Allen Kent was a pioneer in many aspects of library and information science (LIS), and yet, as this author reads Kent's 1977 article, there is not much in it that has become ancient, irrelevant history. The questions he discusses are still alive in the discipline in 2014, whether it is called LIS (library and information science), information…

In the last issue, this journal asked a question on many librarians' minds, and it was pleased with the depth and variety of responses. As suggested by this journal editorial board member Oliver Pesch, readers were asked, "Many libraries have gone to federated searching to win users back from Google. Is it working?" Respondents approached the…

The first of two articles on the current state of relations between librarianship and new technologies describes recent events that signal an apparent drift toward a traditional vision of librarianship, and away from any emphasis on information technologies. (CLB)

Discusses the future of the library profession and suggests that librarianship could become marginalized (i.e., its significance could be diminished) as a result of automation if librarians do not broaden their vision and keep pace with technology. The roles of libraries, librarians, and library automation in an infrastructure for information…

Examines the institutional, intellectual and conceptual differences between library and archives management, and identifies shared concerns and problems arising from developments in information technology. The need for the incorporation of information science concepts in the professional education of archivists and librarians is discussed. (CLB)

This book is a collection of the author's following publications and speeches, primarily from 1995-2000: "Look at All Those Beautiful Birds Overhead!""Priorities for the Research Library Budget,""What Do We Give 'Em?""The Legacy of John Swan,""Small Public Libraries-Challenges, Opportunities, and Irrelevancies,""Lead Me Not into Temptation To Do…

Describes dominant political trends in librarianship, including the adoption of political neutrality as a means toward acquiring professional status, conservatism, and a willingness to allow government and business to define professional roles. It is argued that values of equity and public service, not the imperatives of technocracy and…

Although the challenges faced by librarians and medical informaticians are sometimes different, the evolution of information technology and new forms of biomedical communication suggest an increasing convergence between the two disciplines. Both groups serve as information deliverers and curators, apply information technology to knowledge…

Explores three contexts of librarians' professional work and their impact on the link between librarians and their work: social and cultural forces, other competing occupations, and competing organizations and commodities. Concludes that the central challenge to the profession lies in embracing various information technologies and the groups that…

Explores the reasons for incorporating trend analysis of librarianship into library planning and marketing. Key financial and technological issues are reviewed, and the techniques of environmental scanning and alternative scenario-building to incorporate future trends are discussed. (AEF)

There have been significant changes in the nature of scientific and technical librarianship in the past four decades, reflected both in the structure and organization of literature and the education and professional training of librarians. These changes are reflected in library school curricula and in the skills and abilities needed by…

Based on an analysis of the direction of library development and changes in librarians' social functions, this paper presents some key measures in the reform of library and information science education. The first section discusses the developing direction of the library cause under the network environment. The second section covers librarians'…

Examines the foundations of academic librarianship in terms of the ends and means of library services, recognition of the difference between them, exploration of the quality of library services, and development and refinement of descriptions of these concerns. The impact of information technologies on these areas is discussed. (17 references) (CLB)

Discussion of the profession of librarianship focuses on changes in the profession and the role of women. The deprofessionalization, or de-skilling, of cataloging through the use of automated systems is described; new labels for library and information work are examined; and the future of librarianship is considered. (28 references) (LRW)

Discusses the inclusion of expert systems in library and information science (LIS) education in such areas as library management, classification and indexing, and information retrieval. Emphasis is placed on involvement in developing areas such as programing and knowledge acquisition to create information professionals able to use the new…