The primary goal of most degree-granting programs in library and information sciences is preparing students for careers as librarians. Beyond providing the theoretical groundwork necessary to direct a library, library science departments help students make professional contacts and prepare for work in a library through internships. Some programs may offer specialties in legal librarianship or in corporate information and archive services.
Library science programs focus intensively on the organizational structures that contain information. With the onset of digital media, the ways in which information can be organized are increasing and becoming more complex. Departments of library and information science aim to provide students with a theoretical understanding of the way in which resources can be stored and accessed.
Libraries serve not only as information centers, but also as important means in disseminating the information. The American Library Association's motto reads "the best reading, for the largest number, at the least cost." New technologies for information dissemination, such as digitized books and e-readers, drastically increase a library's ability to offer reading to the largest number at the least cost.
An essential component of librarianship is acquisition. Libraries typically operate with tight budgets and must allocate resources wisely when seeking to acquire new materials such as books, microfilm or online database subscriptions. Library science programs aim to provide students with a theoretical framework to understand the factors that affect acquisition strategies and decisions.