The trends of library science choice among students in the Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara (State Islamic University of North Sumatera)

Abstract

The Library Science Study Program in Indonesia is developing in line with the current advances in information technology. This educational field has been around for quite a long time. However, it is so diverse that it differs from one university to the other. The field of library science produces "Librarians." Unfortunately, the profession does not have a high demand compared to others. However, the opening of this educational field at the Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara (UINSU) has sparked the interest of prospective students in the Library Science study program. These have further increased over the years. Therefore, this research aimed to examine the data regarding factors that encourage students to choose the Library Science study program at the UINSU. Meanwhile, the focused data analysis technique in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was used. The results showed that four factors influence students' choice of the Library Science program, which include; parents, relatives, friends, and themselves. Career-wise, most students study Library Science so that they can work as lecturers in the field. Furthermore, the students face certain obstacles which include; facilities and language. Therefore, the study program conducts curriculum updates to adapt to new developments in science. This is achieved by applying information technology and organizing training programs in languages.