Employment opportunities in LIS

By Dr. B Elango

Assistant Professor, DLIS, RCSS

Library and information science (LIS) is a highly interdisciplinary field that encompasses the concepts ranging from information & communication technology, to management, to education, and apply these concepts to collection, organisation, preservation, and dissemination of information resources and to management of libraries. Libraries have risen in importance as knowledge and information repositories. Librarianship has been elevated to the status of a distinct discipline in the digital era. Librarians help people find and use information effectively in their personal and professional lives. They assist people in locating and efficiently utilising information in their personal and professional life. Periodicals, journals, microfilms, audio-videos, cassettes and slides have replaced books in traditional libraries for a variety of reasons including education, research, reference and pleasure.

There is a lot of scope for a career in the domain of library and information science and one can find employment opportunities in the following sectors.

• Public and Government libraries
• Academic institutions include schools, colleges and universities
• Press and media organisations
• Foreign embassy and consulates
• Multimedia libraries 
• Information and documentation centres
• Multinational Companies
• IT industries
• Museums
• Special libraries

Different career options are:

• Library Assistant
• Semi-Professional Assistant
• Junior Librarian/Professional Assistant
• Assistant Librarian
• Deputy Librarian
• Librarian/Chief Librarian
• Researcher/Scientists/Application Specialist
• Consultant/Reference Librarian
• Indexer/Cataloguer/Technical Assistant/Records Manager
• Director/Head of Information Centre
• Senior Information Analyst
• Junior Information Analyst
• Senior Library Information Assistant
• Information architect
• Archivist

Some of the notable professionals in the field of library and information science those who have completed engineering and other professional degrees and turned to the LIS field are:

• Dr. Nishy P (Chief Scientist & Head @ CSIR – National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science Technology, Thiruvananthapuram) who is a B.Tech graduate in Computer Science & Engineering, and MS in Software Systems (https://www.niist.res.in/english/scientists/nishy-p/academic-qualifications-.html).
• Dr. V.K.J.Jeevan (Deputy Librarian @ IGNOU) Who is an M.tech graduate in Computer Science & Data Processing (http://www.ignou.ac.in/ignou/aboutignou/division/ldd/staff/detail/Dr__VK_Jagjeevan-716).
• Mr. Somesh Rai (Assistant Professor @ Central University of Punjab) who is a B.Tech graduate from National Institute of Technology. (http://cup.edu.in/dr_somesh_rai.php).
• Ms. Sathyareka S (Assistant Professor @ Vellalar College for Women, Erode) who is an ME graduate from Anna University (https://www.vcw.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sathyareka-MLISc.pdf).
•  Mr. Mohit Garg (Assistant Librarian @ Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak) who is a B.Tech graduate in Information Technology (http://www.igntu.ac.in/clib.aspx).