The two first chapters of the two books focus on the role that libraries play in the development of the society and put a historical perspective on the development of libraries since the invention of record keeping to the present day age. Through these four chapters, I have been able to have an important insight on the history of library and information management, and how the developments in the area are relevant to my professional conduct in the field of library science. I have also learnt the role that libraries have played and continue to play in the development of the society and how the continuation of this role is an important part of the professional conduct of the librarian in the present day.
In the chapter “The Educational, Recreational, and Informational Infrastructure” Richard Robin (2010) defines the role that libraries have played as they evolved through the centuries. From this chapter, I have learned that libraries provided an important service to the society in the nineteenth century by providing education and informational service through newspapers and magazines. It was through the use of the informational service provided by the libraries that many social changes were facilitated in the nineteenth century and which changed the perceptions of the society, especially politically. Through this information gained from the chapters, I have learnt that libraries did indeed play a key role in the development of the modern society and institutions. It was the delivery of opinions through materials disseminated through libraries that new perceptions and new models of doing things were established since such materials could be reached by a large number of individuals, a feat which could not be accomplished when information was not readily available through the libraries.
Through these chapters, I learned that the operations of libraries through time has relied and still continues to rely on a foundation and a framework to deliver on their missions through their activities. This framework has evolved through time but still bears the same mission that libraries were initially established for; the recording and storing of information for easy access by the citizenry. The chapters also explained the components of the educational, recreational and informational infrastructure components of libraries as creators, producers, distributors, disseminators and users of information. These chapters also delve into the role of libraries as intermediaries between the creators of information and the users of such information. They bring out how this role is important to the delivery of the missions of libraries to the society. It is through these four chapters that I have learned that this intermediary role between the creators and users of information is critical to the professional conduct of the librarian and should always be in focus in any activities of a library and information science professional. From the information given in these chapters, I feel that it goes unsaid that the state of the present society has benefitted greatly from the use of libraries, especially in the last two centuries, and the storage and the making available of this information to the society. Changes, both political and otherwise have benefitted from the presence of libraries in the society.
Through these chapters in the two books, my understanding of the profession of library science has been but into a historical context, and I have learned that it is indeed an evolved science which requires a high level of integrity and professional input to ensure that the role that libraries have played through time is preserved and high standards maintained. I have also appreciated the fact the libraries have played a key role in the development of present day institutions in the society through their role in the delivery of preserving and delivering information to the society.
References
Buchanan, E. A., & Henderson, K. A. (2009). Case studies in library and information ethics. Jefferson NC: McFarland.
Rubin, R. E. (2010). Foundations of library and information science (3rd ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman.
