Library and Information Science Fundamentals

Library and information science (LIS) (sometimes given as the plural library and information sciences) is a merging of library science and information science. Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other of the library; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information. 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 the libraries as the 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. Library and information science can also be seen as an integration of the two fields of library science and information science, which were separate at one point. Library philosophy has been contrasted with library science as the study of the aims and justifications of librarianship as opposed to the development and refinement of techniques. Librarians not only manage collections, they evaluate, analyze, organize, package, and present information and train people in its use. The LIS introduces students to research, theories, and approaches, as well as the practices of library and information science. LIS students develop knowledge of information representation and organization, information architecture, content and collections, information needs and uses, and information technology. Librarians can manage vast amounts of information and analyze, evaluate, and organize it according to a company’s specific needs utilizing the latest technology. This skill set is proving to be highly marketable across industries.