Career avenues in library science

Library science today calls for candidates skilled in the art of managing information with the help of technology tools.

Indispensible: A librarian's job involves a wide range of reading and processing of information content through cataloguing, classification and indexing, storing documents, and retrieving the required information. Photo: G. RAMAKRISHNA

Libraries are repositories of knowledge and information and are indispensable in the information age. With the merging of information technology with library science, the nature of libraries and the scope of their services have radically changed. The job involves a wide range of reading and processing of the information content through cataloguing, classification and indexing, storing documents, and retrieving the required information and so on.

Those interested in this discipline can pursue their degree course in library and information science (B.LI.Sc. / B.LiS). At a higher level, one can opt for a Master's degree (M.LISc / M.LIS), M.Phil. or Ph.D. in this discipline. Most universities in India offer one year Bachelor's degree in library and information science or two-year integrated Master's degree in the same discipline. The Bachelor's degree course includes the study of library classification, library and science, library management, cataloguing, information sources, information systems and services and the basics of information technology.

After obtaining Bachelor's degree in library and information science, students can opt for one-year regular Master's degree course in the same discipline. Graduates in other disciplines with at least 50 per cent marks can pursue the two-year (four semesters) integrated Master's programme in library and information science. Both these courses provide equal opportunities for employment. Many universities in south India have introduced the two-year integrated Master of Library and Information Science course. Some universities also conduct the one-year Master's programme for B.LISc. degree holders with 50 per cent marks and above.

The Library and Information Science, Department of University of Kerala, conducts a two year regular integrated Master's programme. Any graduate with at least 50 per cent marks can apply for admission.

Applicants will also have to pass a two-hour long entrance test carrying 100 marks aimed at testing their general knowledge and aptitude for librarianship. Candidates should have to obtain at least 40 marks in order to qualify the test. The total number of seats is 20. The seats are equally allocated among the degree holders in science, arts, and commerce subjects. The course content of the integrated Master's course includes information knowledge and communication, library and society, library management, information sources, organisation of knowledge, information technology, information processing and retrieval, information systems, research methodology, bibliometrics, IT applications in libraries and information system management. A dissertation and viva-voce is also part of the course.

The department also offers one-year self-financing M.LISc. evening programme. Those who have passed B.LISc. with at least 50 per cent marks are eligible to apply. For the one year Master's programme, students can choose from the following options – science information systems, agriculture information systems, social science information systems, health information systems, industrial information system, academic library system and public library systems.

A one year M.Phil. course is also offered by the department. The minimum eligibility for admission is a Master's degree in library and information science with at least 55 per cent marks.

The selection is based on the marks scored in the Master's course and an interview. The department also offers research facilities leading to Ph.D. degree. The minimum eligibility is a Master's degree in library and information science with at least 55 per cent marks and a pass in the UGC-NET. Web site: www.dliskerala.org.

The School of Communication and Information Science under the Mahatma Gandhi (MG) University, Kottayam, offers B.LISc. and M.LISc. courses. The one year (two semester) M.LISc. course here is conducted on a self-financing basis.

The Department of Library Science under the SB College, Changanassery, affiliated to the MG University conducts B.LISc. (30 seats) and M.LISc. (30 seats) courses. Admission to M.LISc. course is open to graduates in library and information science with at least 50 per cent marks. (For details visit www.sbcollege.org).

The Department of Library and Information Science of the Calicut University offers an integrated two year MLISc course.

Graduates in any discipline are eligible for admission. M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes are also conducted.

Eligibility for M.LISc. degree course is at least 50 per cent marks in the degree course.

Address: Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calicut, Calicut University Campus, Tenhipalam, Malappuram.

Majilis Arts and Science College, Valancherry, Malappuram, also conducts integrated M.LISc. / B.LISc. programmes.

Outside Kerala

The Department of Library and Information Science of several universities in the country offers higher education facilities including B.LISc., two-year integrated M.LISc., one-year M.LISc., M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes in the discipline. The following are a few among them:

University of Madras, Chepauk, Chennai

Bangalore University, Bangalore - 560056

Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar - 608002

Andhra University, Visakhapatnam - 530003

University of Mumbai, Mumbai - 400098

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221005

Jiwaji University, Gwalior

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh- 202002

The Documentation, Research and Training Centre in Bangalore and the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre, New Delhi, offer associateships in documentation and information science to experienced graduate librarians. The associateship is recognised as equivalent to M.LISc. degree.

