As much of the world's information and text is transferred to or created in a digital format, organizing information has become more and more vital. One of the most important roles for modern librarians is that of navigator to the general public as they attempt to find relevant information. Library science programs at universities place quite a bit of emphasis on understanding technology and mastering digital organization systems. Relevant projects in library science dealing with database creation and upkeep are numerous and fall into a broad spectrum of categories.
As gatekeepers to information, either digital or in book form, librarians serve as important resources to the general public. There are many hundreds of databases of varying quality, content and availability. Some library science projects focus almost exclusively on developing new methods and platforms to make the information librarians manage accessible to the people who need it the most. From online databases to seminars and workshops, library science professionals seek to create ways of engaging and connecting with the general public.
In the highly specialized world of academia there is still overlap between disciplines. Library science students are able to work with archivists and preservationists to conserve and rescue fragile and hard-to-find resources. More importantly, librarians serve as a bridge between the purely academic preservation work and the general public. Highly successful library science projects include work with the National Archives in Washington D.C. and numerous smaller projects with special interest and historical groups.
The three areas of library science described above lend themselves to projects that are often internal in execution. While the general public certainly benefits from well put together and managed databases, they are also passive recipients of these projects. Library science students and professionals have the opportunity to work on projects that are specifically designed to educate and interest the general public. Exhibitions held in libraries, museums, national archives, historical societies and educational institutions all need library science professionals to research, gather, organize, display and explain the exhibit materials and text. These projects are large and small and cover nearly any topic imaginable all around the globe.