Organizing Knowledge: An Introduction to Information Retrieval

by Jennifer Rowley

This book provides an integrated overview of information retrieval. The common principles associated with the storage and retrieval of information in databases of all kinds are introduced. Catalogue databases, bibliographic databases, with and without abstracts and full text databases are all considered. The book is divided into 5 main records, authors and titles, subjects, systems, and user perspectives. The first edition was designed as a standard introductory textbook for students on postgraduate and undergraduate courses in library and information management. The first edition has been exceptionally well received both in the United Kingdom and many other countries and has established itself as a standard text. The second edition retains the objective approach and structure of the first edition but has been significantly revised.

Genres: Nonfiction, School, Library Science, Textbooks, Reference, Grad School

510 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1987

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very useful guide to librarianing ( It's a word!)

[Vidu]

Read for GLIS 619: Info Behaviour and Resources

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, well-organized textbook that serves its purpose. We actually used and read it in class.

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself thinking at each chapter, "oooh. That's the kind of work I *really* want to do." I found this much easier to get through than Introduction to Cataloging and Classification or Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction both of which I tried to read on my own, as opposed to this book which I read for a class.

By including chapters on user behavior, and context about how cataloging rules and norms developed, this book manages to take this driest of subjects and make it digestible. Also, the British-ness of it made for a more international focus, which I also appreciate.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information is great and very useful to me 3 years after I first read it. However it is not a book that is easy to digest. I had to read in chunks. I suggest marking passages and advice that you find important as you will come back to it at a later date.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insanely dry and dense, making it quite hard to stick with.

[Jeffrey Babbitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not my favorite subject, and due to the nature of that subject, the book is a bit boring. But there is a little bit a dry humor that pokes its head up every now and then that helps to relieve the boredom.