March 29, 2010 (New York, NY) — As author Richard E. Rubin states in his preface, “The boundaries of library and information science (LIS) continue to expand, the issues proliferate and grow in complexity, and the challenges we face are serious and relentless….Our profession demands constant growth, continuous learning, and open minds.” The newest edition of the most widely used introductory textbook in LIS programs, Foundations of Library and Information Science, Third Edition, to be published by Neal-Schuman on May 10, 2010, has been extensively reorganized, revised, and updated to respond to the current library and information science environment and to help prepare LIS professionals to cope with and effectively accomplish their many complex responsibilities.

Rubin, Director and Professor of Library and Information Science at Kent State University, organizes the book into ten streamlined chapters that reflect feedback from faculty, students, and a distinguished Editorial Board. Following an introduction to the major forces that shape and support today’s LIS environment, Rubin provides the historical foundations of libraries as institutions and the evolution and development of library and information science as a profession. Next, he examines the intellectual organization of libraries and discusses the organizational systems that make today’s myriad forms of information available, including classification systems, subject headings, thesauri, databases, and catalogs. He then explores contemporary public, school, academic, and special libraries, including their internal functions and the major organizational issues that they face.

Rubin then shifts the focus to technology and its effects on service and user-interaction. He includes brand new coverage dedicated to the ever-growing impact of the Web, blogs, wikis, and social networks, as well as electronic publications including e-books, digital libraries, digital preservation, mass digitization, digital repositories, and Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR). Rubin concludes with an examination of several critical philosophical and policy issues that affect contemporary library and information science. His analysis brings readers up-to-date on information policy and the legal environment in which libraries and other information institutions operate, including the ways in which government, business, industry, public institutions, LIS professionals, and citizens all impact how information will be disseminated and who will disseminate it. Rubin also explains key policies related to intellectual freedom and access, as well as important ethical principles and codes.

In 1999, the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology observed that: “Just as Victorian travelers once carried their Baedekers, MLIS students will now carry their Rubins,” and, so too, will this new edition be carried by a new class of students ready to enter this dynamic profession. Faculty and practitioners familiar with Rubin’s earlier work will note that this revision was guided by an editorial board with expertise in every area of this rapidly growing field. The editorial board includes conservation expert Michele Cloonan, Dean and Professor, GSLIS, Simmons College; founding Director of the Internet Public Library Joseph Janes, now Associate Professor, The Information School, University of Washington; Kendra Albright, Associate Professor, SLIS, University of South Carolina, a leader in information users and their social contexts; and technology guru Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor, GSLIS, Dominican University. Rubin consulted closely with these board members to ensure this foundational text continues to meet the needs of the next generation of library and information science professionals.

Foundations of Library and Information Science, Third Edition
ISBN: 978-1-55570-690-6. 2010. 6 x 9. 500pp. $75.00.

About the Author
Richard E. Rubin is Director and Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University. He has spoken and presented workshops throughout the United States. Dr. Rubin has been active in professional associations on the national and local level, most recently serving as Chair of the American Library Association’s Committee on Accreditation. Dr. Rubin is the author of numerous publications, including three books from Neal-Schuman Publishers, Human Resource Management in Libraries: Theory and Practice (1991), Hiring Library Employees (1994) and Foundations of Library and Information Science (1998).

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Neal-Schuman Publishers is a leading publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City, with offices in London, UK.

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