All Courses

All courses offered are at three credits, unless otherwise noted.

Courses may be offered in different formats. Each course below has one of the following designations:

F2F = currently the course is offered only face to face
OL = currently the course is offered only online
F2F, OL = currently the course is available to be offered in either the face to face or online format.

For the best estimate of when the course might be offered in a particular format, please consult SLIS Advising ([email protected]). Each semester we are converting new courses to the online format so please check the course listings periodically.

LIS 400 – Virtual Orientation

This required orientation course introduces all Library and Information Science, Children’s Literature, and Writing for Children students to the full range of academic, administrative, and social expectations for students, and the environment in which they must meet those expectations. Intended for and appropriate to both online and face-to-face students, this course describes program requirements; college, school, and program policy; and offers information about the full range of resources available to the students in support of their program. It also offers basic tutorial and instruction related to the use of Moodle (the learning management system used in online and face-to-face courses), library resources, and other key tools used to support student learning. (OL)

LIS 403 – Evaluation of Information Services

The course applies the principles of evaluation research to contemporary information management problems. It covers the fundamentals of identifying and investigating problems relevant to continuous quality enhancement and communicating the results to decision makers. (F2F, OL)

LIS 404 – Principles of Management

Designed to acquaint students with the basic management functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. The course is intended to help provide understanding of human interactions in the workplace and develop the practical problem-solving skills needed to handle managerial problems professionally. Approaches to managing, from authoritarian to participative to laissez-faire, are examined. Readings, case studies, critical incidents, simulations, and discussions. (F2F, OL)

LIS 406 – Management and Evaluation of School Library Programs

A critical review of the issues and trends in management, program development, and evaluation of contemporary school library media centers at the elementary, secondary, and district levels in the United States. Students in this course will complete 15 pre-practicum fieldwork hours in the context of an assignment involving the development of an observation protocol (a method associated with evaluation research) and an interview with a school library media specialist. (OL)

LIS 407 – Information Services, Behaviors, and Ethics

This course centers on the ways in which information professionals connect users with information. It will provide students with an introduction to user services including reference, instruction, and community engagement along with some of the major information behavior theories that underpin those services. The course will also explore information as a concept and the basics of the information lifecycle and information infrastructure. A key focus of this course will be an examination of the major ethical codes and standards of the profession and an exploration of cultural competence as it relates to LIS through a lens of critically reflective praxis. Required Course. (F2F, OL)

LIS 408 – User Instruction and Information Literacy

This course offers an overview of user instruction and assessment of related learning outcomes across information settings. The course will introduce basics of pedagogy, including backwards design, universal design, assessment of learning outcomes, and learning theories. Students will critically examine concepts of information literacy and analyze its role in instruction across information settings, and apply best practices in development of information literacy learning outcomes and instructional programming to design program modules in various formats. Prerequisite: LIS 407, LIS 415. (F2F, OL)

LIS 410 – Information Services for Diverse Users (formerly LIS 530J)

Given the increasing diversity of information users in the United States, information professionals need to learn more about specific groups in order provide appropriate services. This course examines the special needs and potential contributions of groups that are traditionally underrepresented in information settings. Through readings, discussion, and guest lectures, students will explore diversity issues that impact information services and develop skills for planning, implementing, and evaluating programs for addressing these issues. Specific diversity issues include race and ethnicity; gender and sexual orientation; social class; national origin; physical, psychological, and learning ability; and age. Students will gain experience in addressing diversity issues in two interrelated projects. The first project will involve writing a paper on a particular group and its needs in terms of collection development, programming, or accessibility issues, etc. For the second project, students will build on the first paper in a service learning project with an information center of their choice. Examples of service learning projects include constructing a detailed program or service activity for a specific group; compiling an annotated bibliography of best current materials and digital sources for a specific group; implementing a mentoring program for a specific group; evaluating diversity programs which are already in place; or writing a staff training proposal. Prerequisite: LIS 407, LIS 415. (F2F, OL)

LIS 412 – Library Programs and Services for Young Adults

This course examines the planning and delivery of information and recreational services to meet the diverse needs of young people between the ages of 12 and 18 in public libraries and school library/media centers. Examination of the developmental tasks of adolescents and relevant social, education, and demographic trends. Emphasis on the development of library policies and collaboration with youth serving community agencies. Attention to communication and program skills and the promoting, funding, and evaluating of library programs and services for teenagers. (F2F)

LIS 414 – Special Libraries

This course surveys the history, staffing, organization, development, and future of special libraries—of multiple types—in North America. Specific attention will be given to examples of highly successful models of special library organization, staffing, and service, as well as to notable and common challenges associated with special libraries. Students will read and evaluate recent research describing the value of special libraries and examine comparative data describing special libraries in the U.S. and abroad. (F2F, OL)

LIS 415 – Information Organization

The phenomena, activities, and issues surrounding the organization of information in service of users and user communities. Topics include resource types and formats, information service institutions, markup, descriptive metadata, content standards, subject analysis and classification, and the information life cycle. Readings, discussions, examinations, and oral and written exercises. Required Course. (F2F, OL)

LIS 416 – Descriptive Cataloging (formerly LIS 532A)

This course addresses the theories, principles, and practices of bibliographic description and the application of national standards to the construction of catalogs in libraries. It covers the fundamental concepts of descriptive cataloging including: the elements of bibliographic description, the choice of descriptive detail, the description of print and non-print resources, the choice of access points, the formulation of authorized names and titles, the principles and practices of authority work, and the application of encoding standards. The course also includes examinations of current trends and future directions of descriptive cataloging. May include readings, discussions, presentations, exams, exercises, and individual or group projects. Prerequisite: LIS 415. (F2F)

LIS 417 – Subject Cataloging and Classification

This course addresses the theories, principles, and practices of subject cataloging and classification. It covers the application of national standards to the creation of bibliographic records and to the construction of catalogs in libraries and other information environments. It teaches the concepts of subject cataloging including: understanding the various approaches to and pitfalls in determining aboutness; the theoretical foundations, structure, and the application of LCSH in subject cataloging; the application of the policies in the LC Subject Heading Manual; and complex number building in Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Classification. The course also includes examinations of the history and theoretical foundations of subject cataloging and classification and explores other subject access systems from around the world (e.g., UDC, Colon, Bliss, Expansive classification, PRECIS, AAT, and MeSH). May include readings, discussions, presentations, exams, exercises, and individual or group projects. Prerequisite: LIS 415. (F2F)

