Introduction

In the Arts department of universities, there is a popular course offering that not many students are aware of. Library Science is a course that is often thought of as a professional course to work as a librarian. It is, however, much more than that. It is quite a wide course with job options in many capacities and higher education in several specializations.

Universities like MGU provide undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Library Science. Many students apply to the courses and go on to have successful careers. What type of students would be perfect for Library Science? Let us read on and find out more.

What Is Library Science?

Library Science is an interdisciplinary field of education related to libraries. Students in these courses learn about management, administration, operations, cataloging, and technology integration of libraries. Libraries are massive systems that require a competent and experienced professional to handle. Many libraries also have different departments such as preservation, archiving, research, and development that a library science student can work at.

Library science course applicants must have a bachelor's degree at the minimum in any specialization. They must also have a minimum of 50% aggregate score to qualify for the merit-based or entrance test-based admissions round.

Careers and Jobs in Library Science

Most careers in Library Science require knowledge of both technical and non-technical skills. Every educational institute, private and public, and even offices requires trained librarians to manage the entire office. Besides librarians, some other library science jobs are as below.

Library Manager :-

Library Managers are, per the name, responsible for the entire library. They are the person in charge who has a team of other librarians working under them. A regular day would involve overlooking the daily operations of the library, ensuring rules and regulations are being followed, managing the budget and also handling the library website. The manager will also formulate the long-term goals and come up with a plan of action to meet them. The average salary for this role is INR 10,28,131/annum.

Archivist :-

Library Science graduates are often hired as Archivists. Their role as an Archivist is to help in the preservation of materials like documents, photographs, films and more. There are dedicated courses related to Archivists that Library Science graduates can also pick up with a degree in library science. Archivists, on average, earn around 5,54,000/annum.

Cataloger :-

A cataloger is a person who works in a library and maintains a catalog of items. This will include cataloging inventory, books or other similar documents. Cataloging is usually done when a library’s electronic resource system is being set up. The cataloguers will enable people to search for documents and books quickly. Cataloguers are hired for salaries of INR 2,50,000 annum.

Library Consultant :-

Another job that a librarian degree offers is that of a consultant. They are either hired on for new library projects during the set-up period or for certain issues that the library is facing. Library Consultants are experts in one of many different areas concerning a library such as Operations, Cataloging etc. The salary for this role is variable and depends on the individual’s skill set and the project.

Electronic Resources Librarian :-

All libraries have an electronic component to them where users can look up available book titles and more. The person who helps design this system is the Electronic Resources Librarian. From cataloging, maintaining, reports etc all aspects are managed by them. While being responsible for the entire lifecycle of an electronic library, they make around INR 2,80,282/annum.

Skills necessary for Library Science

When answering the question of do you need a degree to be a librarian, there is another question that must be answered. What are the skills necessary to work in a library? Like any job, to thrive and achieve sustainability candidates must show certain skills in Library Science. Some of such skills are as follows.

  • One must have knowledge of any cataloging software.
  • Interpersonal skills are a must to politely interact with the library users.
  • Communication skills, both written and spoken are a must for Library Science students.
  • Fluency in any foreign language would be an added advantage.
  • Show creativity and innovation to work effectively.
  • Data management or information management is a significant duty of a librarian.

Courses in Library Science

After learning what exactly is Library Science, the jobs and the skills necessary to work in the field, let us learn the library science degree options available in India.

Certificate and Diploma Course :-

Certificate and diploma courses are both short-term librarian science degrees usually completed over a few months to one year. There are very less requirements for admission to these courses. Admissions are also usually through merit basis on the previous examination. Applicants can be either class 10th or class 12th pass out, depending on the course. These are job forward courses meaning graduates can immediately start working on completing these courses. Most jobs are entry-level positions in Library Science. They are not only cheaper but also offer many specialisations to choose from.

Bachelors in Library Science :-

Among the full-time courses, the first choice is the undergraduate course, Bachelors in Library Science. Shortened for B.Lib.Sc, the course is for one year only. Unlike normal bachelor's courses that accept class 12th completed students, B.Lib.Sc is for candidates who already have an undergraduate degree. With at least a 50% aggregate score, admission takes both on a merit basis and through entrance tests. The goal of B.Lib. Sc is to provide familiarity with working in the library and how to contribute to its preservation and conservation.

Masters in Library Science :-

After completing a bachelor's degree, most library science students choose to seek employment. Others can also opt for higher education and earn a degree in master's in library science. The two-year-long programme teaches advanced topics in Library Science. Students are taught more skills to perform their jobs in libraries better. There is even a choice of specialization offered such as in nutrition, biotechnology, data analysis, operations, etc. Admissions to the Master of Library Science course are mainly through entrance examinations.

 

Library Science is a field of study that is about managing libraries. Students also learn about how to catalog and manage different aspects of the library. There are many jobs a library science degree holder can work in. There is also a wide scope in terms of higher education and venturing into research. Search up what degree you need to be a librarian, enroll into one, and get started in pursuing a career in library science.