“Library Science is just about arranging books and the job is only to become a librarian.” Even today, some people still think that Library Science is an uncool and rigid major. Not a few of them underestimate or even avoid choosing Library Science, strengthened by the assumption that its graduates will only work as librarians whose tasks never stray far from books.

Compared with other majors, this program is often seen as “less popular” or “less prestigious”, and people sometimes ask, “Why go to university just to end up arranging books?” Such stereotypes usually come from those who do not really know what Library Science is and what students actually learn there. But is it true that Library Science students spend their days doing nothing more than “arranging books”?

Beyond shelving: cataloguing, classification, and automation

“We do learn cataloguing and classification, which are used to organize books and other library materials,” explained Nabilah, a sixth-semester student. “In classification, we study the multi-volume DDC book, which contains numerical codes used to group library materials based on their topics or subjects.” “For cataloguing, we don’t only learn manual catalogues, but also digital ones, because this is now a digital era,” she continued.

According to her, students are also taught to use library automation systems such as SLiMS and Inlislite. “We even learn basic coding, computer networking, and databases because those are important when we later manage automated library websites,” she added. During her studies in the Library Science Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, she has also learned information technology because libraries must be able to adapt to technological developments in order to remain effective sources of information for the public.

Responding to the stereotype that “Library Science is just about arranging books”, Nabilah simply laughs. “We learn many things; it’s definitely not just shelving books. So if someone says Library Science is only about arranging books, that person simply doesn’t know yet,” she said.

IT courses, Javanese script, and manuscripts

Alfiyya, a second-semester student, admitted that she was surprised by how large the portion of IT-related courses is in Library Science. “Since becoming a Library Science student, my view of this major has changed,” she said. “At first, I thought the IT portion would be small, but it actually turns out to be quite significant.” “Another thing I never imagined was that in this program we also learn about wiring and Javanese script,” she added.

Indeed, Library Science also studies how to manage ancient manuscripts, which makes learning local scripts important. Graduates are prepared not only to become librarians, but also curators who handle manuscripts and other historical objects in museums or galleries. This shows that career opportunities for Library Science graduates are diverse.

In addition to careers as librarians and curators, Alfiyya notes that Library Science graduates can work in archives, IT, and creative marketing. “I think the career prospects for Library Science are quite broad,” she said. “You can work in IT, archives, or creative and marketing fields.” “Why marketing? Because in this major we are taught how to promote library services so that people feel at home and want to come back,” she explained. “So the career paths offered by this program are quite relevant to today’s job market.”

Training “information architects”

Another second-semester student, Azizah Khansa, shared a similar view about the variety of courses and wide career prospects in Library Science. “Surprisingly, this major is not just about books and libraries,” she said. “We also learn about database management, digital archiving, and even a bit of coding for information systems.”

“For me, it’s really exciting because we are trained to become ‘information architects’,” she continued. “We learn how to manage massive data so that it is neat and easy to retrieve.” “So we don’t just sit quietly guarding the shelves; we are more involved in data management and information literacy.” According to Azizah, the career prospects are also wide-ranging: graduates can become knowledge managers or document controllers in large companies, not only in school libraries.

A challenging yet rewarding major

According to Aura Izzani, also a second-semester student, very few people realize how complex Library Science actually is. “Before entering Library Science, people said the major was fun and relaxed, which made many underestimate it,” she recalled. “After enrolling, I realized it’s not that easy because the courses are complex and numerous.” “But it’s enjoyable because we get to learn many different things,” she said. For Aura, Library Science is a challenging major that pushes her to explore new areas.

Another student, Virna, admitted that she had doubts when she first chose Library Science due to the stereotypes she often heard. “When I think back, choosing Library Science was not an immediately confident decision,” she said. “There was hesitation, fear of choosing the wrong major, and anxiety about people’s assumptions that this program is only about books and quiet reading rooms.” However, after experiencing the lectures herself, she realized that the stereotypes were not entirely accurate.

“In Library Science, I learned that information has great value and must be managed seriously,” she explained. “We are taught how information is structured, filtered, and presented so that it is beneficial and responsible.” “I think this is very relevant in the current era of information overload.”

Although the learning process is not always easy—with detailed assignments and tasks requiring high precision and patience—Virna feels that she has grown through it. “Library Science has gradually shaped my way of thinking to be more organized, critical, and careful in dealing with information,” she said. In her view, this program may look simple from the outside, but it plays a vital role, especially for education and knowledge management.

Managing information and diverse career paths

Library Science covers many aspects of information management, including information management, information retrieval, digital collection management, cataloguing systems, library automation, and scientific repository management. Graduates have diverse career prospects, such as librarian, archivist, curator, knowledge manager, document controller, and creative marketer, among others. For this reason, Library Science is highly needed, especially amid growing demands for information management in today’s digital era.

By:

Nabilah Izzati Zahirah (niz) & Alfiyya Tsurayya Maulidina (atm)