Library & Information Science

Library & Information Science is a merging of the two field’s library science and Information science. This field particularly deals with storage and data management in libraries. For centuries it is an accepted fact that libraries are the reservoir of information and agencies of the communicating information. Libraries classify and catalogue books, journals and papers, arrange the books, paper and journals in the proper places where readers may easily approach. New arrivals are displayed for the attention of visitors to the library.

Key to Success

To be successful in Library & Information Science you should have/ develop:

Helping Nature
Patience With Readers
Logical Mind
Methodical Approach
Good memory
Love for books and reading

Scope and Opportunities

Documentation officer, knowledge manager, information scientist are the various government posts that require M. LISc. Nehru-Full bright scholarship and SAARC countries scholarship can see you in good foreign countries. MNCs like Wipro and Infosys also recruit these people. –Taken from Wikipedia

With the rise of IT and computers the ancient method of including the same on books and other written materials has become rare but also new tools of information like CD-ROM, internet, virtual libraries etc. There is a good scope for a career in library science.

As a Librarian, various job profiles are available in the following areas:

Public/Government libraries
Universities/colleges/schools and other academic institutions
News agencies and organizations
Private organizations and special libraries
Photo/film/radio/television libraries
Information centers/documentation centers
Companies and organizations with large information handling requirements
Museums and galleries, which have reading rooms and research facilities
Law library/Special library, etc.

Lifestyle & Social Status

Inevitably this profile would turn you an avid reader
Librarians work in a serene work environment and for most of the time remains indoor
Today, most of the libraries have computers dependencies
They make budget and keep records. It is more of an administrative work

Job Profile

On a typical day a librarian might perform some of the following duties:-

Help users find the appropriate information
Guide the users in retrieving the desired information
Raise a purchase order of the new and in demand materials
Supervise assistants who prepare cards, computer records, or other access tools that direct users to resources
Arrange the books in a proper systematic manner and user friendly way
Arrange puppet shows, buddy reading, etc.

Skill Sets

Research methodology
Advanced Communication organizational skills
Strong Analytical Skills
Collection management
Documentation
Library planning
Advisory and supervisory skills

Work Value

Take Initiative
Smart work
job security
Independence

Current Job Scenario

As India is moving towards a knowledge society with proliferation of learning and research institutes the demand and importance of library science is growing for those who are techno savy in digital methodology.

After completion of Library & Information Science course one can choose a career as librarian, Libraries are of many types:

Public library, Children’s libraries, reference libraries, educational libraries in schools, college, universities, research institutions and museums, and specialized libraries in different organization such as bank, government offices, companies, law firms, news papers, publishing houses etc.

With the growth in electronic and digital libraries, job title in the field could be that of Information Manager, Internet Librarian, Knowledge Assistant or a Learning Advisor.

Top Recruiters

All educational institutes need at least one librarian and big institutes or universities required librarians in bulk. Recruitments happens on annual basis as per the number of vacancies.

Course Synopsis

Course Options	Bachelor in Library and information science (BLISC or B.LIB)	Master of Philosophy in Library & information Science Master of Library Science
Academic Eligibility	Eligibility Graduate in any discipline from recognized University	BLI. Sc or B.LIB from recognized University
Fees	Rs. 7,500/- to Rs. 15,000/-	Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000/-
Overall expenditure in Metro and Tier-1	Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 2.5 lakhs	Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs. 2.5 lakhs
Overall expenditure in Tier-2	Rs. 1.75 lakhs to Rs. 2 lakhs	Rs. 1.75 lakhs to Rs. 2 lakhs
Duration	The Duration of this course differs from University to University from 1 Year to 4 Years	The Duration of this course differs from University to University from 1 Year to 3 Years Integrated MLISC will be of 5 Years
Mode	Regular	Regular/Distance Learning
Approved	UGC	UGC
Affiliation	Respective Universities	Respective Universities
Entrance Exam	The experience of working in libraries would be desirable for such courses	The NISCAIR conducts a two year course, AIS which is the equivalent to Master’ degree in LIS For AIS in NISCAIR = hours Entrance exam