LIS 420 – Book Publishing and Librarianship

The course focuses on the book publishing industry and its relationship to the library profession. Students examine all the segments of the publishing process: editorial, design, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. The course explores current issues in the book publishing industry; it helps librarians develop critical skills to evaluate books; it clarifies aspects of copyright as related to printed material; and it provides information about ways libraries can influence what appears in print and can take advantage of current conditions in the publishing marketplace. Also included are guest speakers from the publishing industry, media presentations, and individual research papers. (F2F)

LIS 421 – Social Informatics

“Social Informatics” refers to the body of research and study that examines social aspects of computerization – including the roles of information technology in social and organizational change and the ways that the social organization of information technologies are influenced by social forces and social practices. This graduate seminar is for students interested in the influence of information technology in the human context, including cultural heritage, professional concerns, and social inequities. The course introduces some of the key concepts of social informatics and situates them into the view of varied perspectives including readers, librarians, computer professionals, authors, educators, publishers, editors, and the institutions that support them. (F2F, OL)

LIS 422 – Literacy and Services to Underserved Populations: Issues and Responses

This course provides an overview of the social, economic, and political impact of adult functional illiteracy in the United States; it discusses the issue at both the federal and state level with implications for library involvement at the community level. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the literacy needs of a community and at the development and implementation of programs to meet that need. It will introduce advocacy, training, budgeting, staff recruitment, student assessment and instruction, publicity and program evaluation of both traditional and innovative library-based literacy/ESOL programs; it will suggest approaches to serve traditionally underrepresented communities by exploring how to improve equity of access to those populations. (F2F)

LIS 423 – Storytelling

This course examines cultural origins and contemporary practices of oral storytelling. It explores the psychological and social value of stories and practical and ethical issues in selecting, adapting, and presenting story materials. Students observe and practice storytelling and develop a personal repertoire of stories. Readings, class discussion and exercises, and course assignments will acquaint them with a wide variety of story types, skills of story presentation, and the development of story programs. (F2F)

LIS 425 – History of the Book

The course will cover a wide variety of topics concerned with the history and development of the book, both as a physical object and as the bearer of intellectual content. Therefore, the lectures/discussions will look at two different kinds of phenomena: the physical properties of the objects that carried written and pictorial texts and the intellectual use to which books have been put. A third area that the course will address picks up the miscellaneous, but important, issues of the world of libraries: the antiquarian and out-of-print book trade; remainders; handling, storing, caring for, repairing, and conserving books; legal considerations of book/text ownership and use; and other areas of book history. Students will be introduced to the extensive vocabulary of the book world. With a mastery of this new vocabulary, the students will have a grasp of a subject of extraordinary breadth, boundless fascination, and endless debate. As Milton said, “A good book is the precious life blood of a master spirit.” This course will explain why. (F2F)

LIS 430 – Business Information Sources and Services

A survey of print and electronic information sources as well as coverage of basic business concepts is provided. It will include sources basic to business, finance, trade, company and industry reference and be both national and international in scope. The objective will be to familiarize students with source material, including government sources and statistics, industry and trade literature, used for business research. Attention will also be paid to the information needs of business people and researchers as well as the issues and concerns associated with business information gathering and research. Prerequisite: LIS 407. (F2F, OL)

LIS 432 – Concepts in Cultural Heritage Informatics (formerly LIS 531V)

This course serves as a foundation course for students who seek careers as information professionals in archives, museums, libraries, and other cultural heritage settings. Working with representative partner sites, the course introduces students to diverse information organizations. With a focus on the purpose, mission, and history of these institutions, the course examines key concepts and activities in an interdisciplinary context. Differences in the purposes and missions of these institutions are also considered. Specific topics include: collection building, organizing knowledge structures, conserving and preserving collections, collection use, exhibitions, education, the application of technology, and cultural politics. Assignments include case studies, presentations, and group projects. (F2F, OL)

LIS 433 – Oral History

This course is in three components: 1) studying the ethics and responsible practice of oral history; 2) developing a project to document a life, event, occupation, family, institution or experience; 3) archiving, providing access and preserving audiovisual recordings. Students are required to secure a recording device to perform oral history interviews and to learn to use audiovisual editing software. It is recommended that students enrolling in the course have already taken LIS 438. (F2F, OL)

LIS 435 – Music Librarianship

Scope, types, and functions of music libraries – their physical and intellectual organization and administration. Included are principles and techniques of selection, acquisition, classification, cataloging, binding, storage, and dissemination of music materials; principles, techniques, and materials of music reference and research; music publishing and recording, including listening facilities; and philosophy and functions of the music librarian. Music-reading ability and substantial music literature background required. (F2F)

LIS 436 – Art of the Gardner

The description for LIS 436 will be available soon.

LIS 437 – Legal Information Sources

Study of legal information – origins, organization, dissemination, and use of legal media, as well as techniques of basic legal research. Prerequisite: LIS 407. (F2F)

LIS 438 – Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice

Fundamentals of archival theory and practice, including the issues, values, methods, and activities in archival settings. Introduction to core archival functions of appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, reference, and access. Overview of history and terminology of the profession. Discussion of the types and varieties of archival repositories and the value of historical records beyond traditional research use. Engagement with contemporary issues in the archival profession. Course includes a required 60-hour field experience. Open to all MS students. First in a required three-course sequence in the Archives Management Concentration and required by the Cultural Heritage Informatics. (F2F, OL)

LIS 439 – Preservation Management in Libraries and Archives

This course covers the fundamentals of planning and managing programs of prevention and remedial treatment for the preservation of information resources in libraries and archives. The study of the nature of all types of materials and the factors contributing to their deterioration serves as background. Preservation planning topics, such as environmental control and light, security, risk management, fire prevention, housekeeping and storage, general collections maintenance and testing methods, are covered. Additional topics include: emergency planning in the areas of preparedness, mitigation and response; selection of materials for basic repair, conservation or reformatting; budgeting for preservation activities; preservation training for staff and users; digital preservation; and cooperative programs. Course includes readings, media presentations and guest lectures, discussions, and practical exercises. (F2F, OL)

