The information as resource is very crucial for the development of a country. The libraries are responsible for socio-economic development. Now a day, progress of a country is measured on the basis of "information rich" or "information poor". LIS can also be seen as an integration of the two fields - library science and information science, which were separate at one point. The purpose of this unit is to enable the students to comprehend basic expressions. At the end of this unit, you should be able to understand the definition, history, need, purpose and functions of Library Science. Historically, library science has also included archival science. This includes how information resources are organized to serve the needs of select user group, how people interact with classification systems and technology, how information is acquired, evaluated and applied by people in and outside of libraries as well as cross-culturally, how people are trained and educated for careers in libraries, the ethics that guide library service and organization, the legal status of libraries and information resources, and the applied science of computer technology used in documentation and records management. There is no generally agreed-upon distinction between the terms "library science", "librarianship", and "library and information science", and to a certain extent they are interchangeable, perhaps differing most significantly in connotation. The term "Library and Information Science (LIS)" is most often used; most librarians consider it as only a terminological variation, intended to emphasize the scientific and technical foundations of the subject and its relationship with information science. This book contains various issues related with the theme of the present book, which may be useful for the entire library and information science professionals as well as other academicians.

Saif Mohammed is a scholar of the library and information science. He has a PhD in the subject from the Aberystwyth University, and he has taught at the university level for over 10 years. Throughout his distinguished career, Saif Mohammed has conducted extensive research to illuminate the historical development of libraries, cataloguing systems, and information processing methodologies. His studies delve into the influential works and philosophical underpinnings that have shaped the field of Library Science over time. He has published several books and articles on the subject, and his work has been featured in exhibitions and documentaries.