Information and Library Science Review Notes

Overview of Library and Information Science

• Library Definition: A facility that collects, preserves, and provides access to books, e-books, journals, databases, and media to support education, research, and leisure.
• Core Terminology:
  • Library Science (LS): The study of collecting, organizing, preserving, and delivering library resources and services.
  • Information Science (IS): The study of how information is generated, structured, stored, retrieved, and utilized through technology and information systems.
  • Library and Information Science (LIS): An interdisciplinary field combining LS (focused on library management and collections) and IS (focused on information retrieval and technology systems).
• Concept of Trinity:
  • Library: The institutional resources and services.
  • Librarian: The professional who organizes materials and assists users.
  • User: The individual retrieving and applying information.
• DIKW Hierarchy:
  • Data: Unprocessed, raw facts and figures without context.
  • Information: Data structured, organized, and placed in context.
  • Knowledge: Information integrated with personal understanding and experience.
  • Wisdom: Knowledge combined with critical judgment and moral values for decision-making.

The Five Laws of Library Science

• Formulated by S. R. Ranganathan to establish operational guidelines for effective library management:
  • First Law (Books are for Use): Resources must be accessible rather than locked away purely for preservation.
  • Second Law (Every Reader His/Her Book): Access to information is a universal right regardless of user background.
  • Third Law (Every Book Its Reader): Collections must be made discoverable through open shelving and proper cataloging so every item reaches its user.
  • Fourth Law (Save the Time of the Reader): Library workflows, classification systems, and signage must maximize efficiency.
  • Fifth Law (A Library is a Growing Organism): Facilities, staffing, services, and digital collections must continuously adapt to growth.

Historical Evolution and Cataloging Standards

• Historical Eras:
  • Ancient/Classical Period: Earliest record-keeping libraries at Ebla and Nineveh (Library of Ashurbanipal, ~7th century BCE) stored administrative and religious records on clay tablets; Callimachus created the Pinakes at the Library of Alexandria as an early classified catalog.
  • Medieval Era: Monastic scriptoria preserved classical and religious manuscripts; Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th century) institutions like the House of Wisdom in Baghdad led manuscript translation and scholarship.
  • Renaissance & Enlightenment: Gutenberg's printing press (1450s) expanded book availability; 17th–18th century subscription libraries broadened reading access.
• Key Cataloging Pioneers and Standards:
  • Antonio Panizzi (1841): Authored 91 cataloging rules for the British Museum Library.
  • Charles Coffin Jewett (1852): Adapted Panizzi's work into 33 rules for the Smithsonian Institution.
  • Melvil Dewey (1876): Introduced the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) dividing human knowledge into ten main numeric classes.
  • Charles Ammi Cutter (1876): Published Rules for a Dictionary Catalog, created Cutter Expansive Classification, and introduced Cutter numbers.
  • Library of Congress Classification (LCC): Standard classification system developed by the Library of Congress (founded 1800).

Types of Libraries and Institutional Roles

• Public Libraries:
  • Provide universal, free access to knowledge for lifelong learning, governed by principles such as the IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto (1994).
  • Philippine Context: Museo Biblioteca de Filipinas was created in 1887 under Don Pedro A. Paterno; the American Circulating Library was established on March 9, 1900 by Mrs. Charles O. Greenleaf with Nellie Young Egbert as first librarian; Act No. 96 transferred it to the Insular Government on March 5, 1901; Public Law No. 3477 (1928) established the National Library; Republic Act No. 7743 (approved June 17, 1994) mandated public libraries and reading centers across local government units.
• Academic and School Libraries:
  • Academic Libraries: Support university curricula, faculty teaching, and institutional research output.
  • School Libraries: Function as learner-oriented laboratories supporting basic education goals as outlined by the IFLA School Library Manifesto (2008).
• Special Libraries:
  • Tailored to meet the precise informational requirements of corporations, government agencies, or research institutes.
  • Special Libraries Association (SLA): Founded July 2, 1909 in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire by 26 librarians led by John Cotton Dana; adopted the slogan "Putting Knowledge to Work" quoted by John A. Lapp.
• Archives and Records Centers:
  • Archives: Preserve non-current primary source documents of permanent historical significance, evaluated on Authenticity, Reliability, Integrity, and Usability.
  • Records Centers: Store active or semi-active organizational records awaiting permanent transfer to archives or scheduled disposal.
• Digital, Virtual, and Mobile Libraries:
  • Digital/Virtual Libraries: Traced to Vannevar Bush's Memex concept, providing network-based remote access to digitized literature without physical space limitations.
  • Mobile Libraries: Vehicles equipped with books, technology, and outreach programs to service geographically isolated or underserved populations.