Course Descriptions
The Masters of Library and Information Science program consists of 63 quarter credits, including nine required core courses (34 credits), a variety of elective courses, and a portfolio requirement.

LIS 500 The Life Cycle of Information (2)
Overview of the major concepts, processes and systems, actors, and operations in the life cycle of information. Introduction to the creation, publishing and distribution, evaluation and selection, organization, access, retrieval, and use of information. Exploration of the social context in which these processes and their stakeholders interact.

LIS 510 Information Behavior (4)
Introduction to the user-centered approach to information behavior. Theoretical foundations of various information behaviors such as information need, utilizing, gathering, seeking, and evaluating. Synthesis of user studies, construction of user profiles, performance of gap analysis, and application of the results of user studies to improve services and system design.

LIS 519 Special Topics in Information Behavior: Community Analysis (4)

This course focuses on key concepts of community in its broadest sense (geographic, thematic, etc.), methodological approaches and tools for analyzing community information needs (including field work and social network analysis) and available resources, how to design information services in response to identified needs, and service evaluation. Emphasis placed on facilitating the information behavior of all groups within a community and identifying how their needs interconnect. Course objectives will be met through class exercises and discussion, readings, guest speakers, field work, and a major project that will involve building an information tool for a community of the students’ choice. Students will acquire an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of community analysis and of how information specialists can facilitate the flow of information within communities.

LIS 520 Information Resources, Services, and Collections (4)
Concepts, processes, and skills related to parts of the life cycle of knowledge involving creation, production, distribution, selection, collection, and services to facilitate access. Specific discussion topics include characteristics of recorded knowledge; organizations and services devoted to managing access to recorded knowledge; principles associated with development of recorded knowledge and collections.

LIS 529 Information Access in the Social Sciences (3)
Describe and analyze social sciences reference sources in all formats in order to evaluate their function and quality. 2. Utilize reference sources in the social sciences in order to answer real and hypothetical reference questions. 3. Read about and discuss the reference interview, (reference ethics, evaluations of reference service quality, and models of reference service) in order to formulate a process approach to answering reference questions. 4. Investigate the information gathering behavior and needs of both scholars and general readers in the social sciences in order to discuss special problems in social sciences reference service.

LIS 530 Organization of Information and Resources (4)
Introduction to issues in organization of information and documents including: analysis of intellectual and physical characteristics of documents; principles and practice in surrogate creation, including standards and selection of metadata elements; theory of classification, including semantic relationships and facet analysis; creation of controlled vocabularies; and display and arrangement.

LIS 531 Catalogs, Cataloging, and Classification (4)
Develops an understanding of library catalogs as information retrieval systems. Introduces library cataloging and classification. Focus on principles and standards in the creation of catalogs and cataloging records. Includes practice in descriptive and subject cataloging and classification. User perspective emphasized throughout.

LIS 537 Construction of Indexing Languages (4)
Exploration of the design, construction, evaluation, and maintenance of controlled indexing languages, including studies of how users are integrated into the design process. Through completion of thesaurus construction project, prepares students to design index languages, plan and implement a design project, and evaluate indexing languages.

LIS 540 Information Systems, Architectures and Retrieval (5)
Introduction and overview of information systems, system architectures, and retrieval models. Emphasis given to the role of users in the design, development, and evaluation of information retrieval and database management systems.

LIS 542 Conceptual Database Design (3)
Preliminary design of data bases for decision support systems. Introduces methods of collecting user requirements, requirement analysis, data dictionary, the entity-relationship model, methods for database integration, preparation for data collection, and evaluation.

LIS 543 Design of Information Systems (3)
Discusses how theories of conceptual data modeling affect design of database and information systems, examines relationships between modeling and implementation, and bridges gaps between theoretical understanding of database design and implementation issues.

LIS 546 Network System Administration (4)
Introduction to local area network hardware, topologies, operating systems, and applications. Covers aspects of network setup and management including network and application protocols, system configuration, security and Internet connectivity. Hands-on experience with network applications and operating systems.

LIS 550 Information in Social Context (4)
Concepts, processes, and issues related to the larger social context within which the life cycle of knowledge is played out. Discussion topics include intellectual freedom, information as public/private good, intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, information liability, information and telecommunications policy, the economics of information, and other professional values.

LIS 560 Instructional and Training Strategies for Information Professionals (3)
Develops knowledge and skills in instruction and training functions for library and information settings. Issues and strategies for learning and teaching. Design, development, and evaluation of information and technology literacy programs. Addresses the needs of users when designing and delivering instruction.

LIS 570 Research Methods (4)
Research as a process from problem definition and formulation of questions to design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Students recognize research opportunities, translate them into researchable frameworks, design research projects, and implement results in libraries and other information agencies.

LIS 580 Management for Information Organizations (4)
Introduction to internal and external management issues and practices in information organizations. Internal issues include organizational behavior, organizational theory, personnel, budgeting, planning. External issues include organizational environments, politics, marketing, strategic planning, funding sources.

LIS 587 Library Technology Systems (4)
Developing criteria for selection and design of information technology systems for libraries and information centers. Applying criteria in evaluation of hardware and software. Examining related management challenges, such as vendor relations, financing options, personnel requirements, and design of auxiliary activities.

LIS 598 Special Topics: Care and Management of Photographic Collections
Covers introduction to photographic materials, preservation, appraisal and collecting, legal issues, organization and description (common collection structures, strategies, finding aids and inventories and digital access), access, reproduction and rights including copyrights and other rights, ethical issues, digital futures and ethical issues for photo archive including the impact of the digital.