| Library And Information Science |
Article Index for Library |
Website Links For Library Science |
Information AboutLibrary And Information Science |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT LIBRARY SCIENCE | |
| library and information science | |
|
There is no generally agreed distinction between ''library science'', ''library and information science'', and ''librarianship''. To a certain extent they can be considered equivalent terms, perhaps adopted to increase the "science" aspect, or improve the popular image of librarians. The term library and information science (LIS) is sometimes used; most librarians consider it as only a terminological variation, intended to emphasize the scientific and technical foundations of the subject, and its relationship with information science. LIS should not be confused with Information Theory , the mathematical study of the concept of information, or Information Science , a field related to Computer Science and Cognitive Science . One operational view, implied by some textbooks, is that librarianship means the professional aspects of work as a Librarian , such as certification, in-service training, and issues of gender equality. HISTORY Library and information science, it may be argued, began with the first effort to organize a collection of information and provide access to that information. Early history See Also: Great libraries of the ancient world At Ugarit in Syria excavations have revealed a palace library, temple library, and two private libraries which date back to around 1200 BCE, containing diplomatic texts as well as poetry and other literary forms. In the 7th century, King Ashurbanipal of Assyria assembled what is considered "the first systematically collected Library " at Nineveh ; previous collections functioned more as passive Archives . The legendary Library Of Alexandria is perhaps the best known example of an early library, flourishing in the 3rd century BC and possibly inspired by Demetrius Phalereus . Ancient information retrieval One of the curators of the imperial library in the Han Dynasty is believed to have been the first to establish a Library Classification system and the first book notation system. At this time the Library Catalog was written on scrolls of fine silk and stored in silk bags. Jefferson's method Thomas Jefferson , whose library at Monticello consisted of thousands of books, devised a classification system inspired by the Baconian Method which grouped books more or less by subject rather than alphabetically, as it was previously done. Jefferson's collection became the nucleus of the first national collection of the United States when it was transferred to Congress after a fire destroyed the Congressional Library during the War Of 1812 . The Jefferson collection was the start of what we now know as the Library of Congress. 20th century The term "library science" first appeared in the early 1930's, in the title of S. R. Ranganathan 's ''The Five Laws of Library Science'', published in 1931, and in the title of Lee Pierce Butler 's 1933 book, ''An introduction to library science'' (University of Chicago Press). Butler's new approach advocated research using Quantitative Methods and ideas in the Social Sciences with the aim of using librarianship to address society's information needs. This research agenda went against the more procedure-based approach of "library economy," which was mostly confined to practical problems in the administration of libraries. While Ranganathan's approach was philosophical it was tied more to the day-to-day business of running a library. In more recent years, with the growth of digital technology, the field has been greatly influenced by information science concepts. Although a basic understanding is critical to both library research and practical work, the area of information science has remained largely distinct both in training and in research interests. TRAINING IN LIBRARIANSHIP Most professional library jobs require a professional post- Baccalaureate degree in library science, or one of its equivalent terms, '''library and information science''' as a basic credential. In the United States and Canada the certification usually comes from a master's degree granted by an ALA -accredited institution, so even non-scholarly librarians have an originally academic background. In the United Kingdom, however, there have been moves to broaden the entry requirements to professional library posts, such that qualifications in, or experience of, a number of other disciplines have become more acceptable. For the main discussion of this topic, see Education For Librarianship SUBDISCIPLINES Subdisciplines of library science include the study of:
TYPES OF LIBRARY SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS
LIBRARIANS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIBRARIES Public The study of librarianship for Public Libraries covers issues such as cataloging, Collection Development for a diverse community, Information Literacy , community standards, public services-focused librarianship, serving a diverse community of adults, children, and teens, Intellectual Freedom , Censorship and legal and budgeting issues. School The study of School librarianship covers library services for children in schools up until (but not including) University . In some regions, the local government may have stricter standards for the education and certification of school librarians (who are often considered a special case of Teacher ), than for other librarians, and the educational program will include those local standards. School librarianship may also include issues of Intellectual Freedom ; Pedagogy ; and how to build a cooperative Curriculum with the teaching staff. Academic The study of academic librarianship covers library services for College s and Universities . Issues of special importance to the field may include Copyright ; technology, Digital Libraries , and digital repositories; Academic Freedom ; Open Access to scholarly works; as well as specialized knowledge of subject areas important to the institution and the relevant Reference Work s. Some academic librarians are considered Faculty , and hold similar academic ranks as professors, while others are not. In either case, the minimal qualification is a Master's degree in Library Studies or Library Science, and, in some cases, a Master's degree in another field. Archives The study of archives covers the training of Archivist s, librarians specially trained to maintain and build Archives of Record s intended for Historical Preservation . Special issues include physical preservation of materials and Mass Deacidification ; specialist catalogs; solo work; access; and appraisal. Many archivists are also trained historians specializing in the period covered by the archive. Special Special librarians include almost any other form of librarianship, including those who serve in medical libraries (and Hospitals or Medical Schools ), Corporations , News Agency libraries, or other Special Collections . The issues at these libraries will be specific to the industries they inhabit, but may include solo work; corporate financing; specialized collection development; and extensive self-promotion to potential patrons. Preservation See Also: Preservation: Library and Archival Science Preservation librarians most often work in academic libraries. Their focus is on the management of preservation activities that seek to maintain access to content within books, manuscripts, archival materials, and other library resources. Examples of activities managed by preservation librarians include binding, conservation, digital and analog reformatting, Digital Preservation , and environmental monitoring. THEORY AND PRACTICE Many practicing librarians do not contribute to LIS Scholarship but focus on daily operations of their own library systems. Other practicing librarians, particularly in academic libraries, do perform original scholarly LIS research and contribute to the academic end of the field. On this basis, it has sometimes been proposed that LIS is distinct from Librarian ship, in a way analogous to the difference between Medicine and Doctoring . In this view, librarianship, the application of library science, would comprise the practical ''services'' rendered by librarians in their day-to-day attempts to meet the needs of library patrons. Other uses of these terms do not make the distinction and treat them as synonyms. Powell's widely used introductory textbook does not make a formal distinction, but its bibliography uses the word librarianship as the heading for articles about the library profession. CURRENT ISSUES IN LIS
NOTES SEE ALSO See Also: List of library and information science topics
EXTERNAL LINKS
History
Library related wikis
|
|
|