International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science

The International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science was published to widespread acclaim in 1996, and has become the major reference work in the field. This eagerly awaited new edition has been fully revised and updated to take full account of the many and radical changes which have taken place since the Encyclopedia was originally conceived. With nearly 600 entries, written by a global team of over 150 contributors, the subject matter ranges from mobile library services provided by camel and donkey transport to search engines, portals and the World Wide Web. The new edition retains the successful structure of the first with an alphabetical organization providing the basic framework of a coherent collection of connected entries. Conceptual entries explore and explicate all the major issues, theories and activities in information and library science, such as the economics of information and information management. A wholly new entry on information systems, and enhanced entries on the information professions and the information society, are key features of this new edition. Topical entries deal with more specific subjects, such as collections management and information services for ethnic minorities. New or completely revised entries include a group of entries on information law, and a collection of entries on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Terminological entries define all the key terms in the field: from almanac to workstation, serendipity to packet switching. Biographical entries examine the life and work for key figures - such as Turing, Bowers, Gutenberg, Leibniz and Dewey - in information and library science, many of whom have become eponymous with the contributions which they have made to the discipline. All the longer entries are fully supported by references, and suggestions for further reading. A comprehensive index and substantial cross-referencing make the book easy to use both for immediate reference and for more in-depth study. Consultant Editors: Christine Borgman, University of California-Los Angeles, USA; Lynne Brindley, The British Library, UK; Michael Koenig, University of Long Island, USA; Ray Paul, Brunel Universit