LIS 440 – Archival Access and Use

Explores access to and use of archives and manuscript collections within the framework of archival description and representation. How archives are described and the surrogates that are used to represent them profoundly impact their access and use and are central to the archives profession. Students will explore various types of archival use including exhibits (physical and virtual) in addition to the creation of surrogates for primary sources and will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of EAD (Encoded Archival Description), as well as other emerging metadata standards. Required course for Archives Management Concentration. Prerequisite: LIS 415, LIS 438. (F2F, OL)

LIS 441 – Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts

Archival appraisal, or the assessment and evaluation of archival records to determine their continuing value for long-term retention, is one of the central and most critical challenges and responsibilities of the archivist. Building on the introductory exposure to appraisal offered in LIS 438, this course will focus on developing a theoretical framework for appraisal by introducing students to the strategies and methodologies of appraisal, through case studies and by exploring appraisal models developed and implemented within the profession. It will place the issues and activities of appraisal within the context of the documentation of society and the preservation of organizational and community memory. Prerequisite: LIS 438. (F2F, OL)

LIS 442 – Establishing Archives and Manuscript Programs

Developing a knowledge base that encompasses a variety of competencies around sustaining an archives is vital for archivists who often work in small one or two person repositories or may face the challenges of establishing new repositories. This course will analyze the requirements of such small or emerging programs and focus on the ways to develop strategic plans, locate and pursue sources of funding, market and design outreach; understand the physical and intellectual resources of an archival facility; and sustain program growth. The class will also examine these issues within the context of different types of archives (i.e. government, academic, historical societies). Prerequisite: LIS 438, LIS 440. (F2F, OL)

LIS 443 – Archives, History, and Collective Memory

This is a bridge course between Archives and History that explores the relationship between historical events, the creation and maintenance of archival records, and the construction of collective memory. It analyzes the role of archives and records in the process of documenting and remembering (or forgetting) history. Focusing on 20th century events, it considers such archival issues as repatriation, records destruction, contested history, and memory construction. These issues are presented within the context of various types of records, such as genealogical records, oral records, and records of material culture (artifacts) in addition to traditional print materials. Required for Dual Degree Archives/History students. Prerequisite: LIS 438 for Archives concentrators and dual degree students. (F2F)

LIS 444 – Digital Preservation

This course will investigate current theories and practices for the preservation and stewardship of both digitized and born digital materials. Students will focus on a wide variety of digital media, digital preservation environments and repositories, and what infrastructure, policies and procedures are necessary to steward digital content. Topics include sustainability characteristics of digital media; media formats; metadata; rights issues; asset and risk management; digital forensics; quality control; and certification. Each topic is addressed theoretically, practically, and socio-technically to help students develop an increased understanding of digital technologies, ecosystems, and requirements. (F2F, OL)

LIS 445 – Metadata (formerly LIS 531S)

This course will cover the theory and practice of metadata as it is applied to digital collections. It will provide students with a comprehensive overview of current metadata standards in the library, archives, and visual resources communities and offer them an opportunity to get hands-on practice using selected standards. It will examine the role of metadata in the discovery, delivery, administration, and preservation of digital objects and consider current and emerging issues in metadata. The course will address all aspects of metadata, including creation, management, and use. In-class exercises and assignments will provide students with the opportunity to apply specific content and structure standards. Prerequisites: LIS 415. (F2F, OL)

LIS 446 – Art Documentation for Museums, Archives & Libraries

This course addresses the creation, management, and dissemination of art information in museums and in their archives and libraries, as well as in academic art libraries and visual collections. Topics include: the historical development of art research collections in museums and libraries; impact of new technologies on research and collection management; use of social media and the related information management issues; developments in field-specific standards such as CCO and the various Getty vocabularies, with an emphasis on the impact on access to visual materials; developments in cross-institutional projects; and issues specific to small museum libraries and archives. (F2F)

LIS 447 – Collection Maintenance

This course in preservation management deals with the planning, implementation, and management of an effective collections maintenance program, including an effective repair program for a small/medium general collection. Topics include developing criteria for the selection of items in need of repair, binding, or replacement; learning the proper repair and housing techniques for bound and unbound materials in order to be able to administer an in-house repair program; selecting and processing materials for remote storage facilities; the cost factors involved in developing a collections maintenance program for general collections; and selecting and managing staff, space, equipment, and supplies for such a program. This course takes place at the North Bennet Street School. (F2F)

LIS 448 – Digital Stewardship (formerly LIS 531W)

This course teaches the core concepts and skills needed to create and manage digital collections and repositories. It covers the digital convergence of cultural heritage information in libraries, archives and museums. It introduces strategies for managing digital objects over the long term through active, ongoing oversight of the total environment (content, technologies, and user expectations) during all phases of the information life cycle. The course also includes extensive discussion of policy issues affecting digital collections, including sustainability issues for digital repositories, and open access to digital resources. (F2F, OL)

LIS 449 – Rare Book and Special Collections Librarianship (formerly LIS 531O)

With the growth of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic applications in librarianship, the role of the Special Collections and Rare Book library has not gotten simpler. In fact, the new technology has added a layer of complexity to the life of the librarian, while many operations remain unchanged. Often, Special Collections/Rare Books Departments are like a library in microcosm, for many of these departments do all of what the parent institution does, in both technical and public services. On top of this, many administrators look to the Rare Books Department and use the department’s facilities and holdings for public relations and other fund-raising activities. This course is designed as a practical introduction to Rare Book and Special Collections Librarianship, to cover the many issues of these departments’ responsibilities for the neophyte as well as the experienced librarian. (F2F)

LIS 450 – Public Libraries

This course surveys the history, staffing, organization, development, and future of public libraries, addressing the principles and techniques associated with planning and delivering public library services to individuals and communities. Students will examine the governance and service structure of metropolitan and town libraries and consider the political, fiscal, and societal trends affecting them. Special attention will be given to the analysis of the library needs of specific groups and relationship of these needs assessments to the implementation of particular programs and services. (F2F, OL)

LIS 451 – Academic Libraries

This course surveys the history, staffing, organization, development, and future of college and university libraries. Common issues—including managing change, scholarly communication, publishing, information technology, advocacy, evaluation and assessment, planning, budgeting, and higher education—will be addressed within a context that connects academic libraries, and their infrastructure, with their parent institutions. (F2F, OL)

