Book excerpt: Experts in several fields of library and information science have provided introductions to their areas of expertise. This foundation to the profession covers the competencies needed by professional librarians and can serve as both introduction to the new student and an update to the veteran. Typically, interested laypeople and students are introduced to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of professional librarians piecemeal or through introductory or core courses. Unlike other fields (e.g., business administration, management), there is no published broad overview of the profession. Almost peculiarly, the basic foundation course in LIS education is about information in context, or libraries and their mission, but not about the competencies of professional librarians as a foundation for future courses. This book fills that gap, whether as an introduction to the profession or as a response to the question What does a librarian do? Here, experts in several fields of library and information science provide introductions to their areas of expertise, covering the competencies needed by professional librarians. Accessible and comprehensive, The Portable MLIS can serve as both an introduction for the new student and an update for the veteran.