Library and Information Science (LIS) has gone through many changes over the past two decades. These changes have had an impact on the youth who want to study LIS. Lack of knowledge about LIS and its career opportunities makes it difficult for young people to consider studying towards a LIS qualification. Literature reveals that most LIS students end up in the program accidentally and without knowledge of the content. This study investigated students’ perceptions regarding LIS, the reasons for enrolling, and motivating factors that make students study LIS. The study was informed by the Circumscription and Compromise theory. To answer the research questions, a survey was conducted in three LIS schools in South Africa. A questionnaire was sent to first and final year students, and 165 responded. The findings indicate that before they enrolled, many students had a slight idea of what LIS programs were and prepared them to be. The students’ decision to study LIS was mainly influenced by information brochures, followed by relatives, teachers, friends, and parents. Most of the students decided to study LIS when they were already accepted to enroll at university but did not choose LIS as their first-choice program of study. The availability of job opportunities and a stable LIS work environment are the main factors that motivated students to continue to study LIS. Students also indicated that they were satisfied with LIS and would recommend it to others to study. The study concludes that LIS is a compromise field of study because students did not initially want to study it. Interestingly, after enrolment, they became satisfied and motivated to continue with the program. Public awareness campaigns, especially in high schools, are encouraged to sensitize people about LIS.

中文翻译：

---

南非图书馆与信息科学 (LIS) 学生注册 LIS 计划的看法、动机和原因

图书馆与信息科学 (LIS) 在过去的二十年中经历了许多变化。这些变化对想要学习 LIS 的年轻人产生了影响。缺乏关于 LIS 及其职业机会的知识，使年轻人难以考虑为获得 LIS 资格而学习。文献表明，大多数 LIS 学生最终在不了解内容的情况下意外参加了该计划。本研究调查了学生对 LIS 的看法、入学原因以及促使学生学习 LIS 的动机。该研究受到限制和妥协理论的启发。为了回答研究问题，在南非的三所 LIS 学校进行了一项调查。向一年级和最后一年的学生发送了一份问卷，165 人做出了回应。调查结果表明，在他们入学之前，许多学生对什么是 LIS 课程略有了解，并为它们做好了准备。学生学习 LIS 的决定主要受信息手册的影响，其次是亲戚、老师、朋友和父母。大多数学生在被大学录取时就决定学习 LIS，但并未选择 LIS 作为他们的首选学习项目。工作机会的可用性和稳定的 LIS 工作环境是激励学生继续学习 LIS 的主要因素。学生们也表示对LIS很满意，会推荐给其他人学习。该研究得出的结论是，LIS 是一个折衷的研究领域，因为学生最初并不想学习它。有趣的是，在注册后，他们变得满意并有动力继续该计划。