Reflections on Libraries in practice #1

Mondays lectures really got me thinking.

A library is a library, just as I knew it as a child. I have been getting too fancy in my thinking - I guess that is natural for a new student (??)

Chambers Dictionary defines a library as "a collection of boos, a building or room containing it"

Harrods definition includes: "kept for a purpose"

This is a concept recognised since antiquity.

Now when we start talking about Information Sciences is where things get tricky:
-it's ill defined
-it's only been used since the mid 20th century
-typically centered around a specialised subject and user group
-strong emphasis on access and user services, rather than the collection.

This way we can even view James Bond as an information officer.

What distinguishes Library Sciences from Information Sciences? In short, Information Science implies a more active relationship with documents.