An interdisciplinary field, library sciences apply the theories, knowledge, skills, ethical foundations, and social responsibilities of the information professions into critical and reflective professional practice for the benefits of individuals and communities. The field also studies the collection, dissemination, organization, and preservation of information resources.
Archives support human memory and preserve essential evidence of activities and events. Archivists engage in work including the appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, and accessibility of records created in a variety of formats, from historical manuscripts to photographs and digital documents. The field of archival studies examines theoretical, ethical, and practical approaches to this work.
Researchers in these sciences study all these aspects and more of archival work, librarianship, and information sciences, from developing a framework for sustaining archives to the death of digital platforms.
Research Highlights
A deliverable for the NEH-funded project "Sustaining MedArt," the Socio-Technical Sustainability Roadmap is a module-based resource designed to guide users through the process of developing sustainability plans for their digital research projects. The self-guided resource developed into a series of facilitated institutes, with project team members still facilitating workshops and consulting on projects in relation to this work.
How is a social media platform closed? What decisions do employees face while sunsetting a platform and creating a new one? What influences these decisions? Dr. Frances Corry explores this in her new publication in New Media & Society.
Dr. Rebecca Morris and alumna Annie Malady were recently published in the May 2025 issue of Library Trends. Their article, titled “Facing the Questions Together: Faculty and Student Perspectives on Integrating Generative AI in LIS Education,” explores collaborative viewpoints facing educators and students at Pitt and beyond.
