threatened by texting and the use of such applications as Twitter. The ways in which we expect to interact with information – and how much we are willing to pay for access to it – are throwing up new opportunities and debates. At a societal level, as the quantity of personal digitized information continues to grow exponentially, so do both the benefits of exploiting it and the dangers of misusing it. The use of ICT to make government more accessible has to be balanced against the use of technologies that enable the state to be more vigilant or more intrusive, according to one's point of view. Behind all of this lies further technical change: the massive expansion of connectivity to high-speed broadband networks; the phased abandonment of analogue broadcasting; and above all the widespread availability and use of sophisticated multi-functional mobile devices which carry voice, video and data and which can themselves be carried anywhere. The implications for daily life, for education, for work and for social and political relationships are massive. Readership: All information professionals and students on courses on information, librarianship and communications studies, where an understanding of the nature of the information society is an essential underpinning of more advanced work.

"What is information? Who are the information rich and who are the information poor? How can there be equality of access for users in the light of the economic and cultural pressures that are placed upon information gatherers and keepers?" "Set against a broad historical backdrop, The Information Society explores the information revolution that continues to gather pace. The commercial value of information becomes increasingly important in a world where data can be transmitted in a split second, information can become a political tool that can be abused as easily as it can be used. In analysing the different threads that make up the information society, John Feather looks at the ethics of information transfer in the context of the social relationship between the citizen and the state." "This edition is fully updated to cover the latest research in major contemporary issues within the information society. This look at the information profession and its break-out from the traditional boundaries of librarianship will interest all information professionals. It is also invaluable for students on courses in information, librarianship and communications studies, where an understanding of the nature of the information society is an essential underpinning of more advanced work."--BOOK JACKET.

Libraries and the Information Society in Germany presents, for the first time, the contemporary German library system not from a library insider's view, but rather from a comprehensively societal perspective. The roles and functions of libraries are analyzed and assessed from this vantage point. The authors - both researchers and practitioners - identify historical developments, describe current trends taking into account sociostructural contexts, and outline options for action. The changes that libraries and library science can embrace and have already embraced in part include, in addition to functional changes and systematic networking, possibly approaching other segments of the information sector or even merging with them. This edition represents a thorough update to the most recent German edition. Several chapters expanded in parts in order to address developments such as Library 2.0, the Semantic Web, Linked Open Data, or Electronic Resource Management.

This book provides coverage of content and skills essential for those who intend positioning themselves in the academic or workplace environments that are globally connected and competitive - environments where information literacy is no longer a nice to have or recommended proficiency, but a life-long skill to be nurtured. This clear, well-structured text leads the reader through all aspects of information literacy and provides practical advice and relevant examples from a variety of international contexts.