“Librarians are the unsung heroes of the information age”

  -Michael Gorman, Library Scholar and Writer

Libraries have long been considered sacred places of knowledge enrichment. That which initially had only physical books and catered to visitors with the right material through proper organisation, segmenting, and naming, while maintaining proper records and documentation, evolved into dynamic knowledge centres integrating physical books with a communication system, digital storage, and multimedia technologies.

In the mid-20th century, the Bachelor of Library and Information Science was introduced

in India to –

1. Train human resources into skilled professionals for the efficient management of libraries and emerging information technologies.

2. To go beyond traditional books and adapt to active information management and the digital age.

3. To help library professionals efficiently cater to diverse user environments.

About the course

BLIS is generally a 1-year program, but can be offered as a 3-year undergraduate course by certain universities. Students with a bachelor’s degree from any discipline and a minimum of 50% marks are eligible to apply.

The core subjects include library organisation, management, documentation, cataloguing, information sources and society, information science techniques, document processing, communication skills, communication technology basics, data protocols and network systems.

It is available as a regular course or as a remote/distance learning model.

Fees generally range between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 50,000 per year, with admissions primarily based on merit but sometimes through university-based entrance exams.

Career scope

BLIS professionals can work as librarians in schools, colleges, and other academic setups. They can work as book archivists and cataloguers at museums and other cultural spaces. In government departments as documentation officers, and in news agencies and research organisations.

Entry-level salary is between Rs. 1.2 LPA and Rs. 3 LPA, which can go up to 8 LPA with experience.

For better career prospects, students can also pursue a Master of Library and Information Science. After the master’s degree, professionals can work as chief librarians or directors of libraries who head large library systems. They can work as information analysts or information specialists for data curation, maintaining digital archives, and corporate knowledge management. They can further take up teaching roles in academic institutions for teaching library science.

Conclusion

In this digital era, libraries are still considered priceless, where students and the public seek information and knowledge. For those looking for an entry into this workforce can begin with the BLIS course and later pursue MLIS for better career prospects.

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Disclaimer

The blog is curated by referring to various credible sources and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of QS I-GAUGE. The information provided is for general informational purposes only, readers are advised to conduct their own research and seek professional advice before making any decisions.