Library and Information Science major

Library and Information Science: courses, careers, and where to study

A field that organizes, preserves, and connects people to information across formats, focused on collections, cataloging, reference, and access rather than building computer systems.

Library and Information Science is the study of how recorded knowledge is organized, preserved, and connected to the people who need it. Students learn to develop and maintain collections in print, audiovisual, and electronic forms, and to describe those materials so they can be found later. Coursework covers cataloging and classification, metadata standards, reference and research services, and the systems that store and retrieve information across local, remote, and networked collections. The field also examines how communities use information and how access can be made fair, dependable, and ethical. This focus sets it apart from information systems and information technology, which build and run the underlying computing infrastructure, and from English, which centers on the close reading and interpretation of texts rather than the work of organizing and providing access to them.

At the bachelor's level, students gain a foundation in collection development, information organization, and user services, and graduates often enter library, archive, and information-support roles that assist with cataloging, circulation, research help, and records work. Programs typically pair classroom study with practical experience such as practicums, supervised projects in a library or archive, and hands-on work with catalog and database tools. It is important to be honest about the credential ladder: the professional librarian title in the United States is usually earned through a master's degree, frequently a program accredited by the American Library Association, and some school-library positions add a state teaching credential. Graduates work in public, academic, school, and special libraries, as well as archives, museums, government agencies, and organizations that manage records and information. Confirm the accreditation and credential rules for the setting you intend to enter.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of librarians and media collections specialists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $64,320 and projects employment to grow about 1.7% from 2024 to 2034; a master's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.