Library Science Degree Online Program – A Degree That Can Take You Places

Graduating from a library science degree online is a solid achievement both in terms of its importance to society and one’s career. Many librarians today hold this degree and there is no question that they are in a profession that is very significant.

For one thing, librarians are custodians of information. Library users rely on them for information that nurtures their talents and provide a solid base for them to develop into fruitful citizens.

Think about it. Many of the world’s intellectuals and scientists cultivated interests in their fields from early in their lives. As youngsters, they used to go down to libraries and read books and magazines of interest. Who do you think would have helped them to source those books? None other than librarians.

But the role of librarians have gone beyond merely telling library users where they can find books or telling chatty kids to be quiet.

In today’s information age and increasing demand for non-traditional types of information such as CDs and database sources, librarians need to be well trained in information technology. Furthermore, they need to have their fingers on the pulse of the type of information that their users are demanding. Read the rest of this entry »

History of the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is a renowned library housing its rich collections in three buildings – James Madison Memorial Building, John Adams Building and Thomas Jefferson Building. It is one of the oldest federal institutions as well as the US Congress’s research library. Consisting of millions of manuscripts, maps, books, photographs and recordings, this is the world’s largest library collection and is a priceless source of the American history. The library operations are managed by the administrative section.

Established in the Capitol Building in the year 1800, the library facilitated research work conducted by the Congress. President John Adams approved the building and the initial collections, worth $5000, consisted of law books sourced from England.

The contribution of Jefferson was invaluable during the formative years wherein he efficiently regulated the operations and put in several important processes in place. The early collection was destroyed in the year 1814 when the Capitol Building was invaded and the British soldiers set it on fire.

Thomas Jefferson contributed his personal collection of books that he had gathered over a period of 50 years on different subjects like literature, science and philosophy. This collection included several foreign language books. He was paid more than $20,000 for a collection of more than 6,450 books. Read the rest of this entry »

The Public Library – Are Public Libraries Still Relevant?

The internet has competition. There is another, long neglected source of information available. Like the World Wide Web, it’s mostly free and is an excellent source of entertainment and research, but it’s been around much longer than any website.

It had been far too long since I’d set foot in my local library. I’d simply lost the habit. Life, as they say, had got in the way. It’s one of those things that you don’t do unless you make a special effort. So I made that special effort, and I’m extremely glad that I did.

The slightly stuffy atmosphere that I remembered from my youth was gone, replaced by a helpful, friendly ambience. The dark wood shelves and heavy velvet drapes had been replaced too, by a light welcome airiness. Most delightfully, I felt a return of the sense of wonder that visits to the library had always conjured up in my youth. The endless possibilities held within each book was still there, but now they had been joined by computer terminals and data discs which, just like their paper cousins, were filled with everything that an inquisitive mind might desire. The adventure, the horror, the learning of the ages and so much more were still there to be rediscovered by each generation just as I had done all those years ago. More information than any one person could ever hope to learn was held within this building, a living and growing thing available to anyone prepared to make the smallest of efforts. Read the rest of this entry »