LIS 452 – History of Libraries (formerly LIS 532C)

This course covers the history of libraries from earliest times to the present day. It includes specific institutions, trends in service and facilities, and individuals important in the development of these institutions. While the primary focus of the course is libraries in the Western World, consideration of libraries in other traditions will be covered as source material allows. The objectives of the course include gaining a broad perspective on the history of libraries; an understanding of the history of libraries in the context of socio-cultural, political, and economic developments; and an understanding of historical methods both through the analysis of primary sources related to the history of libraries and through critical reading of texts on the history of libraries. Course material includes lecture, discussion, and field trips. Assignments include several writing assignments and in-class presentations. (OL)

LIS 453 – Collection Development and Management

Activities through which library collections are systematically developed and managed are explored, especially the formulation and implementation of written collection development policies. Other specific topics include identification of user needs; collection evaluation; fund allocation among competing departments, subjects, and/or media; selection methods; intellectual freedom; storage alternatives; and cooperative collection development. Course includes readings, guest lectures, and a term project in which a collection development policy for a real information agency is prepared. Prerequisites: LIS 407, LIS 415. (OL)

LIS 455 – Usability and User Experience Research (formerly LIS 531Y)

This course covers the conceptual frameworks and applied methodologies for user-centered design and user experience research. Emphasis is placed on learning and practicing a variety of usability research methods/techniques such as scenario development, user profiling, tasks analysis, contextual inquiry, card sorting, usability tests, log data analysis, expert inspection and heuristic evaluation. Rather than a Web or interface design course, this is a research and evaluation course on usability and user experience with the assumption that the results of user and usability research would feed directly into various stages of the interface design cycle. Assignments may include usability methods plan, user persona development, scenario and task modeling, card sorting, usability testing project, and user experience research project. The usability test project will use actual real-time cases from organizations in the Greater Boston area. Usability experts and research specialists will be invited as guest speakers to present in class and some will serve as mentors/site supervisors for the usability testing project. Field trips to local usability labs will be arranged. Simmons SLIS Usability Lab will be used as the platform for class projects/assignments. Taking LIS 403 prior to this class is recommended. (F2F, OL)

LIS 456 – Records Management

This course addresses the theories and methodologies associated with managing institutional records, both paper-based and electronic. It introduces the set of activities required for systematically controlling the creation, distribution, use, maintenance and disposition of recorded information maintained as evidence of business activities and transactions. With an emphasis on case studies, students will learn about records appraisal, scheduling and disposition, functional analysis and records management program implementation and policy. Prior experience working with institutional records and/or LIS438 is recommended. (F2F, OL)

LIS 458 – Database Management

Principles and practices of database management and database design. Discussion and practice cover database application lifecycle, data modeling, relational database design, SQL queries, reports and other interfaces to database data, and documentation. Lectures also cover Web databases, XML, multimedia databases, and ethical and privacy issues associated with database systems. Individual and group projects. Prerequisites: LIS 488 or LIS 460. (F2F, OL)

LIS 459 – Fundamentals of School Librarianship (formerly LIS 532M)

Students complete structured field experience activities in elementary and secondary school libraries. Students will document their field experiences, make reflective written responses to readings and activities, and complete carefully designed learning projects that will help them develop professional skills, knowledge, and resources. This course fulfills 30 of the mandated 75 hours of pre-practicum field experience in preK-12 libraries for Massachusetts initial certification. (F2F)

LIS 460 – Technology and the School Library Teacher

This course will prepare the school library teacher to successfully integrate new and emerging technologies into the school library program, technology lab, and classroom. Technologies studied will be appropriate for integration into all areas of the school’s curriculum. Web-based and mobile resources and tools are used extensively throughout the course and are directly tied to current topics in successful school library management and practice. Hands-on learning and discussion of issues that could arise as a part of technology integration with pre-K – 12 students are foundational elements of the course. The role the school library teacher plays in the professional development of teachers in his/her school as a resource person, leader in technology instruction, facilitator, collaborator, and instructor will be discussed throughout the course. Meets Technology Requirement for students in the School Library Teacher Program. (OL)

LIS 461 – Curriculum and Instructional Strategies for the School Library Teacher (formerly LIS 532L)

This course provides an in-depth look at the pedagogy of teaching and learning including an analysis of the research base that informs the application of specific strategies used for effective instruction. Students will examine the organization, structure, and content of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, the Common Core State Standards, and the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner. Students will prepare lessons, teach, participate in peer reviews, and begin to develop as reflective practitioners. Students will develop an understanding of the wide range of instructional strategies as they learn to create and implement standards-based lesson plans. Students will learn how to assess these lessons, resulting in data that correlates to student achievement. Prerequisite: LIS 459. (F2F)

LIS 462 – Digital Libraries

Digital libraries are regulated collections of distributed networked resources made accessible to users, usually through a transparent and standardized interface. This course will examine publicly and privately funded digital library projects in the US and internationally, and will explore evolving definitions and visions, as well as issues such as preservation and intellectual property. Through hands-on investigation, students will also become familiar with the components of digital libraries, and with digital library research. Assignments will include (but are not limited to) papers and presentations. Prerequisite: LIS 415 and LIS 488 or LIS 460. (F2F, OL)

LIS 464 – The Medieval Manuscript from Charlemagne to Gutenberg (formerly LIS 531T)

This course will introduce students to the components of the medieval manuscript codex and teach them how to localize and date this kind of material, introducing them to the fields of paleography, codicology and manuscript illumination from the reign of Charlemagne in the 9th century to the invention of printing in the 15th. They will trace the development of book production and literate culture from its monastic origins to the later commercialization of the book trade. Different types of texts, such as Books of Hours, will be introduced. Students will learn the fundamentals of manuscript bibliographic description, and issues involving the modern book trade and curatorship of this type of material will be addressed. (F2F)

LIS 465 – Knowledge Management

This course will cover the entire knowledge management cycle from knowledge capture and codification, to sharing and communities of practice, transfer and application. It will also include major theories and models in knowledge management. Students will learn to apply the case study research design in knowledge management in organizational improvement. Contemporary knowledge management software (including knowledge creation and sharing in social networking websites) will be covered. Finally, the course will explore knowledge management not just from the organizational perspective, but also from the individual perspective. (OL)