Distance learning mode

Many universities offer graduate and postgraduate course in library and information science through distance education mode.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers both these courses. Web site: www.ignou.ac.in.

The Institute of Distance Education of the University of Madras and the Directorate of Distance Educations of the Madurai Kamaraj University also offer graduate and postgraduate courses in library and information science. Web sites: www.unom.ac.in; www.mkudde.org.

Institute of Distance Education of the University of Kerala, Kariyavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, offers B.LISc. degree course through the distance education mode.

Directorate of Distance Education of Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, conducts B.LISc. course in the distance education mode. Web site: www.svudde.org.

Those who desire to get a government job should ensure that these distance learning courses are approved by the joint Committee of the Distance Education Council and UGC.

The list is only indicative. Details of more universities that offer higher education facilities in library and information science under the regular and distance education mode can be collected from the university handbooks published by the Association of Indian Universities which is available for reference in all University employment information and guidance bureaux functioning under universities.

Career prospects

Those who have passed B.LISc. and M.LISc. degrees are eligible to become second and third grade librarians or university library assistants.

Those who have obtained an M.LISc. or Ph.D. and have cleared the Junior Research Fellowship-National Eligibility Test (JRF-NET) can become lecturers in colleges and university departments.

To become a grade I librarian or assistant librarian in a college or university department, the requirement is M.LISc. and UGC- NET.

Job opportunities for postgraduate librarians are many in colleges, university departments, science and technology departments/ institutions, research organisations and so on. Scientific institutes appoint M.LISc. degree holders as scientific assistants/ officers
.

Paperless libraries

                                               

While electronic access has begun to redefine the roles of publishers, librarians and booksellers, it seems unlikely that e-libraries will make good old books redundant, says Akhila Seetharaman

A character from an imaginary future world in American science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" remarks, "It's not books you need, it's some of the things that were once in books..."

Today, it's possible to get all the things you may ever need, sorted and edited, without physically opening a single book. Libraries without books, or e-libraries, make this possible.

Like with all things `e', the concept of the e-library is also hazy in the minds of most people. An e-library or an electronic library can either be on the Internet or simply in electronic format and shared in a limited way.

The first step to an e-library is digitising information. Several reputed university libraries in the country, including university libraries in Chennai have significant portions of their resources in electronic format.

This, coupled with subscription databases and online journals, give users wide access.

"While we subscribe to 130-140 journals in print, we receive as many as 2000-3000 journals online," said M.K. Jagadish, Director of American Information Resource Centre.

Not only does the electronic format widen access many times over, it also enables multiple users to access the same text at the same time and protects the valuable content from being lost due to accidents like fires and attacks.

Electronic access alters the way we look at information and knowledge altogether. In the beginning, libraries were sanctums of knowledge and librarians were the watchdogs.

"There was a time when librarians thought that a good library is a library full of books," said M.S. Ananth, Director of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. "But if all the books are in, it means that nobody is reading," he pointed out, speaking to a gathering of librarians at a convention of the Society for Information Science. Even today, many old-style librarians guard their books both from and for the reading community.

With the sum total knowledge doubling every year, digitisation is the most practical way to save information in terms of both accessibility and storage, said Dr. Ananth.

After digitisation, putting electronic versions of books and journals on networks like the Internet, is the logical next step. This enables knowledge sharing, not just with those in the immediate environment, but also with people with common interests in other areas.

Apart from digitising existing information from books and journals, e-libraries offer potential for new forms of content with increased levels of interactivity.

E-libraries provide opportunities for educational materials to be reached to remote areas and provide access to a range of information materials to all students irrespective of their location.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has initiated a few programmes to network information resources in universities in the country.

The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) aims at developing web and multimedia learning content for undergraduate science and engineering students across the country.

INDEST, a consortium of 38 institutions, offers online access (by subscription) to vast electronic resources on science, engineering and technology.

Several non-governmental organisations are also experimenting with electronic educational resources. Vidyanidhi (vidyanidhi.org.in), is one digital library experiment that has catalogued and archived over 50,000 Indian doctoral theses.

With fonts being rapidly developed in Indian languages, literature in various languages, including Tamil, is being organised and archived in electronic format.

