Introduction
“Library Science” is a subject of allied science. The word library science is built to compile the two words as library studies and the information science.
“Library science involves the collection, arrangement, maintenance, shelving, preservation, management, organization, categorization and controls of the library material as book, text, titles, national or international journal or digital material”.
The first ever library was opened in the US at Columbia University in the year 1887. The very first text-book on library science had written in the year 1627. The first university, who offered the library science programme, was the University of Punjab, Pakistan.
Library is a profession that is full of people passionate about making a positive change in the world. It is basically a field of study that teaches how to manage books & other materials in library.
Library science includes a systemic process dealing with the management of library resources. It compacts with the categorization of the information. The person or professional who deals with this profession is called as the librarian or custodian or library manager or the information manager.
The objective of library science is to provide the knowledge, skills, information needs and contribute through research and publication activities. The main concept of the library science is “to provide the right information to the right person at the right time”.
There are the six types of libraries as the following:
- Public library
- School library
- Media library
- Archives library
- Special library
- Preservation library
Courses
The library is the heart of any college or university or institution. Somehow a good annual result of students is more depends on the information contained in the library.
A library is the showcase of an institution. If your showcase has been meshed, how it would look to you?
I think now you got the point!
The same case is here, we need the professionals to maintain the text, journals, digital tracks and many more related things in our universities, institutes and public & private libraries.
To produce the large number of sound professionals, our educational system has been launched the professional courses in the field of library science or information science.
In the educational study, there is a range of courses from the certificate programme to the doctoral programme as the following:
Certificate Courses:
- Certificate Course in Library Science
- Certificate in ICT Application in Library
- Certificate Courses in Library & Information Science
Diploma Courses:
- Diploma Courses in Library Science
- Diploma in Library & Information Science (DLIS)
UG Courses:
- Bachelor of Library & Information Science
PG Courses:
- Master of Library Science
- M.Phill in Library and information Science
- PG Diploma in Library Automation & Networking
PhD in Library and information Science
The specialization fields of library science are as the following:
- Information architecture
- Indexing
- Librarian
- Information broker
- Archiving
- Abstractors
- Metadata Management
- Researchers
- Cataloguing
- Metadata Architecture
- Computer, Data, and Information System
- Preservation, Conservation and Administration
Admission
To get the admission in UG degree programme leading to the B.Lib course, the candidate need to has passed a bachelor degree course in any discipline. The duration of UG degree programme is 3 yrs.
Many of institutes allow the entrance test before UG programme. The certificate courses and the diploma courses are being offered by the various institutes. The duration of these courses is 6 months and 1 year respectfully. The students, who have completed 10+2 examination with any disciplines are eligible to get the admission in certificate programmes and diploma programmes.
After the completion of the UG programme, you may go for jobs or higher study like master degree, philosophy and the doctoral degree.
Entrance Exam – CUET 2024
Career & jobs
There are lots of career opportunities in the field of library science. A librarian is in heavy demand in every sector where the documents or the books are being kept in a proper manner or arrangement. Even, corporate sector is also providing the library facility to its staff and hiring the librarian on handsome salary.
If you have completed your graduation in library science or any diploma or other courses in same field, you can search the job in galleries, museum, archives, document centre, publishing house and research centre.
The librarian helps the people to find the right information, to use effectively and organizing the content. The trend of this field is now turning towards the media sector and IT sector by the computerization of the library system. That’s why, the knowledge of information technology is mandatory in the curriculum of this course.
The work in this field is divided into three sections as the one is general services, where the books are being exchanged, the second is technical works, where the books or the other material are being logged or indexed and the third is administrative work, where a senior officer coordinates with his or her upper senior one to maintain and keep updated the record of the library and the purchasing schedule of books.
Job profiles
The designations or the job profiles in the field of library science are as the following:
- Librarian
- Library Assistant
- Library Attendant
- Deputy Librarian
- Senior Information Analyst
- Information Assistant
- Junior Information Analyst
- Junior Librarian
- Director/Head of Information Centre
- Professional Assistant
The post of head of the department as librarian is equivalent to the post of professor and the deputy librarian is equivalent to the reader and assistant Librarian equivalent to the lecturer respectfully.
Top recruiters
A professional in library science may be hired by the following fields:
- Universities library
- College library
- Schools
- Academic institutions
- Public library
- Books museum
- Ministry of information
- Record keeping agencies
- Media sector
- Private library
Salary
The average income of a fresher is around the Rs. 1 -1.5 lakh per annum. The earning of librarian depends on the qualification and experience of the particular person. In the US the average salary of an experienced librarian is around the $51,400 USD per annum.
According to the US news the library science is one of the best careers in the year 2008. In government sectors, the remuneration in this is quite well.
Books & Study Materials
After analyzing other books available in the market, here we are providing some good books to study Library Science:
Foundations of Library and Information Science by Richard E. Rubin
The Organization of Information (Library and Information Science Text Series) by Arlene G. Taylor
Library and Information Center Management by Robert D. Stueart
Welcome to Library and Information Science by Hartel, Jenna
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