LIS 467 – Web Development and Information Architecture

Organizing and structuring content to help individuals, communities, and organizations find and manage internal and external Web-based resources and services. Application of current coding, metadata, and style standards to create Web documents. Evaluation of Web site quality and usability, and assessment of resource discovery tools. Strategic planning and user needs analysis for information architecture. Content inventory, organization, and management in support of wayfinding and navigation. Design documents for prototyping large Web sites. Readings, essays, design projects, and in-class presentations. (F2F, OL)

LIS 471 – Photographic Archives and Visual Information

Photographs as visual information. Problems of meaning, context, and definition. Responsibilities of the photo archivist. History of major types of photographic artifacts and development of photographic genres. Characteristics of 19th-century processes. Special problems of subject access and remote access. Utilization by scholars, visual researchers, and communication industries. Onsite examination of management practices in a variety of institutions. Guest specialists include, when possible, visitors from special libraries, historical societies, major archives, museums, and picture agencies. (F2F)

LIS 472 – Moving Image Archives

This course explores the primary formats, technologies, approaches, and social dimensions of archiving and preserving motion picture film, magnetic video tape, and digital moving images. We study the preservation of moving images from historical, theoretical, and critical perspectives that inform archival practice. Course topics include: the field of moving image archives; histories of moving image technologies; preservation approaches, field-specific standards; ethics; and the presentation of moving images. It is recommended that students wishing to enroll in the course have already taken LIS 439 Preservation Management or LIS 438 Introduction to Archival Methods and Services or LIS 448 Digital Stewardship. (F2F)

LIS 473 – Information Visualization (formerly LIS 593D)

Information visualization is the interdisciplinary study of the visual representation of large-scale collections of non-numerical information, such as library and bibliographic databases, networks of relations on the Internet, query and retrieval set relationships. Collections of digital objects — text-based and digitized visual resources — are part of a larger stream in information work of presenting large volumes of data in graphic forms from library, archive, museum, and scientific work. Traditionally, information visualization has been associated largely with information retrieval, data mining, and information graphics with purposively design explanatory images, but as the volume of digital resources grows and visualizing techniques are simplified, library systems, digital libraries, and special-purpose information systems in both the sciences and humanities turn to visualization techniques to display, explain, and help users establish meaning from the retrieved data sets. This course complements Photographic Archives and Visual Information (LIS 471) and similar visual resource-centric classes as well as born-digital-oriented materials, stored and processed. It may be studied on its own or be an application of what is learned in Data Interoperability and XML classes. (F2F, OL)

LIS 475 – Organizational/Information Ethics

The course will examine the ethical implications of decisions made within various organizational contexts regarding issues such as property ownership, strategy formulation, the utilization of computer technology, employee relations, accountability, conflicts of interest, as well as other topics relevant to today’s managers. Participants will examine the ethical implications of cases at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. The course will assist professionals to clarify and apply their own moral standards and ethical norms, beliefs, and values to unfamiliar, complex situations in which the appropriate application of these values may not be obvious. The course makes no effort to dictate what is “right,” “proper,” and “just” – that is left to the individual’s own moral standards of behavior and ethical systems of belief. (OL)

LIS 476 – Outreach and Advocacy for Cultural Heritage (formerly LIS 532E)

Outreach and advocacy are critical components of successful archives and cultural heritage programs, encompassing broad areas of user concerns from digital exhibits to educational programs to social responsibility. Students explore the principles of outreach, as well as strategies for identifying partners and the needs of diverse user populations. They learn how to develop public and educational programs, including exhibits and publicity and marketing tools for many audiences. Students also examine professional ethics and core values of advocacy and social responsibility in national and international settings. Prerequisites: LIS 407 and LIS 438 or LIS 432. (F2F)

LIS 477 – Digital Asset Management for Libraries, Archives and Museums (formerly LIS 532F)

The increasingly digital nature of the cultural heritage milieu is driving the convergence of practice in LAMs (libraries, archives and museums). Before appropriate technological solutions can be determined and implemented, requirements need to be defined and convincing use cases developed. Students taking this course learn the theoretical underpinnings and the practical skills specific to ascertaining user requirements, management and access of digital resources, focusing on commonalities among practice in libraries, archives and museums. Three areas crucial to the effective management of digital assets are emphasized: use-case analysis, technological skills, and project management. Students use applications, case studies, and scenarios in the Digital Curriculum Laboratory and complete a 60-hour guided project with a designated site. Prerequisite: LIS 488 or LIS 460. (F2F)

LIS 481 – Library Collections and Materials for Children

This course addresses the evaluation, selection, and organization of materials for children (ages 0 – 12) in public and school library collections. Students will become familiar with materials for children in various formats, including the picture book, easy reader, transitional book, and chapter book; and will attend to fiction and nonfiction published to meet young people’s recreational and curricular reading and information needs and interests. This course places strong emphasis on the evaluation of both individual items and library collections of children’s material as well as on the selection of material for children for the purposes of collection development. (F2F, OL)

LIS 482 – Library Programs and Services to Children

This course examines trends and techniques in planning and delivering public library services to children and their families. Attention is paid to the learning needs and recreational interests of children through the various stages of childhood. Students have opportunities for observation and practice of storytelling and other program techniques. Emphasis on planning, developing, funding, publicizing and evaluation of services and programs. (F2F, OL)

LIS 483 – Library Collections and Materials for Young Adults

This course addresses the evaluation, selection, and organization of materials for young adults (young people ages 12 – 18) in public and school library collections. Students will become familiar with materials for young adults in various formats and genres, including traditional and graphic novels, and will attend to fiction and nonfiction published to meet young adults’ recreational and curricular reading and information needs and interests. This course places strong emphasis on the evaluation of both individual items and library collections of young adult material as well as on the selection of material for young adults for the purposes of collection development. (F2F, OL)

LIS 484 – Theories of Information Science (formerly LIS 532K)

This course covers the fundamental concepts and theories pertaining to information science. The course content includes core concepts and theories, information context, user and needs, information seeking and behavior, information interaction and retrieval, information use, and other related topics. Through this course, students will examine, analyze, and synthesize professional and scholarly work in this field, develop an understanding of the history of the field, and project the future of information science and their own leadership role within it. Assignments may range from literature search, opinion paper, annotated bibliography, in-class presentations on theories and models, to oral history interviews of persons in the field. This is a required course for master’s students in the IST concentration. IST students are advised to take the course early in their program of study. (F2F, OL)