Electronic access has begun to redefine the roles of publishers, librarians and booksellers. Copyright issues lurk round every corner of the e-library. But it seems unlikely that paperless libraries will make good old books redundant. Many librarians feel that a mix of print and electronic resources is best.

"Although people talk of e-books, there's nothing like the comfort of reading a book in print," said Mr. Jagadish. "Books will never go, that is for sure."

Libraries : A place of unending discovery

SOME OF us think of libraries as dusty, musty places filled with old books no one wants to read and people who for some strange reason love to rummage through the shelves or lose themselves behind piles of faded bound volumes. But for many others, libraries are places of unending discovery, where a chance find can lead to hours of fulfilling reading. In reality, libraries are real storehouses of knowledge. Predictions that the printed word would become obsolete, and that books as we know them would cease soon after the beginning of the new century may have worried young people fascinated by books and libraries. But we can see clearly that the publishing industry is far from dead, and libraries are still very much a part of academic and cultural life the world over.

True, the face of the modern library is undergoing change, but at its core it remains the same storehouse of organised knowledge that it has always been. Library science has taken on the avatar of an information science, a discipline that brings together the craft of cataloguing information and the art of imagining connections that can lead to new knowledge. In India, the relatively low rate of literacy and the position of academic life in general have relegated the librarian to the background, but in many developed countries, library science is considered one of the top ten career fields. As India becomes a more information conscious society, people who understand how to organise and access bodies of knowledge will most definitely be valued.

Today's libraries house much more than books — they include computer-based media such as CD-ROMs and online databases, audio-visual media such as tapes, films and video/laser discs, microfilm and microfiche. Today's librarians, therefore, must be able to work with a wide range of media and formats, and understand how people use information for research, education, or entertainment. They need to be techno-savvy but also understand where to go for antiquated and out-of-print volumes that some researchers might need.

A librarian's work involves identifying material, acquiring and cataloguing it, and helping people retrieve what they need. They need to keep up with the latest publications in a wide range of fields, and make decisions about what to include in their own collections, within a given budget — or where to find materials that they do not have. In addition to organising the collection, the librarian may also help users retrieve material, and sometimes put together bibliographies and reference lists for researchers. Some librarians specialise in organising information for online databases, designing access and retrieval systems that make it possible for users to search large bodies of information easily and efficiently. Others focus on documentation, an allied field that is becoming increasingly important in today's knowledge society. Yet others become archivists, helping store valuable information media such as scrolls, paintings and ancient manuscripts. A librarian is therefore not just a back-office person who is lost among the bookshelves, but someone who interacts with users and helps them in their search for knowledge.

In India, most librarians begin their career after a degree in library science. While a few institutions offer short-term diploma courses, the best way to enter the field is to obtain a bachelor's degree in library science, after a basic degree in any discipline. This is generally a one or two-year course, which can be followed by a master's. Increasingly, library science degrees also include information science, as librarians are seen less as administrators of books and more as "information architects". Information architecture is an emerging field that explores ways that content can be grouped (organisation), how to refer to the content groups (labelling), and how to move between the groups (navigation). As we move from storing information in books, to creating electronic libraries, which are multi-directional and use multi-media, information architects have an important responsibility to organise this "mess" of data in ways that users can access quickly and easily.

The "careerscape" of library science is therefore quite varied, and the nature of work can change according to the nature of the institution that one works with. A school librarian, for instance, has quite a different task from a librarian at the State Archives or the Museum of Natural History, who again has a job very different from a person who manages the database of CNN Online or a Film and Television Institute. If you are among those who finds the organisation and storage of information fascinating, and have no trouble living among piles and piles of books, this may be a field to seriously consider.

Libraries: Food for the soul

                             

More and more attention is being paid to expand the field of library sciences, which is why it promises to be a good career choice. The shift from a physical/print model to virtual/digital one has created new opportunities and challenges for delivering information solutions to library user.

``Books are my balloons!

They lift me out of one world into another''!

LIBRARIES are repositories of knowledge, information and entertainment. The traditional concept of a library as a place to access papers, records or books, is being redefined to one that also houses the most advanced media, including CD-ROMs, the Internet, virtual libraries, and remote access to a wide range of resources. Librarians organise information by classifying, cataloguing, recording and storing books and materials in a manner that are easily accessible to the clientele. Librarians also compile, collect and organise lists of books, periodicals, pamphlets, articles, and audio-visual materials on particular subjects.

