M.Lib. - M.Lib.Sc. Master of Library Science

Library Science is an interdisciplinary field which comprises the study of the principles and practices of Library Administration. Library Science is also referred as Library and Information science. Master of Library Science is Post Graduate Academic Degree awarded for a course or program in the field of Library Science. Indian Library Association is a premier association committed to the cause of Library Movement and Development. It is also responsible for accreditation of institutions imparting Library and Information Science education and training and promotion of Library Science Education and the improvement in the training of Libraries in India. Library Science Degree Course material at Masters level include library networking, on-line and digital library services, library science research etc.

Duration - The duration of M.Lib. is mostly 1 year but University of Calcutta offers it as 2 year course of study. The duration of the M.Lib. Distance Learning Course may vary from 1 to 3 years depending upon the Institute.

Eligibility

• Candidates who a have a Bachelor degree in Library & Information Science / Library Science / Information Science or a equivalent degree from a recognized University or Institution are eligible for pursuing Masters Degree in Library Science.

• Some Institutes also conduct Entrance Test for admission in this Program.

• Some Distance Education Library Science Institutes allow Graduates in Arts, Commerce, Science, Business Administration or Computer Applications to pursue Library and Information Science Masters Degree through Distance Learning programs.

There are various Library Science Schools which provide Library Science Degree Programs at the Masters level. Distance Learning Library Science programs at Masters level are also offered by various Indian Institutes.

List of some of the Institutes providing M.Lib.Sc. courses through Distance Learning programs:

• Bundelkhand University.

• Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University.

• Indira Gandhi National Open University.

• Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.

M.Lib.Science Colleges in India

Similar Courses

1.  CLISc - Several Universities have included the subject as one of the combinations for BA degree course. The certificate Course of 6 months duration leading to the award of CLISc is open to candidates who have passed the 10+2 examination Besides universities, professional associations of librarians also offer the CLISc course.

2.  DLISc - This course of one year duration is available mostly through distance learning mode. Entry requirement is also a pass in class 10 +2. Some polytechnics also offer diploma courses.

3.  AIS - Associateship in Information Science is a Two Year Integrated Information Science course. Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC) under the council of scientific and Industrial Research (14 Satsang Vihar Marg, New Delhi -110087) conducts the programme leading to the award of Associateship in Information Science (AIS) which is recognised as equivalent to MLISc. The eligibility requirement is second class master's degree in any discipline, or a graduate degree in engineering or medicine or a BLISc degree with 3 years of working experience in Libraries or Information Centres.

4.  ADIS - Associateship in Documentations and Information Science is also a 2 year course. The documentations Research and Training Centre (DRTC) in the Indian Statistical Institute (8th  Mile, Mysore Road, Bangalore - 560059) offers Associateship in Documentations and Information Science (ADIS). This award is also recognised as equivalent to M.LISc degree. This and the above mentioned course has a good reputation in the employment market.

M.Lib., M.Lib.Sc., M.L.I.Sc. or M.Lib. & Inf. Sc.?

In India, Library Science Degree programs are known with various terms like MLIS, M.Lib., M.Lib.Sc., M.L.I.Sc. or M.Lib. & Inf. Sc. All these terms stand for Master of Library Science or Master of Library and Information Science. There is no difference in them. M.Lib. is the most popular amongst these as it is convenient to pronounce.

Master of Library Science Subjects or Topics

• Application of Information Technology.
• Integrated Library Management.
• Information and Communication Process.
• Information Processing & Retrieval.
• Future of Collection Dev. in Libraries.
• Systems Analysis in Libraries.
• Research and Quantitative Methods.

Note : Subjects / Topics may vary from Institute to Institute. Most of the subjects or topics are same, with few variations in content or title.

Who can and Who should pursue Master of Library Science Degree

This field is meant for those who want to conduct research as an Information Scientist and contribute to the development of the field of Information Science. Those who want to increase their specialisation in all branches of knowledge which is becoming more and more interdisciplinary in nature, can and should lay their hands on this degree.

Advantages or Benefits of Master of Library Science Degree

• M.Lib. prepares one to take up the information challenges of the coming years.

• One can pursue a higher degree like M.Phil. or a Ph.D. course after completing M.Lib.

• With a postgraduate degree in Library Science, one can get excellent jobs in Libraries or take up a research-oriented career in the Information Industry.

Master of Library Science Jobs Scope

Reading material, today is not restricted to print on media. There are non paper media like micro-forms, audio-visual media; and electronic media’s-ROM, also known as Digital Media. This Digital media is available in Digital Libraries which store digital documents. Modern Times are also witnessing technological innovations which have led to the explosion of information. Today we have access to information that was not available earlier. This information needs to sorted out and be provided to the disposal of clients who don't have much time at expense. For this task, specialists are needed who can collect together fragmented pieces of information, collate, synthesize and absorb them and finally provide the information which is essential for the task in the hands of users.

Employment Areas

• Companies and Organisations with large Information handling requirements.
• Foreign Embassies.
• Information Centres / Documentation Centres.
• Museums and Galleries with Reading Rooms and Research Facilities.
• News Agencies and Organisations.
• Public / Government Libraries.
• Universities and other Academic Institutions.
• Photo/ Film Libraries.
• Private Organisations and Special Libraries.

Job Types

• Director / Head of Information Centre.
• Junior Information Analyst.
• Information Architecture.
• Information Broker.
• Librarian.
• Metadata Architecture
• Professor.
• Researchers
• Senior Information Analyst.
• Technical Assistant.