La organización de una biblioteca, esto es, la organización física por materias de un catálogo de libros, ha llevado al estudio del cómo estructurar el conocimiento humano: catalogación y clasificación. El estudio de la arquitectura de la información incluye una especialidad denominada «Bibliometría», que se ocupa por ejemplo de los índices de citas, el factor de impacto, el número de veces que un artículo es citado en otros artículos, etc. El enfoque hacia el mundo empresarial se expresa en la Gestión del conocimiento, que busca calidad o relevancia y difusión selectiva del conocimiento, para hacer frente a la sobrecarga de información. El mundo de las bibliotecas y centros de documentación es muy sensible hacia el conocimiento de sus usuarios y autores, lo que supone estudiar las necesidades de los clientes mediante encuestas y entrevistas (métodos obstructivos) o mediante el análisis de los patrones de búsqueda de los clientes, como puede ser el análisis de los weblogs de los catálogos (métodos no obstructivos).
Para Jesse H. Shera, la evolución que se ha producido desde la documentación y biblioteconomía como ciencia unida a la independización de ambos, sigue los siguientes puntos:[20].
En España se puede estudiar el grado de Información y Documentación en más de una decena de universidades; estos estudios universitarios, anteriormente al proceso de Bolonia, recibían el nombre de Diplomatura en Biblioteconomía y Documentación (primer ciclo) y Licenciatura en Documentación (segundo ciclo). Los profesionales de la Biblioteconomía y Documentación, -bibliotecónomos y documentalistas- participan en asociaciones tanto a nivel nacional y regional como internacional.
Diploma in Library and Documentation
These studies aim to train a professional qualified to occupy jobs, both technical and management, in documentary institutions and in business organizations and public administrations: professionals specialized in the search, selection, classification and storage of all types of information, regardless of the medium in which it is contained.
To achieve this end, all the standards and techniques for cataloguing, indexing and content analysis that are used to collect and organize the information generated in libraries, archives and documentation centers are studied. Likewise, the organization and administration of libraries, newspaper archives, archives, documentation centers are also subjects of study in this career... Just as important as knowing where to find the information is being able to retrieve it so that it is easy to consult. New information and communication technologies (ICT) have had a decisive influence on this profession in recent years. Currently, it is almost impossible to carry out this type of work without knowing in detail how databases or Internet search engines work.
The basic objective of the degree is to train professionals capable of selecting, managing, organizing and preserving documentation and information so that it can be used by third parties regardless of the place where it is stored or its format and support (print, sound recording, audiovisual, photographs, digital resources, etc.).
Work in the library (general, university, popular, school, foundation libraries and any other type of library) continues to be one of the main avenues of employment for these graduates. Currently, the professional perspectives of this group are much broader: medium and large companies and institutions need and demand experts in library science and documentation for the organization of archives (especially those that work with information, such as media) or for the search for the necessary documentation at all times to cover the information needs of the company in question.
There are a number of specialties that librarians can pursue depending on their interests; They specialize in a specific field, such as law or medicine, or they may work with specific groups, such as children. Some focus on digital librarianship, helping users evaluate and navigate digital sources of information or use technology to catalog and index digital information.[21].
The library science professional can work in both the private and public spheres. You can work in libraries, research centers, company archives, printing and publishing houses, among others. In addition, he is in charge of collectible files, whether books or any other format. He is also in charge, at the same time, of contracting services and subscriptions to magazines, whether printed or electronic. You are trained to manage and develop collections; also to advise users to make better use of the material and consultation tools. Likewise, you can participate in the choice of spaces and infrastructure.[22].