Librarians are classified according to the type of library they work in - public libraries, school libraries, media centres, academic libraries or archives and the type of work they do - classifier, cataloguer, reference librarian, assistant librarian, archivist, curator and so on. Librarians are also called information professionals in libraries maintained by government agencies, corporations and special libraries.

The work

The different tasks carried out by librarians are -- administrative services, technical services and user services. There are specialised areas where a librarian may choose to focus entirely on a particular topic, e.g technical writing, writing reviews, abstract writing, computation and data evaluation, bibliography and so on. A deputy librarian looks after administration, supervision and programming. A reference librarian researches, retrieves, and disseminates information; documentation librarian manages the library's online database- organisation, training, maintenance and assisting the information service.

The work of an assistant librarian is to acquire books, reference services, computer programming and supervising of assistants. Professional assistant help in ordering books, accessing, classification and cataloguing. Semi-professional assistants (candidates who have done a certificate course in library science after SSLC/intermediate) do charging and discharging of books, shelf arranging, maintenance of books etc. Certain libraries have specific jobs like an archivist in an archives library or a media librarian in a publishing agency etc.Courses

Library and Information Science is not a mere academic discipline. It is a professional course, which involves practical, observational and experimental study. Education and training in the discipline is imparted in India at various levels, ranging from semi- professional, professional to specialised courses and research programmes.

Certificate and diploma courses range from 3 months to one year conducted by colleges, universities, and professional library associations as well as by some women's polytechnics. These courses are open to students who have completed their matriculation or intermediate/higher secondary level studies.

Bachelor of Library and Information Science-

This one-year degree course is open only to graduates. In some cases admission is based on academic merit, in others an entrance examination determines selection.

Master of Library and Information Science

This is a one-year course for BLiSc students. Graduates from any other discipline have to undergo a 2-year course.

Distance education programmes or correspondence courses are useful for working professionals and for those who stay in places where full-time programmes are not available. It is always better to opt for a full-time course in this type of discipline, where there is as much to learn by observing and doing as there is from theoretical study.

Training

* Students with a professional degree can get hands-on- experience through apprenticeship in British Council Libraries and also in some special libraries that offer certifications by Board of Apprenticeship and Training.

* Master's degree holders in any discipline or anyone who has completed BLISc and has two year library/documentation information handling experience can avail of the opportunity and apply for:

*2-year Associateship in Information Science (equivalent to MLISc.) at Indian National Scientific and Documentation Centre (INSDOC), New Delhi

*2-year Associateship in Documentation and Information Science(ADIS) at Indian Statistical Institute, Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC), Bangalore.

Qualifications

Recruitment to jobs in university libraries is conducted through the University Grants Commission (UGC) and terms of work and remuneration are also offered as per UGC rules. However, there are many private libraries that offer challenging work and good prospects. A master's degree or at least a bachelor's degree in library science is necessary for a librarian's position in most public, academic, and special libraries. In addition, most special librarians supplement their education with knowledge of the subject specialisation, sometimes earning a master's, doctoral, or professional degree in the subject, like in law, engineering and MBA.

A Ph.D or an M.Phil degree in library and information science is advantageous for a teaching position, research work or for higher position in a university library or a large library system. In fact, with the information boom, qualified librarians can diversify to several new growth areas like database management, reference tool development, training of database users, systems analysis especially relating to computer work, as also documentation work, desktop printing and publishing, bibliography work and organisation and management of information units.

Consultancy

Entrepreneurial librarians sometimes start their own consulting practices, acting as freelance librarians or information brokers and providing services to academic libraries, businesses, or government agencies. Many companies turn to consultancies because of their experience, and knowledge of computer databases and library automation systems and organisational skills as per the company's specific needs.

Soft skills

In addition to the professional skills mentioned, a librarian must be equipped with a wide range of personal and transferable skills for successful interaction with users. A vital part of their role is to enhance their professional performance by improving their communication and interpersonal skills.

Libraries, being the primary source of information in our society, have had to keep pace with the rapid growth of information available through technology.

The Information specialist, for that is what a librarian is today, thus has to deal with a range of sources far beyond boos and other printed material and play a key role in the process of communication information.

The art of managing information - K. Lakshmi

    

Career opportunities for librarians have increased manifold in this digital era.

OPPORTUNITIES GALORE: Librarians need to keep themselves abreast of the latest technology to facilitate quick retrieval of information.

