Designed to explain today's information environment to students in library and information science and practitioners in the field, this book offers much of the same content and organizational structure as its previous edition, focusing again on the many social, political, intellectual, and economic factors affecting libraries. This edition does, however, contain new discussions on the impact of the Internet, competitive intelligence, filtering, homeland security issues, digital libraries, metadata, and the ever-evolving environment of libraries and library science education. Some of the changes facing libraries are also explored, among them scholarly publishing, diversity, preservation, and information literacy, to name a few. Content is clear, thorough, balanced, and highly readable. Practical information is made even more meaningful with figures, charts, tables, updated appendixes, and revised lists of selected readings. A superb resource that contributes greatly to its field. Sean Kinder