LIS 485 – Introduction to Programming (formerly LIS 532J)

Introduces computer science and programming using a high-level programming language (currently Python). Teaches program design in the context of contemporary practices both object oriented and procedural. Presents fundamental computer science topics through initiation and design of programs. Students learn to think logically and to apply this thinking to debugging computer programs. (OL)

LIS 486 – Systems Analysis in Information Services

From a foundation of systems theory, the software- and systems-development life cycle, intergroup communication, this course considers all aspects of the analysis of information systems documentation (needs analysis, feasibility study) and improved systems design (logical and physical design (e.g., technical needs; input and output requirements [forms, screens, reports, &c]; networking; pseudocoding; UML and object-data models; SQL; evaluation and documentation). The course also covers management, personnel, and resource issues of project management, such as “build-or-buy” analysis and communicating with user groups. By casting libraries as small enterprises, students work with a specific library information systems project, such as a digital library project, to construct a professional-grade project analysis, in the form of a project portfolio, and present their analysis to the class. Prerequisite: LIS 488 or LIS 460. (F2F)

LIS 487 – Data Interoperability (formerly LIS 531Z)

Libraries and archives rely on data. While data is ubiquitous, the formats in which data is stored can vary widely. The differences in formats can hinder the accessibility of useful information and lead to difficulties in finding answers to questions. This class examines different data formats, and how the information they store can be transformed into other formats, and the inherent difficulties in some of these transformations. This class uses the Python programming language and related libraries to examine and transform data in a variety of formats, including .txt, CSV, XML, and JSON. By the end of the course, students will be able to write programs to perform these transformations accurately, and with awareness of potential ways that data can be lost or mistranslated. Prerequisite: LIS 485. (F2F, OL)

LIS 488 – Technology for Information Professionals

This course provides the conceptual foundation and context of computing, Internet and related technologies as used in information-intensive professions. With an emphasis both on concepts (along with an emphasis on terminology that appears in the professional literature) and skills (interactive demos and/or hands-on sessions), the course encourages students in trying out and learning new pieces of technology. The course provides an overview of topics such as how computers work (hardware, software, history of IT); networking; internet, related technologies and the future of WWW; content management systems; RDBMS and XML; ethics; security; information search and retrieval; the impact and implications of technological change on libraries, archives and other information centers; technology today and tomorrow; and other related topics. Along with providing the general technology foundation needed before taking other technology courses offered at SLIS, this course also introduces some of these other courses. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course early in their course program. Required Course. (F2F, OL)

LIS 490 – International and Comparative Librarianship

Comparison of American and foreign library systems in terms of national differences in philosophy, objectives, and services. Evaluation and comparison of collection policies, technical processes, public services, professional training, management, and facilities. Selected in-depth area studies. International cooperation and major projects in the information fields; contributions of international organizations. Guest lectures, presentations, and individual research projects. (OL)

LIS 491 – Reader’s Advisory and Trends in Popular Culture (formerly LIS 532R)

This course is designed to teach students how to meet the popular reading needs of adult public library users. Genre fiction, literary fiction and non-fiction titles along with readers’ advisory resources and tools are explored. The relationship of readers’ advisory services with reference, and other library programs, research on adult reading, and with popular reading in an information society will be examined. While the course introduces the basic principles of reader’s advisory work, subjects or genre, because of the immense body of literature available, will be covered in a brief, introductory manner. The fiction genres included are adventure, western, mystery/crime, science fiction, fantasy, romance, historical fiction, Christian fiction, and horror. Non-fiction subjects include how-to-do-it, biography, self-improvement, and consumer health. Readers’ advisory services including the interview, book lists, and book discussion groups are examined. Relevant research, trends and issues related to readers’ advisory are discussed. Prerequisite: LIS-407. (F2F)

LIS 493 – Intellectual Freedom and Censorship

This course provides students with in-depth knowledge of intellectual freedom and related access issues that information professionals cope with in libraries and information settings. Students learn about the history of censorship practices, the evolving and sometimes controversial role of librarians/information professionals and others who promote the philosophy of intellectual freedom, the policies of various countries and associations regarding intellectual freedom and ethical practice, freedom of information and privacy legislation, and overall influence of technology on censorship and access issues. Prerequisite: LIS 407, LIS 415. (F2F, OL)

LIS 495 – Practicum Equivalent Experience (preK-12)

The Practicum Equivalent Experience provides students with the opportunity to apply in a school setting the skills and knowledge that he/she has learned throughout the School Library Teacher Program. If a student is currently working in a school library as “the teacher of record,” he/she can choose to substitute one of the practica with a Practicum Equivalent Experience. The Practicum Equivalent Experience allows the student to receive credit for work experience gained at the school in which he/she is employed. The Practicum Equivalent Experience is done under the direction of a college supervisor and supervising practitioner. The minimum time requirement for a Practicum Equivalent Experience is 300 clock hours. Registration is made by arrangement with the director of the School Library Teacher Program. Prerequisites: LIS 495 is a capstone experience which is completed after all pre-practicum course work has been completed. (F2F)

LIS 498 – Practicum (preK-8)

This is an educational field-based experience at the preK-8 grade level for students needing a practicum as certification requirement. Students will have the opportunity to practice school library skills and methods under the direction of a college supervisor and supervising practitioner. A minimum of 150 clock hours will be arranged. Registration is made by arrangement with the director of the SLT program. Prerequisites: LIS 498 is a capstone experience which is completed after all pre-practicum (course) work has been completed. For students who are graduating in a given semester, he/she may concurrently take remaining course work and a practicum. (F2F)

LIS 499 – Practicum (7-12)

This is an educational field-based experience at the 7-12 grade level for students needing a practicum as certification requirement. Students will have the opportunity to practice school library skills and methods under the direction of a college supervisor and supervising practitioner. A minimum of 150 clock hours will be arranged. Registration is made by arrangement with the director of the SLT program. Prerequisites: LIS 499 is a capstone experience which is completed after all pre-practicum (course) work has been completed. For students who are graduating in a given semester, he/she may concurrently take remaining course work and a practicum. (F2F)

LIS 500 – Independent Study

The independent study program provides an opportunity for the student with a distinguished academic record, who has achieved degree candidacy, to pursue an individual topic related to his/her own interests for use in a substantial paper or project. A faculty member guides and advises the student in conferences, reviews preliminary drafts, and assigns the final grade. Academic credit is dependent upon substantial accomplishment at a distinguished level of quality. Members of the faculty actively encourage publication of those completed seminar studies that represent useful contributions to professional literature. The study proposal must be initiated by the student at least eight weeks before the semester in which it is to be undertaken. The student bears responsibility for formulating the study, approaching an appropriate faculty member, securing his/her consent to act as a sponsor, and submitting a full written statement outlining the study to that sponsor at least four weeks before the semester opens. Ask your advisor for instructions and Independent Study proposal forms. Prerequisite: 9 credit hours.