Libraries have come a long way from being mere storehouses of books and periodicals. And the work profile of librarians has also undergone a tremendous change.
According to librarians in the government sector, only a few chose library for a career a few decades ago and most of them were based in the public sector. Now, the number of libraries and the scope of the career have increased manifold.
Officials of the Public Libraries department said a degree or postgraduate degree in library science is a must to take up job as a government librarian. Knowledge in computer science has also become a necessity to keep up with the emerging trend of digitisation. Many universities offer library science courses in distance education mode and regular stream. A. Amudavalli, professor and head, Department of Library and Information Science, University of Madras, said it is a misconception that such courses are now being offered only through distance education. The regular college students have better opportunities than the students of distance education mode.
Various courses
The Department established in 1937 offered certificate and diploma courses. Over time, undergraduate and postgraduate courses were merged together as a two-year Integrated Course in Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS). Later, the course was renamed M.Sc. in Library and Information Science as a full-time (regular) programme, she said.
As the data is not limited to books anymore, the scope for careers in different fields has widened. Besides opportunities in traditional libraries, including those at schools and colleges, candidates could get placement in government department libraries and private sector libraries such as in IT firms and hospitals.
“We constantly update the curriculum with new topics based on the current trends. The students are exposed to latest concepts such as digital libraries, computer applications and soft skills. This provides required competence for employability in various fields,” she said. As the new courses train students in management information system, they could also apply for jobs in banks for record and data management. Another important aspect of the curriculum is the one-month internship training at various major libraries.
Career scope
Most institutions, including non-governmental organisations, research and development labs, defence organisations and media houses, now have library equipped with latest technology and need qualified candidates.
The department is also introducing P.G. Diploma in Digital Library Management in the coming academic year.
Students would learn about digital data preservation, management and retrieval through this evening college programme.

New vistas in Library Science

                         

 LIBRARY AND Information Science deals with the challenge of how to organise, control and access information. With the onslaught of information technology, libraries are making a rapid transition from card catalogues to digitalised services including making available information on CD-ROMs.

In the ever-changing environment, it is the job of the library and information science professional to ensure that the information gets to the right user in the right place at the right time. It is a course for people who have a flair for reading and keep a tab on the developments on the information front. A degree programme in Library and Information Science is intensive in nature, and thereby demands students who are highly motivated and dedicated to learning. Librarians and information officers are expected to be organised, with an inquisitive mind, have an appetite for unearthing information, and acquire and prepare materials for use. Outstanding communication skills, quick grasping ability, skill for organising facts, speaking and writing skills, diplomacy, and knowledge to evaluate technical material is required.

It is their responsibility to oversee the management of the library, supervise assistant librarians to prepare cards and computer records, and read book reviews, publishers' notifications and catalogues to be informed of current literature and other available resources. It is their endeavour to select and purchase materials from publishers, wholesalers and distributors, and arrange books and other library materials in an easily accessible mode.

Job avenues

Avenues for professionally qualified librarians are increasing. With computerisation and electronic storage systems, a course in library and information science has acquired a new look. Openings exist in information centres, which include public enterprise, industrial and commercial firms, public and institutional libraries, digital libraries, online libraries/archival services. There are opportunities in libraries run by schools, universities, colleges, professional bodies, libraries attached to embassies societies and research associations.

Undergraduate courses

Degree, diploma, vocational and specialised courses are available in library and information sciences. Undergraduate degree courses in library science and related disciplines include:

Bachelor's Degree in Library Science (B.Lib).

Bachelor's Degree in Library and Information Services.

Bachelor's Degree in Library and Manuscriptology.

Bachelor's Degree in Library and Documentation.

The duration of the courses is one year. Only graduates (from any discipline) are admitted. Subjects covered include cataloguing, bibliography, documentation, research methodology, information storage and retrieval, manuscriptology, preservation and conservation, information systems and computer applications.

Postgraduate programmes

Postgraduate degree courses in library and related sciences include:

Master's Degree in Library Science (M.Lib).

Master's Degree in Library Science and Documentation.

M.Phil and Ph.D in Library Science.

Master's Degree in Library and Information Sciences.

Only graduates with B.Lib are admitted to the Master's degree programmes. The courses are one year long. The eligibility for M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes is M.Lib.

