
Masters of Library Science
From archives to algorithms, the Library Science graduate program gives you the in-demand expertise to shape how knowledge is discovered, preserved, and used in the digital age.

From archives to algorithms, the Library Science graduate program gives you the in-demand expertise to shape how knowledge is discovered, preserved, and used in the digital age.
Earn your Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) and become a leader in librarianship, archival studies, and the stewardship of cultural, social, and scientific knowledge. Rooted in a rich tradition of recordkeeping and strengthened by a strong digital focus, this graduate program prepares you to work across formats—from rare books and manuscripts to complex digital systems. You’ll build practical expertise in digital curation and gain real-world experience through coursework and opportunities at institutions like the Lilly Library and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Complete this form to learn more about Library Science at Luddy.
In this program, you’ll learn how to meet the new challenges of the profession. You’ll learn how to manage and evaluate collections, respond to the information needs of patrons, and to use technology to improve access to information. You’ll also become familiar with key policy issues and technological trends and how these affect libraries and information centers of all kinds.
Format: On-campus
Start dates: Fall, Spring
The Luddy graduate admission committees will consider students who have a three- or four-year bachelor's degree. Applicants should have a minimum of a 3.0 (B) or higher GPA.
The M.L.S. curriculum offers hands-on learning with traditional documentary forms like rare books, manuscripts, and archives, while also exploring broader cultural and scientific documentation. Through coursework and experiential learning, students examine the evolving social values and technological innovations shaping the work of information professionals, preparing them to manage and preserve knowledge in both historical and digital contexts.
To build expertise in the field of your choosing, you’ll also have the opportunity to specialize in one of seven different knowledge domains, including information technology leadership, front-end development, data science, and digital humanities.
Are you interested in history? Special collections? Cultural preservation? Manuscripts? Global heritage resources? All of the above?
If so, the archives and records management specialization may be for you. You’ll gain access to IU’s rich and varied archival resources, and prepare for ever-increasing career opportunities thanks to the growth of digitization projects and online exhibits.
Your core specialization requirements will focus on archives and records management, and include an internship where you’ll work in an information management environment. You’ll continue to hone your expertise as an archival specialist by choosing from a broad array of electives, including courses in preservation, digital curation, digital libraries and more.
The art librarian specialization will prepare you for a career connecting people with art. Career opportunities include working in art museum libraries, digital arts collections, visual arts user services, public library arts divisions, academic library humanities collection planning, and more.
Your core specialization requirements will focus on art librarianship and humanities information, and will include an internship where you’ll work in an information management environment.
Libraries have a tremendous impact on children and young adults. The children’s and young adult services will prepare you to work in public libraries or special libraries in parks, zoos, and gardens, or any other place with an outreach mission that includes children and their families.
Your core specialization requirements will focus on materials for youth, youth services, and literature for youth. You’ll continue to hone your expertise as a children’s and young adult services specialist by choosing from a broad array of electives, including courses in information policy, intellectual freedom, digital audio and video sources, and more.
Advances in technology over the last decade mean that corporate, public, and nonprofit businesses across every sector have an unprecendeted amount of data available to them.
With a data science specialization, you’ll dive into the art and science of data-driven decision making. You’ll learn how to create, store, analyze, and manage big data sets.
Whether you want to work in business, health care, politics, entertainment, information service sciences, or academia, a specialization in data science can help transform you into the professional that employers today are hungry for.
Become an expert in the creation and management of digital content and data, the systems that support them, and their contexts of use.
As the volume and velocity of digital information and data production continues to increase—and as the types of information created continues to vary in format and structure—there is an increasing need for people who are trained in working with digital content and collections and have expertise in digital curation, which involves managing, preserving, adding value, and providing access to digital information assets throughout the information life cycle. These same people also understand the systems that support these activities and the social and organizational contexts where these activities take place. The digital content, curation, and collections specialization is intended to meet this need.
Your core requirements will cover research, policy, and current practices in curating and preserving digital data, as well as metadata fundamentals, electronic records management, and more. You will also understand the design and operation of digital libraries from a socio-technical perspective, and serve a required internship in an information management environment.