LIS 505 – Special Topics

This is a course open to a variety of subjects and topics. The intent is to provide a space in the curriculum for a course that can cover new/hot topics that are not expected to become part of the permanent curriculum. Previous offerings include: Intersectionality, Technology and the Information Professions; Decentering Whiteness in Library & Information Science; Crisis Management and Rapid Response in Libraries; and Information policy.

LIS 506 – Government Archives (formerly LIS 505M)

This course focuses on the specific settings, requirements, opportunities and challenges faced by organizations charged with the collection, preservation, access and retention of records created through the activity of governing. Starting from the notion of a “record’ as it applies in a government context, this course explores the unique legal, social and ethical responsibilities of government archives. It investigates the imperative of the appraisal, preservation and access to those records in a democratic society. Government archives represent a key category of archival institutions that confront the tensions between access and recordkeeping, and this course explores traditional archival functions, using the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as a point of analysis. In addition, the course will look at the challenges faced by State Archives as well as municipalities or towns. Topics covered will include the relationship and development of legislation and record keeping, the impact that that legislation can have on the mission of government, and the public’s understanding and expectations of the institution.

While the course primarily focuses on government agencies in a U.S. context, international government archives will be explored.

LIS 507 – Museum Studies (formerly LIS 532Q)

This course provides a theoretical and practical introduction to Museum Studies. Students will read academic scholarship on the history of museums, the cultural and epistemological functions they have served and the ethical dilemmas they face. Through a combination of lectures, site visits and conversations with leaders in the field, they will also examine how real-world institutions organize, preserve and exhibit their collections, serve their audiences and make use of new technologies. Students will learn about professional roles including curation, collections management, registration, education and fundraising. The class will examine the continuing divide between arts institutions and historically marginalized communities, and analyze how (and how well) a variety of organizations are reaching out to diverse audiences today. Students taking this class at the graduate level will complete supplementary assignments and readings. (F2F)

LIS 512 – Advanced Field Experience in LIS

This course is a focused field experience combined with a related academic components. The field experience involves a minimum of 130 hours in an LIS setting and approximately 20 hours of coursework completed online. As a 3-credit course, it has a significant hands-on learning component. Through discussion with key personnel in the organization and working under professional supervision, the student gains hands-on experience in the information environment. Examples of coursework include: readings; discussion forums; reflections or journal entries; and/or examples of field work. Prerequisite: 18 credit hours including all SLIS core and concentration requirements. (OL)

LIS 530 – Current Topics

The 530 series of courses allows the faculty the opportunity and flexibility to develop courses based on current interests and trends in the field. After a course has been offered several times, the faculty vote on whether it will be entered into the regular curriculum or cease to be offered. Please note: some of these courses may be offered only occasionally rather than on an annual basis. After being offered twice, LIS 530 courses are typically moved into the permanent curriculum and given new course numbers.

LIS 532I – Sites of History

“Sites of History” examines the practice and theory of public history at an advanced level, for those who plan to apply their academic historical studies in public settings. The seminar focuses on key challenges and issues that professionals confront in engaging the public in meaningful representations of history. We will also examine connections and differences between public historians and academic historians, as seen in particular in small museums, historical societies and history museums (including house museums). Questions we will explore include: How can historians constructively engage public audiences in examining the past? What role does historical research play within public history? How do public historians reconcile the need to attract audiences with standards of scholarly research, or with responsible museum stewardship? What commitment should public historians have to preservation versus innovation? Reading assignments will draw from interdisciplinary scholarship in museum studies, preservation, and public memory as well as history. Through field trips, guest lectures, and group or individual projects, we will take advantage of the abundant sites of history in the Boston area. The seminar’s research component requires students to put historical scholarship to “public” use by identifying and investigating a topic that has immediate relevance to the interpretation of history at a public site. The course presumes experience working in a public history setting as well as a strong background in academic history. (F2F)

LIS 532O – Planning and Evaluation

Libraries, archives and other information centers need to be able to gather and use data to demonstrate value and effectiveness to their stakeholders. Data can also guide information professionals to make strategic decisions as they respond to shrinking budgets, changing needs and behaviors of users and demand for improvement and innovation in services. In this course, students will apply the principles of planning and evaluation, problem solving, service improvement or innovation in the context of an information setting with an eye to leading and managing change. The course will cover various topics pertaining to the cycle of planning, design, data collection and outreach for a unique value proposition in an information setting. Students will be able to develop appreciation for the role of leadership in change management and decision making. (F2F)

LIS-532P: Intersectionality, Technology and the Information Professions

This course focuses on how race, gender, and other intersecting social identities, such as sexuality, social class, and ability, impact and are impacted by people’s interactions with information, technology, and the information professions. The contexts include culture, inclusion, and equity within: information professions; information technologies and services; classification and information organization; and information environments, including virtual environments. Students will gain a deeper understanding of critical perspectives on expressions of identity, disparate impact on use and users of technology, digital equity, and implications for professional practice. Prerequisite: LIS-488 (F2F)

LIS 532Q – Museum Studies

LIS-532R: Readers’ Advisory & Popular Culture Trends

LIS 532S – Foundations of Interprofessional Informationist (IPI) Practice

This course serves as an orientation course for IPI students on the fundamental concepts, theories, and practice of interprofessional informationists. It provides an overview of IPI as a profession by surveying the existing literature and professional discussions surrounding the conceptualization of the field. The information environment and workflow of an IPI will be outlined, as well as the organizational directions and systems thinking. The course may involve guest speakers from the field who have experience with IPI practices. (OL)

