Book excerpt: In 1951, when a school of information science was first established, Briet was the founding Director of Studies. She became Vice President of the International Federation for Documentation (FID) and acquired the nickname 'Madame Documentation.' This book relates her fascinating story and includes the first English translation of Briet's manifesto on the nature of documentation, a 48-page pamphlet, which sought to push the boundaries of the field beyond texts to include any material form of evidence. It also argued that a new and distinct profession was emerging and urged the societal need for new and active documentary services. Due to its continuing relevance towards understanding the nature, scope, and societal impacts of documents and documentation, Briet's modernist perspective, combined with semiotics, still deserves attention because it offers a sturdy and insightful alternative to the scientific, positivist view that has so dominated information science and which is increasingly being questioned.