MLIS: Library and Information Science Courses
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Required of all entering students. Presented in the form of a packet of readings and a brief orientation at the beginning of a student's first term. No credit given.Orientation to the M.L.I.S. program, the information professions, basic concepts and vocabulary, and the literature of the field.
Click here for the 501 coursepack.
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Required of all students during a fall or spring term late in their program of study. Students must attend at least three offerings. No credit given.
A series of lectures with discussions, featuring guest speakers, that highlight current and recurring issues and introduce students to leaders in the field.
[17:610:510]
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Behavior vis-a-vis information as it bears on problems in library and information services and forms a theoretical and professional base for such services. Diverse contexts of information behavior; processes of information seeking, searching, using, and valuing. Assessment of studies of human information behavior in terms of relevance to library and information services.
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Methods of assessing individual and organizational information needs, with emphasis on quantitative social science research techniques. Includes evaluative methods as an essential component of planning; critiques of published research; computer laboratory sessions for statistical data analysis.
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Basic principles for designing the user interface in information systems, with special reference to computerized systems. Major topics include: relationships between users' models of information systems and the conceptual models presented to them; human cognitive capabilities; evaluation.
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This course focuses on the structure and design of school library programs by examining constructivist learning theories, information literacy, curriculum standards, as well as current trends in technology, outcomes based education and evidence-based practice. Integration of inquiry learning and information literacy across the curriculum is emphasized.
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The tradition of oral narration as a medium of cultural communication, appraisal of literatures suitable for oral presentation; techniques for introducing literature through story hours, creative dramatics, and multimedia; the use of new media and electronic technologies for presentation to audiences at a distance.
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Design, planning, implementation, and management of programs and services based on cognitive and developmental abilities. Emphasis on research and evaluation. Study of information services for, and advocacy on behalf of, young people.
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Language, ethnicity, culture, disability, and other conditions that can hamper access to appropriate library information services; methods for studying communities in these categories and developing relevant programs and resources. Students write grant proposals to implement needs-based information services for target groups in specific settings.
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The global information society requires new approaches to work, citizenship, education, and the problems of daily living. The rapidly changing information environment calls for restructuring information services and professions in major ways. This course examines theoretical and practical frameworks for a user centered approach to information service that respond to a community of practice. Emphasis is on designing services and systems that support the active process of learning from information for adding value to an enterprise.
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Development of effective instruction in the use of information resources and technologies in all types of library settings. Special attention is paid to adult learning theory and to the integration of information seeking behavior with instructional design. Students practice instruction in cooperation with librarians and library users in various settings.
[17:610:520]
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Introduction to the options and methods for describing and organizing messages, texts, and documents of all types (audio, visual, linguistic, graphic, multimedia) for retrieval. Classification; indexing languages, vocabulary management, and thesauri systems;
human and machine techniques; and rationales for decisions about the organization of materials In various contexts. Students apply theory by designing and evaluating an Information retrieval (IR) database.
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Detailed examination of options for knowledge representation in the design of message, text, and document databases and information retrieval (IR) systems; principles of indexing, abstracting, and domain analysis; human and machine methods; syntax and vocabulary management; display and interface options. Students apply theory by designing and evaluating an IR database.
[17:610:522]
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This course is an introduction to the theories, systems, and practices of cataloging and classification presented within a broad historical and contemporary context. Emphasis is on a basic understanding of the function and creation of library catalogs and catalog surrogates and on acquiring the ability to use and interpret cataloging tools effectively. The major cataloging schemes, formats, and systems used in the U.S. will be examined, including AACR2R, the MARC21 format, the Dublin Core Metadata Set, Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress Classifications, and Library of Congress Subject Headings. Extensive hands-on OCLC searching and editing experience.
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In-depth exploration of methods of displaying information retrieval options through classification: Naming concepts; selection of optimum facets and their arrangement; vocabulary management and ontologies; navigation issues; use of notation; application to internet-based information. Some historic classifications such as the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) and the Colon Classification may be studied.
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Detailed examination of issues and problems relating to the creation and application of metadata in various information environments. Major metadata schemes, encoding standards, and container architecture are examined with emphasis on functions, syntax, semantics, quality and evaluation. Additional topics for examination will include resource identifiers, controlled vocabularies, and metadata project management.
