If you love working with information and enjoy being able to assist others in finding the information they need through either reading or dedicated research, then a career in library and information science may be just what you are looking for. Library and information sciences deal with massive amounts of data and information, making it accessible to anyone over many different types of mediums, be it hard copy, printed material, or digitized items.
What Is the Definition of Library and Information Science?
The definition of library science has to do with the collection and use of many different types of information and research disciplines. It involves a comprehensive range of topics that include but is not limited to biology, economics, history, geography, mathematics, zoology, botany, etc. This meta-discipline includes every type of knowledge, research, and study theory or practice that is in use today. They vary according to the type of information being sought and collected and are meant to be used by many.
What Is the Difference Between Library Science and Information Science?
The definition of library and information science is similar. Library science has to do with the storage and collection of all types of information, while information sciences involving distributing that information among the masses using a variety of means including hard copies and digital methods. Both types of sciences go hand in hand, working together so that the information is stored in such a way that it can be easily retrieved and utilized.
While both sciences deal with information, Library Sciences focus on how the information is collected, stored, and categorized. This makes it much easier for individuals who are trying to research or gather information about a specific topic. Both work together in an educational setting with the librarian being the one person that most people will often defer to when trying to find specific documents or studies that can be used during research.
What Type of Jobs Are Available in Each Field?
The number of potential jobs and employment opportunities within the Library and Information Science fields is extensive. A few of the most common employment opportunities in the Library and Information Sciences field include, but is not limited to the following:
- Behavioral analyst
- Copyeditor
- Cultural historian
- Data analyst
- Data collections manager
- Educator
- Librarian
- Library director/curator
- Manager of software and cloud systems
- Researcher
- Storyteller
- Writer
These various employment opportunities involve creating collections of information for specific purposes such as research and educational coursework. Educators use the theories and practices of this field to create entire curriculums for degree programs as well as study guides and self-help studies.
Researchers use massive amounts of information to create studies that follow behavioral patterns and sequences that are then used to determine the outcomes of specific experiments.
What Is New in Library and Information Science?
For many years, the only method of storing large amounts of information was in paper files and books. Libraries and museums housed millions of pages of information. With the introduction of the internet, much of the information that is now being collected is stored virtually or in the “cloud”. Through the use of digital devices, computers, and other internet-accessible pathways, millions of gigs of data can be easily stored and retrieved every day. With this new technology, even more people are able to access the massive amounts of data that are now being driven on the world wide web.
Studying library and information science programs opens up not only the information but also the many ways that information can be accessed and utilized. Students who pursue a career in this field are the librarians and researchers of the future who will have a firm grasp on millions of gigs of information that can be accessed with just a few clicks of a mouse.
Related:
25 Best Online Master’s of Library and Information Science