Areas of specialisation available at the PG level are library planning; management of Information Service (MIS); translation; archives management; technical writing; reprography; special library services; electronic solution to documentation etc.

Vocational courses

Vocational courses in library science are also offered to non-graduates for which the eligibility is Standard X.

Specialised courses

Specialised courses, meant for librarians and other in-service personnel, are also available. These include:

Diploma in Medical Librarianship (by correspondence).

Fresher and Advanced Courses in Library and Information Sciences.

Postgraduate Diploma in Library Science.

Computer Applications in Library Science.

Some of the universities offering courses in Library and Information Science are:

1. Bangalore University, Jnana Bharathi, Bangalore-560 056.

2. Karnatak University, Pavate Nagar, Dharwad.

3. University of Mysore, Crawford Hall, P.B.No. 17, Mysore-570 005. 4. Gulbarga University, Jnana Ganga, Gulbarga-585 106.

4. Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Mangalore.

5. Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal.

6. Kuvempu University, Shankarghatta, Shimoga-577 451.

The National Centre for Science Information, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, offers a course in "digital library and information services in enterprises" as part of the Information and Knowledge Management training programme. The Indira Gandhi National Open University offers distance education programme in Bachelor Of Library & Information Science (BLISc). The duration is one year and the eligibility is graduates with two years experience in a recognised library.

The new Information professionals are here

Librarianship is a scholarly profession with promise 

HI-TECH LIBRARY: An automatic book issue machine
In the present global economy, the future of a country is tied up with knowledge-leveraged growth. The prime movers to achieve such growth are (i) education, (ii) research, and (iii) communication. A formidable infrastructure in education, reinforced with well-knit communication and dissemination work-out, is sine qua non for knowledge-based growth. Life and living all around today is virtually under the grip of information and communication. The unlimited information flow has to be managed and systematically transformed into a useful input. As such, automation of library is the need of the hour worldwide for online access to books, journals and allied material.
The work culture in libraries is changing fast. Cyber libraries are happening; packed with digital documents, CDs and books. Newspapers, journals, textbooks and reference books, all will be on CD-ROMs and digital multimedia. Publishers like Penguin have started issuing classics on CD. Great books of India and are made available on internet. Libraries will soon possess even robots (with artificial intelligence) and other such machines which will perform various services for the readers. Paper-library and paperless-library will co-exist. Low-cost, light-weight electronic book-readers, with built-in modem, will be used more conveniently, instead of PC.
Several libraries are being connected for resource sharing. Information like research findings; data; databases; online yellow pages; electronic mail services; investment guides; travel guidelines with related maps; educational and career guidance and the like can easily be retrieved. As publishing is now moving on to digital-media formats, library likewise needs to advance its devices and networking to make use of the digital materials. The collection is stored and maintained in computer-accessible form and accessed digitally through computer networking, regardless of the location of libraries. The process makes well-ordered, instant information-retrieval possible, globally. People are getting net-savvy and so is the demand for online digital information service increasing manifold swiftly.
For Indian libraries, digital movement is lagging far behind, primarily due to financial limitation and compulsion. The old systems of acquisition, storage, organisation and dissemination are giving way and becoming obsolete. The present library is is more ‘service-adept' and less ‘resource-oriented.' Likewise, the staff has to be technically accomplished. Today, a Librarian (no, Information Professional) functions as “navigator” and filler of information to intellectual reserves, with the help of search engines, e-resources, digitalisation and tools like Gopher, FTP, Telnet, Unix, MS-Office, Windows, Linux etc.
Jobs Jobs in library consists of also budgeting, accounting, acquisition of collection, organisation and management of the institution, besides rendering service to readers. In the areas of self-education, distant learning and online schooling, the library is indispensable. The training courses in the profession have been designed to meet emerging requirements and challenges. Currently, following levels of education and courses in LISc are held by the universities:
Bachelor of Library and B.LI.Sc Information Science (admission requirement: degree in any discipline)
Master of Library and M.LI.Sc Information Science (truncated course-one year M.LI.Sc.) (admission requirement: B.L.I.Sc.)
Master of Library and M.L.I.Sc. Information Science (Integrated Course) (admission requirement: degree in any discipline).
Master of Library and M.L.I.Sc Information Science (Bachelor degree in any discipline with Library and Information Science as one of the optional subjects).
Certificate course in Library Science of three to six month duration is conducted at some places by Library Associations, for higher secondary students to work as librarian in a small library. Knowledge of foreign languages is an advantage in this profession.
A knowledgeable librarian works as a guide, making the reader aware of the relevant literature, like any other teacher. In academic libraries, library professional's grades and status have therefore, been prescribed by the UGC at par with those of teachers of the universities and colleges. University Librarian, D.y Librarian and Assistant Librarian are placed in the pay-scales of University Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor respectively, provided they possess qualification at par with those of the teachers, as prescribed by the UGC. In the institutions of science and technology and scientific research also, library professionals are treated at par with those of the corresponding scientists. Job satisfaction of librarians of these institutions of learning and research are quite satisfactory. In public libraries, however, librarians' grades are not uniform and satisfactory. Grades differ from State to state and much needs to be done to ameliorate the conditions of the staff of these libraries.
With increased emphasis on spread of literacy and education, and a good number of new Universities, IITs, engineering colleges, business and management schools and industrial establishments coming up, the job-market for library professionals looks good in the public and private sectors.
Regarded as a noble, soft profession, it is much suited to women, assisting the information-seekers, especially children. Women make good children librariana. Here, she is not only distributor of books but also an affectionate friend to children, a mentor and guide.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN LIBRARY & INFORMATION SCIENCE - Om Shashi Shekhar Singh

