Amazon.com description: Product Description: What is information? Who are the information rich and who are the information poor? In this updated book the information society is explored in the light of the economic and social pressures which are placed upon information gatherers and keepers. The commercial value of information to those who wish to access it and to those who wish to process and disseminate it becomes increasingly important in a world where information can be transmitted in split seconds. In examining the differing threads that make up the information society, John Feather looks at the social relationship between the citizen and the state in terms of censorship and morality and how this is affected by information transfer. Information can become a political tool - from the accumulation and control of personal data to selective use of information or "disinformation" - which can be manipulated by public authorities. The management of information, however, is equally as important as the way in which it is presented: Feather puts into context the role of the librarian as an information provider and takes a look at the nature of the information profession and its breakout from the traditional boundaries of librarianship.