The specialization is designed to prepare students for careers as professionals who can work with a range of digital content and manage the systems that support the creation and management of digital content. Graduates with the DC3 specialization can be employed in a wide range of organizations working with various types of digital information, including scientific data and corporate archives to government and NGO records, and more.
Digital humanities is a rapidly growing field that combines academic humanities scholarship with the fields of computing and informatics. This specialization will prepare students for careers as 21st-century humanities scholars, both in traditional academic positions as professors and librarians, as well as in alternative careers as managers and developers at digital humanities centers and cultural heritage institutions.
Customize your specialization by choosing from a broad range of electives, including courses in human-computer interaction, gender and computerization, intellectual freedom, and more.
In order to complete this specialization, you must have completed a prior master’s-level degree in a relevant humanities discipline, or be in the process of completing a master’s degree in one of several humanities fields in conjunction with your M.I.S. or M.L.S. degree through our Dual Degree Program.
The Information Architecture Specialization will prepare you to work as an information architect in both the private and public sectors. You’ll learn how to plan, oversee, implement, and manage the growth of content systems in support of user understanding.
Your core specialization requirements will focus on designing and organizing systems based on the principles of human-computer interaction and usability, and include a capstone project where you’ll integrate the theoretical and practical components of information architecture into a single enterprise. To hone your expertise as an information architect, you’ll choose from a wide array of electives, including courses in information systems design and visualization, metadata, indexing, and more.
The music librarianship specialization combines a top library sciences education with coursework and resources at Indiana University’s world-class Jacobs School of Music.
With this specialization, you can follow many career paths to combine your interests in libraries and music. Join an academic music library or orchestra library. Become a humanities subject specialist, web content planner, or cataloger. Work with the materials in a special collection or archive, or manage the music collection at a public library or museum.
Do you want to work with rare pieces of history and culture that delight with their depth, breadth, and scarcity?
The Rare Books Specialization will prepare you for a career doing such work. Your core specialization requirements will focus on the development, organization, and operation of rare book libraries and special collections. You’ll continue to hone your expertise as a rare books specialist by choosing from a broad range of electives, including courses in preservation, the history of books and libraries, manuscripts, and more.
Earn two master’s degrees in less time with a dual degree in information science and library science. You’ll graduate with wide-ranging skills and experience in shaping how people use information. Choose the dual degree when you submit your application.
Graduates are well-positioned for careers in libraries, archives, museums, academic institutions, and cultural heritage organizations. As the demand grows for professionals who can preserve, organize, and provide access to both traditional and digital forms of information, roles such as archivist, special collections librarian, digital preservation specialist, and metadata analyst are increasingly in demand. Employers value professionals who bring a deep understanding of historical materials alongside the technical skills to manage digital assets in a rapidly evolving information landscape.
Luddy’s career services team and faculty mentors help connect you with internships, job fairs, and industry leaders.
$57,425Average starting salary
97%of graduates reported full-time employment or graduate school admissions
A few companies that have hired Library Science graduates at Luddy:
The National Agricultural Library (NAL), Holocaust Museum LA, Yale University – Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, Stanford University, Indianapolis Public Library, Indiana University, Indiana Archives and Records Administration (IARA), Manhattan School of Music, Monroe County History Center, The Grolier Club
What are the career possibilities with a computer science major?
Circulation Supervisor, Assistant Archivist, Librarian, Assistant Curator of Rare Books, Archival Collections Fellow

At Luddy and across IU, students and faculty tackle bold research in areas like bioinformatics, computational biology, security, and privacy.
Through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Computing program, computer science majors can gain hands-on experience, work closely with faculty or Ph.D. mentors, and build skills that open doors in tech and research careers.

Attending the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering is more affordable than you think. With direct-admit scholarships and federal financial aid, you can reduce the cost of earning your M.S. in Library Science at IU.

Whether you’re a Library Science major or still exploring your options, Luddy School advisors are here to help you navigate degree requirements, seize academic opportunities, and tailor your journey to fit your goals.