In the information age where information power becomes one of the necessary factors alongside with natural, financial, industrial, labour etc. Forces, many countries recognize its importance for development. These countries are described as informative or knowledgeable societies, that are extremely dependable on information to build their economy for better future by research, production, process, publishing and control of information. Obviously, to create a modern civilized nation that understands and interacts with up to date information technology.

At this point, it is clearly the importance of different scientific fields that related to information and its issues, essentially, Information Science field, which was known as Library Science for long time ago. Therefore, most of library schools developed their area deliberating on information and entitled Library and Information Science schools, Information Science or Information Sciences and Information Studies schools. Consequently, our department in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Umm Al-qura University has changed to Information Science Department.

The curriculum, as a result, developed to meet the university's aims and the country's needs utilising international practices  in the light of:

• The kingdom's development plans.
• International standards in the field.
• The university's aims and objectives.
• Work agencies' needs.

The Department's objectives:

• Qualifying graduates by skills needed for information services.
• Building appropriate, specialised and skilled graduates to work at private and public information sectors.
• Preparing national workforces that can interact with Information Technology and its different applications.
• connecting graduates with work life.

Graduates' work agencies:

• Libraries such as academic, public, special and national libraries.
• Colleges, Institutions, and different information establishments.
• Information centres at public and private sectors.
• School Library Media Centres at public and private schools.