LIS 532T – Health and Biomedical Informatics

This course provides students with an overview of the field of health and biomedical informatics and the foundational disciplines on which it is based. Course requirements include weekly discussion of readings, and a semester-long project which involves a case study that documents and evaluates a particular health and biomedical institution in terms of its workflow and patient-doctor interactions. Project draft, project meeting, and final report and presentation will be expected as the project tasks. (OL)

LIS 532U – Scientific Research Data Management

An introduction to the field of scientific data management, this course explores the current relationships between libraries and their stakeholders seeking institutional support managing their research data. The course discusses the research data management roles and services, and uses the case study method to prepare IPI students for roles in scientific research data management. In examining the data practices of researchers in scientific fields, such as biomedicine and engineering, to illustrate how researchers produce data, the course will address how other researchers re-use this data for purposes of inquiry. The information tools used for research data management planning and research and data life cycles will be explored, as well as a variety of strategies information professionals are using to provide data consultancy services to their institutions’ researchers. (OL)

LIS 532V – Collaboration and Leadership

This course provides the fundamental concepts and theories related to leadership and collaboration. It integrates an academic introduction to the features and implications of collaborative leadership with more pragmatic work that develops skills IPI students may use as they establish their leadership strategies and pursue effective collaborations within and across multiple organizational settings. The course will cover a number of leadership and collaborative tools and processes which may be used to make critical decisions to prioritize actions, to manage stakeholders, to leverage network connections, and to initiate a new team aligned for success. Issues related to leadership and collaborative work that ensure goal alignment, clear commitments are made and met, and the establishment of a collaborative mindset will be addressed, as well as approaches of building trust, dealing with conflict, and preventing and resolving problems that block collaboration. (OL)

LIS 532X – IPI Capstone I

The capstone is a culminating academic and practical experience for the students in their second and final semesters. In Phase I, students will be introduced to various sites and mentors and will be observing and journaling what they learn about the sites. The end product of the Phase I Capstone is a proposal written by the students on their preferences of the sites and their plan of work for their proposed capstone project. (OL)

LIS 532Y – IPI Capstone II

In Phase II, students are embedded into a research or clinical team at one of the partner institutions according to their Phase I proposal.They will participate in weekly online meetings to share their experiences with fellow students and the course instructor. Students are expected to keep a journal documenting their experiences and submit it as a part of their final report. The final report will also include a summary, reflection and critical analysis of the capstone and the IPI program. Pre-Requisites: LIS-532X. (OL)

LIS-533A – Decentering Whiteness in Library & Information Science

This course will examine the social construction of whiteness in the United States and develop students’ approach to decentering whiteness in library and information science. This graduate seminar is for students interested in gaining a deeper understanding of key ideas and concepts from whiteness studies, critical race theory, and other theoretical frameworks in order to develop a more critical analysis of the history of race and whiteness in libraries and other information environments. By the end of the course, students should be able to examine the impacts of whiteness in our institutions and create action plans for decentering whiteness in our professions. (F2F)

Doctoral Courses

LIS 600 – Supervised Study (1 semester hour for Ph.D. students)

Open only to students in the doctoral program. Required of all such students (1) not in residence in any regular semester in order to maintain matriculation, (2) not taking a course for credit during the fall or spring semester, and (3) working on their concept paper, proposal, or their field research project. Supervised study may not be applied toward academic credit requirements for the doctoral degree.

LIS 601 – Independent Study for Doctoral Students

Independent Study offers an opportunity for the doctoral student to pursue individual study related to aspects of management not covered in detail in the regular course offerings. Independent Study may be a reading course, a group investigation of a topic of mutual interest, or a directed research project. An end result will be an oral presentation to the faculty supervisor and the Committee on Doctoral Studies, as well as a possible paper of publishable quality.

LIS 605 – Special Topics Seminar

This course offers an opportunity for elective doctoral seminars on different topics, and is designed to respond to current issues and interests. Each seminar topic must be approved by the Committee on Doctoral Studies before it is offered, and must be reapproved if it is repeated. The Doctoral Committee will bring each topic proposal to the Curriculum Committee for discussion prior to making a final decision. This course is open to master’s students with the permission of the instructor.

Each seminar will contain the following elements:

Focus on a narrow and clearly-defined topic which is not taught as a course in the master’s program.
Focus on theoretical analysis and reflection.
A reading list at an appropriate level for doctoral studies.
A final paper suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, or some other form of creative output.

Prerequisites: SLIS doctoral students: LIS 620; master’s students and graduate students from other units of the University: permission of the instructor.

LIS 620 – History, Concepts, and Research Opportunities

LIS 620 serves as a foundation and a cohort-building course. The course takes an international perspective in exploring historical developments, current issues, and research activities of interest to library and information science, archival studies, and related information fields. It reviews the history and major developments in LIS education and considers the role of scholarship in higher education. It introduces key topics related to the research process, including problem identification, funding opportunities, the communication of findings, use of human subjects, research ethics, and research misconduct. Assignments include papers, presentations, leading classroom discussions, and completion of the Simmons University Institutional Review Board “Investigator 101” module. This is the required first course for PhD students.

LIS 621 – Conducting Research

This course addresses the theories, principles, and practices of social science research. It examines reflective inquiry (including the development of the problem statement, literature review, theoretical framework, logical structure, research objectives, and questions/hypotheses) and research design, data collection methods, and data analysis. The course also covers generalizability, reliability and validity, and the report and presentation of research results. Methods in quantitative and qualitative data analysis are introduced. Students are able to develop their own research proposals and select appropriate methods based on specific research questions. The course builds on themes and research concepts introduced in LIS 620: History, Concepts and Research Opportunities. The course requirement might include assignments, quizzes, research projects, and presentation of the research results. Pre-req: LIS 620.

LIS 642 – Applied Statistics for Library & Information Science

This course covers basic statistical methods and tools for exploratory data analysis in social sciences, focusing on basic concepts of probability theory, experimental design, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and regression analysis.

LIS 699 – Dissertation

Open only to doctoral students who have completed 33 credit hours and have successfully passed the comprehensive examination. Note: while working on the dissertation or field research project, students are enrolled in LIS 600 for the fall and spring semesters.

Doctoral students may also take LIS 400- and 500-level core and elective courses.