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Library and information science

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Fundamental Concepts

Library and information science (LIS) is the study of issues related to libraries. This includes academic studies (most often surveys) about how library resources are used and how people interact with library systems. These studies tend to be specific to certain libraries at certain times. The organization of knowledge for efficient retrieval of relevant information is also a major research goal of LIS. Basic topics in LIS include the acquisition, cataloging, classification, and preservation of library materials. In a more present-day view, a fervent outgrowth of LIS is information architecture. LIS should not be confused with information theory, the mathematical study of the concept of information.

Programs in LIS are in interdisciplinary, overlapping with the fields of computer science, various social sciences, statistics, and systems' analysis.

Difference between LIS and Librarianship

LIS is distinct from librarianship, which comprises the practical services rendered by librarians in their day-to-day attempts to meet the needs of library patrons. 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, where a publish or perish mentality may have permeated to the library systems) do perform original scholarly LIS research and contribute to the academic end of the field.

Most professional library jobs require an academic LIS degree as certification. In the United States, 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. Some studies may show that academic librarians and practicing librarians have different rankings for the most valuable librarianship journals; if this is the case, it may indicate different priorities between the two groups.

Subdisciplines of LIS

Classification

There are various Library Classification System practiced throughout the world. Among them, the popoular systems are:

1. Library of Congress Classification System http://seattlecentral.org/faculty/lkanne/textbook/chap2.html

2. Dewey Decimal Classification System http://www.mtsu.edu/~vvesper/dewey.html



[Please contribute more, Asif Anwar, http://www.asifanwar.7p.com]

Cataloging

Cataloging is the process of creating a record for each Library item so that it may be found by various access points. Catalogs helps users to access Information through indexes created according to various access points, e.g. subject, author, publisher, etc.

In this era of information technology, cataloging can be available in various media, such as:

• Book Catalogs Catalog maintained in a separate book, that includes the description of all the books in the library. This type of catalogs is useful for small libraries or keeping records of periodicals, journals, and magazines.

• Card Catalogs This is the usual catalogs we see in libraries. The catalogs are prepared and printed in cards (made of paperboards) for each book and organized according to index in separate shelves.

• Sheaf Catalogs This type of catalog is like loose-leaf notebook or sheaves tied together with ribbon. The catalogs are easy to update, but not quite user friendly. The sheaf catalogs have been widely used during the 19th century. Several libraries still maintain their old collection of sheaf catalogs as souvenir. Sheaf Catalogs are oldest form of catalogs and considered as the primitive form of card catalogs.

• Slip Catalogs This type of catalogs is kept as backing sheets with multiple pockets for slips with information about books. Slip catalog also easy to update, more user-friendly than sheaf catalogs, but not as much as card catalogs. Thus, this type of catalog is improved version of sheaf catalogs, but lower version of card catalog. LISU also does not maintain any slip catalogs.

• Magnetic Tape Catalogs This is one of the primitive media for storing catalogs during the start of the information technology. The information of the catalogs are installed in a spreadsheet or database and finally the data are stored in magnetic tape. Massive use of such media has ended with the advancement of other information technology. However, this type of catalog still has demand for keeping backup for the electronic catalogs.

• Electronic Catalogs This is the widely used catalogs throughout the world. This type of catalogs is stored electronically in a computer as in-house database through any database software or spreadsheet.

• Online Catalogs This type of catalog uses more advanced technology than electronic catalogs. While the electronic catalog is available only for in-house searching; the online catalogs are available for public using the internet. The catalogs are stored in a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) database server that can be accessed through Hyper Terminal Transfer Protocol (HTTP/Internet). Therefore, any one throughout the world can view and search the catalogs available in the library. Several software systems (e.g. GLAS - Graphical Library Automation System) make the online catalog available.

The cataloging process is done through various indices and organized in a user-friendly manner, so that the users of a library can search and access specific (exact) or relevant (wide range of related) information. The magnetic tape, electronic, and online catalogs can be searched by any available index. However, the other catalogs are arranged in accordance to some major indices.

The major indices for catalogs are:

• Subject Subject cataloging is closely related to classification system. This index makes the catalogs available to users so that they can search for books or information on a specific subject.

• Author Author cataloging has nothing to do with the classification system. This index makes the catalogs available to users so that they can search for books written of information provided by specific author.

• Publisher Often some books have no specific or individual author. In such case, the publisher is considered as the author. Therefore, publisher cataloging is also required along with the author cataloging. This index makes the catalogs available to the users so that they can search for books published by specific publisher.

Contributed by: Asif Anwar (tradeconsultant at gmail dot com)

Digital Libraries

E-books 

- LIT files
- PDF files
- HTML
- Applications

Online Resource - Database - Directory - Blogs

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Types of Librarianship

Public

School

Academic

Archives

Special

History of LIS

Current Issues in LIS

See Also

Further Reading

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