Status of Job Opportunities and Employment of Library and Information Science Professionals in India: An Analysis of Job Advertisements

Abstract

The career in library includes areas like library and information systems management, classification/cataloguing systems, bibliography, documentation, preservation and conservation of manuscript, collection management, information systems and technology, research methodology, computer applications, reference, statistics and management, information processing, archives management, indexing, library planning, etc. Now-a-days, a number of career prospects are available in Library and Information Science. The qualified and trained professionals are employed in various libraries and information centres. The present study aims to identify and assess the job opportunities for the professionally qualified LIS professionals in the area of Library and Information Science.

The data required to carry out the study have been collected from the printed weekly issues of ‘Employment News’ and the ‘LIS Link: a ‘LIS Job Portal’. The data collected have been represented through tables and figures. The data collected have been analysed to reflect the different aspects of LIS Profession, such as month wise, state wise, category wise (whether reserved or unreserved; teaching or non-teaching position), nature wise (whether permanent or temporary), source wise, level wise distribution of advertisements. Moreover, a preliminary data was collected after scanning the available literature and data pertaining to the number of library science graduates produced every year and their employability.

The study puts forwarded some suggestions to ensure employability of LIS Professionals in India showing state wise job opportunities and employment. The study was delimited the job advertisements published during January 2011 to December 2011 only. However, the same research work can be carried out on a large scale to have a generalised conclusion highlighting the scenario of job opportunity and output of LIS professionals in the Indian context.

From the data available for intake capacity for BLIS, MLIS, and Research Programme, the number of advertised posts are very less in number in comparison to production of fresh graduates which creates problems in searching jobs for the LIS Professionals. Therefore the Govt. of India/State Govt. should come forward to create requisite number of posts in different Schools, Colleges, Universities, Institutions and Public Libraries so that those maximums qualified passed out Graduates, Post Graduates and research degree holders may be appointed to the respective positions as per their eligibility.

Keywords: Job Advertisements, Job Opportunities-India, Librarianship, Print and Electronic Media, Library and Information Science Professionals-India