Three faculty in the Department of Information Science have authored a new open-access textbook that examines the history, roles, and scope of the information and knowledge professions.

Written by Suliman Hawamdeh, Regents Professor, Jeonghyun Kim, associate professor, and Xin Wang, senior lecturer, "Foundations of the Information and Knowledge Professions" provides basic concepts and discusses issues such as the impact of information technology on individuals, intellectual freedom, and privacy and diversity. The book also contains a preface written by Professor, Brian O’Connor.

The goal of this textbook is to facilitate library and information science students in developing an in-depth understanding of the Library and Information Sciences as a discipline.

The book will be used by students in INFO 5000 - Information Knowledge and Professions, a core course required of all students in the library science and information science majors.

The book covers a wide range of essential topics that every student in the library and information science program must know,” says Dr. Hawamdeh. 

The book was published in February by UNT Press as part of UNT’s efforts to make textbooks more affordable to students. It is free for students as an open book unless they request a printed copy from UNT press at cost value.

“Many students cannot afford to buy textbooks," says Hawamdeh. "Textbook cost can sometimes impact student choices of courses as well as the number of courses they can afford to take. Open-access textbooks not only allow students to access educational resources free of charge but also allow faculty to customize the material to the needs of the students. As a rapidly evolving field, information science is at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. Textbooks need to be adaptable, revisable, and highly usable," he added.

The book is available from the UNT Press, and is available for purchase by other major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.