Library science
Description
Library science is the skill of organizing libraries so their contents may be fully utilized.
Whether small one-person sites or large fully staffed urban, university, or specialized libraries, they are universally organized according to one of three prevailing systems. The
use of computers for all aspects of library management is commonplace; therefore, the
aspiring librarian must have strong computer skills.
Plan of study
Relatively few colleges offer library science as an undergraduate major. The plan of study
consists of a liberal arts core, including psychology, history, mathematics, and science at
the upper-division level; the major program involves in-depth study of each of the three
organizational systems, as well as library management, public relations, purchasing, finance and budgeting, personnel management, and special library services. Occasionally,
an undergraduate program will provide a dual major opportunity, such as teacher certification, to prepare students for the position of school librarian. Library science is more
often pursued as a graduate study leading to the master of library science (M.L.S.) degree.
Expect to take
Psychology, library organization and management, book and periodical cataloguing,
storytelling, specialized libraries, seminars in current topics, independent supervised research.
Suggested high school subjects
Advanced English and social studies, mathematics, foreign language, computer studies.
General interest areas
Books, social sciences, mathematics, science, languages.
Some career possibilities
Acquisition librarian
Museum curator
Bibliographer
Proofreader
College professor
Public librarian
Encyclopedia researcher
Research analyst
Information scientist
School librarian
Media specialist
Technical writer
Some related majors
Art history/appreciation
English literature
Classics
Liberal arts
Communications
Linguistics
Comparative literature
Secondary education
English
Directory Data is copyrighted material which is reproduced in this publication by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Alloy Education.
Copyright 2009 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.
Related School Rankings