Library and Information Science (LIS) is an interdisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information. The libraries being the repositories of knowledge and information, their importance has increased. In this situation, the librarianship has attained the status of a separate discipline. Librarians are the custodians of libraries and they organize, maintain, and store books in the libraries. They help people to find information and use it effectively in their personal and professional lives. The traditional libraries which contained only books now have periodicals, journals, micro-films, audio-videos, cassettes and slides for various purposes such as education, research, reference and pleasure.       Historically, library science has also included archival science. This includes how information resources are organized to serve the needs of select user groups, how people interact with classification systems and technology, how information is acquired, evaluated and applied by people in and outside of libraries as well as cross-culturally, how people are trained and educated for careers in libraries, the ethics that guide library service and organization, the legal status of libraries and information resources, and the applied science of computer technology used in documentation and records management.       The career in library includes areas like library and information systems management, classification/cataloguing systems, bibliography, documentation, preservation and conservation of manuscript, collection management, information systems and technology, research methodology, computer applications, reference, statistics and management, information processing, archives management, indexing, library planning, etc. Library science is constantly evolving, incorporating new topics like database management, information architecture and knowledge management, among others. It is an interesting subject and provides a great opportunity to have the knowledge of wide variety of information sources. A Day in a LIS Professional’s Life         On a typical day a librarian might perform some of the following duties:- ranalyse users’ needs and provide the information they need; show users how to efficiently search for information on the Internet and in other online resources; select and purchase materials and prepare those materials by classifying them according to subject matter; supervise assistants who prepare cards, computer records, or other access tools that direct users to resources; collect and organize books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and other materials in a specific field, such as rare books, genealogy, or music; coordinate programs such as storytelling for children, and literacy skills and book talks for adults; conduct classes as per need for junior professionals; publicize services; Eligibility        The first school for library science was founded by Melvil Dewey at Columbia University in 1887. The minimum qualification required to take up a course in Library Science is XII standard. Graduates from any stream can go for Bachelors degree in library science the duration of which is one year/ two semesters. After that, students can go for Masters Degree in library science, which is of one-year duration/two semesters course. Advanced studies in Library & Information Science include M. Phil and Ph.D. Besides, there are also diploma and certificate courses. Basically, a good librarian should have keen interest in books as well as a variety of topics, excellent communication skills, customer service attitude, methodical approach, high organizing ability/skills, and ability of understanding user needs. Employment outlook and opportunities         According to one report, library and information science has been ranked as one of the “Best Careers of 2008.” As India is moving towards a knowledge society with proliferation of learning and research institutes the demand and importance of library science is growing rapidly. Consequently, job opportunities for librarians are on the upswing. Nevertheless, with the advent of information technology and computers the traditional concept of is being redesigned to include not only books and other printed materials but also new tools of information like CD-ROM, internet, virtual libraries etc. There is a lot of scope for a career in library science and the person in this field can find employment opportunities in the following areas. 1.   Public/Government libraries 2.   Universities/collages/schools and other academic institutions 3.   News agencies and organisations 4.   Private organisations and special libraries 5.   Foreign embassies 6.   Photo/film/radio/television libraries 7.   Information centres/documentation centers 8.   Companies and organisations with large information handling requirements 9.   