Organizing Knowledge: An Introduction to Managing Access to Information (3rd ed.)

Citation

Mullen, P. (2008), "Organizing Knowledge: An Introduction to Managing Access to Information (3rd ed.)", Library Management, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 254-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120810855359

The first edition of this book was published in 1987 and this third edition was published in 2000, with regular reprinting since that date. The writers say in the introduction the book is intended for the undergraduate or post‐graduate students.

Organizing Knowledge runs to over 400 pages and contains a very detailed analysis of managing access to information. The book is divided into four logical sections. The first part is on “Information basics”, which introduces the concept of information and explains the life cycle of information. Part II has an interesting analysis of records and discusses how we describe documents. Part III of the book looks at information access, this section is by far the most comprehensive and looks at the interrelationship between classification and the users. Finally Part IV introduces the reader to the Systems such as OPACS, CDROMs, manual cataloguing systems and finally the internet.

Organizing Knowledge details all the important building blocks any librarian or information professional needs to know before they can begin a career in the information industry.

The commitment and the ability of the writers to clearly detail some complicated issues should be commended. For example the analysis and discussion of AACR2 and the Dewey Decimal System, was clear and well written. There is just enough detail to explain some important concepts without drowning the reader in to much detail.

Obviously since 2000 when this book was largely rewritten the information world has moved on. Many of the chapters now need to be rewritten. For example the chapters on CDROMs and the internet need to be updated. I would also like the book to come with its own CD or at least web page to make some of the discussion on AACR2 and the various classification systems much more interactive. For example it would be interesting to discuss the classification section in the context of the classification system at the Warburg Institute Library (http://warburg.sas.ac.uk/mnemosyne/entrance.htm) or the Prelinger Library (www.home.earthlink.net/ ∼ alysons/library.html).

Overall this book provides a very good introduction to organizing knowledge, but it certainly could not be considered “normal” bedtime reading.