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Careers as an Information Professional

Imagine how you fit into the digital age. Your interests may be reflected in the professional worlds of the Information Professional and Dynamic Librarian we describe below.

It might surprise you to know that these professional worlds share some common ground. Both are engaged in improving user interaction and satisfaction with information technologies, organizations, products, and services. Although there is considerable overlap in the basic academic knowledge these careers share, each requires specialized skills and perspectives.

A broad spectrum of opportunities is available within each of these professional areas. You can identify a path and make it your own in the rapidly evolving and rewarding field of Information Studies. At The Florida State University College of Information, we are committed to providing you with a solid foundation on which to build your area of expertise as an information professional in the digital age.

Technology: Learn it and Use it

Information Professional

Information professionals come in a wide variety. Those trained in the field of Information Studies are interested first and foremost in a user-centered approach rather than a systems-centered approach to the application of information technology. A user-centered focus influences and guides the way I.T. Professionals approach the design, development, implementation, maintenance and management of all types of information systems.

You can choose from several specialized approaches to technology. You might want to specialize in building hardware and software systems, maintaining networks for information and communication, or developing databases and applications. Consider web development and administration, interface design, usability analysis, or the emerging design discipline of information Architecture. Blaze new trails in research and practice by exploring the relationship of information and technology through social informatics or user behavior. Apply your knowledge of information policy to the management of information organizations.

The various specialties have emerged in response to increased complexity brought about by the digital age and by the need to build teams of specialists to approach complex tasks collaboratively. No one person can know or do it all. The College of Information prepares you to be a productive team member and leader. The scope of our program allows you to position yourself in the marketplace and leverage your personal interests and skills to build and advance your career.

Information professionals are in demand. They can be found wherever you find information technology at work: small entrepreneurial businesses; large corporations and consulting groups; non-profit organizations across a wide spectrum; and local, state, national, and international government agencies.

Degree Programs for Information Professionals at the College of Information attract students at all levels. Someone starting out in the field should consider our Bachelor's Program to lay a firm liberal arts foundation for a specialty in information technology and a solid path into the marketplace. If you already have a bachelor's degree and are seeking career development or a new digital age direction, consider our Master's Program. Explore an aspect of information technology with our post-master's Specialist Program, or consider the wide-range of research opportunities open to students in our Ph.D. program.

Find Your Path into the Future

Dynamic Librarian

Dynamic librarians are found at the leading edge of innovative professional practice. Dynamic librarians are flexible, adaptable, 21st Century information professionals capable of embracing and managing the rapid changes taking place in the information provision environment.

Dynamic librarians realize the central role that librarians play in all walks of life, both within and beyond the walls of traditional libraries. They take seriously their responsibility to preserve society's respect for print culture, but at the same time they promote the need for libraries and users to embrace appropriate digital age technologies. Dynamic librarians enjoy working with people, computers and technology to develop, organize, store, retrieve, administer and facilitate the use of recordable information and knowledge.

Dynamic librarians can be generalists or specialists and they can choose from a wide variety of skills and perspectives to help users meet their information needs. More and more possibilities are unfolding along with the digital age, but dynamic librarians might want to consider developing expertise in one of these possible areas of specialization: virtual reference services, digital library management, online searching, academic and corporate research and competitive intelligence, information analysis and brokerage, product evaluation, system services, management, policy analysis and development, bibliographic instruction, or information design and information Architecture.

Dynamic librarians are in demand because they are dedicated to providing solutions for information seekers and the diverse organizations that serve them. You can find them at work in: public, academic, and governmental libraries; entrepreneurial businesses; large corporations; consulting and research groups; non-profit organizations across a wide spectrum, such as museums, archives and medical institutions; and international non-governmental organizations. Dynamic librarians can be found in all types of schools at all levels of education. They support legal organizations and provide essential services for the full range of local, state, national, and international government agencies.

Youth Services: The College of Information is proud to be ranked 2nd in the nation in both school media and youth services by US News & World Report. The dynamic librarians who work with an increasingly diverse group of young people recognize the radical change in resources and services created by the digital age. School media specialists in the 21st century are leaders in leveraging the power of information literacy through collaborative relationships. These relationships permeate the school and reach beyond into the community. Trail-blazing youth service librarians in public libraries foster youth development through creative programs and community partnerships.

Degree Programs for Dynamic Librarians attract graduate students to a wide variety of opportunities at the College of Information. Consider our Master's Program to develop your career as a digital age generalist or to lay a foundation for specializing in one area of the profession. Two additional options, the Juris Doctor/MS -- our joint degree with the law school, and the Museum Certificate -- in cooperation with Museum Studies, are tailored to support two specializations. To deeply examine some aspect of the Information Studies field, consider our post-master's Specialist Program. If you are interested in developing the highest level of expertise, consider the wide-range of research opportunities open to students in our Ph.D. program.