Museums and galleries, which have reading rooms and research facilities  10. Law library/Special library, etc. Types of library-science professionals:  Some of the career options are as given below: Library Attendant Library Assistant Semi-Professional Assistant Junior Librarian/Professional Assistant Assistant Librarian Deputy Librarian Librarian/Chief Librarian Researcher/Scientists/Application Specialist Consultant/Reference Librarian Cataloguer/Technical Assistant/Records Manager Director/Head Of Information Centre Senior Information Analyst Junior Information Analyst Senior Library Information Assistant Law Librarian Indexer Information architect Archivist       LIS professionals can also aspire to get a job in private publishing houses and other private companies handling with voluminous information. Remuneration In the age of information revolution librarianship is a well paid job. However salaries of library professionals vary depending upon their individual qualifications, experience, size and nature of the hiring institutes. Persons with a superior record and high qualifications can achieve high positions. The salaries in college and university libraries are comparable to those of teachers. Indeed, the salaries of special librarians are high. Librarians employed in government museum, archives, galleries have higher earnings than those in colleges and universities. Librarians working in research institutes and private documentation centres also have handsome earnings. Some of the Major Institutions offering Courses in Library Science        National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resource (NISCAIR) New Delhi and Documentation Research & Training Centre (DRTC) Bengaluru are two prime institute offering Library and Information Science courses. Besides this, mostly all Indian universities offer degree courses in Library & Information Science, some are: Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (Website: www.bhu.ac.in) Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh University of Delhi, Delhi Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi Pt. Ravi Shankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh Sampurnand Sanskrit Vishvidyalaya, Varanasi Kurukhetra University, Haryana Panjab University Gujarat University; Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu Makhanlal Chaturvedi National Institute of Journalism, Bhopal Andhra University and Amravati University, Maharashtra Arya Vidyapeeth Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Bharatpur (Rajasthan) University of Rajasthan, Bhusawar , Bharatpur-321406, Rajashthan Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa (Madhya Pradesh)- 486003  Bangalore University, Bangalore (Karnataka) Behani Siksha Mahavidyalaya, Pushkar Bye Pass, Ajmer (Rajasthan) – 305001 Bhavnagar University, Gauyrishanker Lake Road, Bhavnagar (Gujarat)- 364002 Birla Institute of Technology, Mersa, Ranchi ( Jharkhand )- 835215 Bishop Heber College, Post Box No. 615 , Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu)- 620017 Bundelkhand University, Kanpur Road , Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh)- 284128 Osmania University Campus , Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)– 500007 Lucknow University, Lucknow Dr. Hari Singh Gour Sagar University, Sagar (M.P.) Jivaji University, Gwalior (M.P.) Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra (U.P.) Bilaspur University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh Distance Education Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110068 Website : www.ignou.ac.in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Road No.46, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - 500033, E-mail : braouap@hdl.dot.net.in Kota Open University, Rawatbhata Road, Akhelgarh, Kota-324010, Rajasthan, Tel.: 91-744-421254 Nalanda Open University Camp. Office, 9 , Adarsh Colony, Kidwaipuri, Patna - 800001, Bihar, Tel.: 91-612-234330 Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Dnyanagangotri, Near Gangapur Dam, Nashik-422005, Maharashtra, Website : www.ycmou.com  Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University, Red Cross Bhawan, Shivaji Nagar, Bhopal-462016, Madhya Pradesh, Tel.: 91-755-550606 Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Govt. Bungalow No.9, Dafnala, Shahi Baug, Ahmedabad-380003, Gujarat, Tel.: 91-79-2869690 Karnataka State Open University, Manasagangotri, Mysore - 570006, Karnataka Tel.: 91-821-515149 Netaji Subhas Open University, 1, Woodburn Park, Kolkata -700020, West Bengal E-mail : nsou@cal2.vsnl.net.in U.P.Rajarshi Tandon Open University, 17, Maharshi Dayanand  Marg (Thornhill Road), Allahabad -21100, Uttar Pradesh, E-mail : sanyal@nde.vsnl.net.in (The above list is indicative only) (the writer is, Chief Librarian, Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mewat - 122108, Haryana, E-mail:shekharlib@yahoo.co.in) Source/Courtesy- Employement News