Critical Theory for Library and Information Science : Exploring the Social from Across the Disciplines

The practical application of library and information science is based upon 75 years of critical theory and thought. Therefore, it is essential for students and faculty in LIS to be familiar with the work of a wide range of critical theorists. The aim of Critical Theory for Library and Information Science: Exploring the Social from Across the Disciplines is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the critical theorists important to the LIS audience, and to give insights into how such theory can be incorporated into actual LIS research and practice.This book consists of chapters on individual critical theorists ranging from Aglietta to Habermas to Spivak, written by an international group of library and information science scholars. Each chapter provides an overview of the theoretical stance and contributions of the theorist, as well as relevant critical commentary. This book will be particularly valuable as a reference text of core readings for those pursuing doctoral or masters level degrees in LIS.

Gloria J. Leckie is associate professor and LIS program coordinator in the faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Her published works include Libraries Unlimiteds Library as Place: History, Community, and Culture and Information Technology in Librarianship: New Critical Approaches. Lisa M. Given is professor in the School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is editor of The Sage Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. John E. Buschman is associate university librarian for collections development, preservation, and scholarly communication at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He is the author of Libraries Unlimited's Dismantling the Public Sphere: Situating and Sustaining Librarianship in the Age of the New Public Philosophy and is an editor for the journal Progressive Librarian.