[17:610:530]
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Principles and practices associated with searching of a variety of information resources, based on professional services for information users and interactions between people-information-technology. Structure and vocabulary of resources relevant to searching. Information retrieval (IR) models, including Boolean (exact match), ranking (best match), and interactive models; web search engines; web resources. Interactive processes in information seeking and searching; mediation and interviewing process to model users. Search strategies and tactics for effective searching. Presentation and evaluation of search results. Ethics in searching. Includes laboratory exercises using a variety of resources from vendors, such as DIALOG and LEXIS/NEXIS, the web, and digital libraries.
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Advanced study of search strategies and tactics for searching computer and network-based information resources, including the Internet. Interactive processes in human information seeking and searching. Development of skills in need analysis, mediation and interviewing processes in reference and information retrieval, and in related search implementation. Evaluation of search process and results. Laboratory exercises using a range of online systems and search engines.
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Overview of creation, production, and distribution of materials. Emphasis on community analysis, collection development planning, criteria and methods for selection, collection evaluation, and collection management procedures and techniques.
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This course will emphasize the fundamental theory and practice of manuscript and archival administration, and its relationship to information management. The course will focus on accepted methodology and current issues relating to the collection, organization, preservation and use of historical materials.
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Examination of the document life-cycle of the records of organizations: generation and control--filing, storage, and retrieval systems using various technologies; protection and disposition--retention regulations and practices. Discussion of how records management concepts and contexts differ from archives and library organization and retrieval systems.
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Competitive and strategic intelligence can support various corporate and organizational objectives and functions. Systematic programs for gathering, analyzing, and disseminating information for decision making. Special attention to the information audit; to tailored selection and analysis of information for given user groups; and assessment of quality and value of information services.
[17:610:540]
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This course focuses on the full range of information resources studied and used in applied contexts, placing emphasis on access to information through reference tools and the uses of information by learners. Important considerations are an analysis of strategies for searching and evaluating these works and comparisons between printed and electronic media. Course content addresses information resources and their use in libraries and information service organizations. A great deal of emphasis is placed on research tools, communication, information services, policy development, and evaluation.
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Introduction to the nature and use of federal, state, local, and international government information resources. Problems relating to the acquisition, bibliographic organization, and reference use of public documents. Major emphasis on information resources of U.S. federal government.
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Generation, communication, use, bibliographic structure, and resources of scientific and technical information for managing collections and providing reference and information retrieval (IR) services. Special attention to the fields of biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, agriculture, and the environment.
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Generation and dissemination of business and economic information, with emphasis on the societal implications of communication and use of this information by private and public agencies. Students gain familiarity with both print and electronic resources.
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Study of print and electronic reference sources and research centers and organizations that produce information in the humanities. Special attention to interdisciplinary areas and problems in searching across fields.
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Bibliographic structures and resources used to provide collections and services in medical, dental, pharmaceutical, nursing, and other health fields. Emphasis on audiovisual materials, electronic searching, and networks in medical and dental schools, hospitals, and special libraries.
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An introduction to legal materials, focusing on federal and New Jersey research.
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Examination and evaluation of both print and nonprint materials for children, birth to age twelve. Emphasis on literary and artistic interpretations of picture books and other visual media, including the World Wide Web.
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Evaluation and selection of materials based on literary criteria and the biological, sociocultural, psychological, and developmental characteristics of young adults; guidance in their use. Emphasis on gender-fair and multicultural materials and the attitudes, interests, problems, and opportunities of young adults in contemporary society.
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Study of print and electronic reference sources and research centers and organizations that produce information in the social sciences. Special attention to interdisciplinary areas and problems in searching across fields.
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This course introduces computing concepts and basic information processing/management skills for knowledge workers through practice. Common data/information processing/management tools/skills covered include text editors/wordprocessors/HTML for text and Web pages; database management systems for factual data; and spreadsheet software for numeric data. For the networked information environment, focus is put on the Web technology: how the Internet works, client/server architecture for various Internet services, and practical skills on construction of Websites to organize information resources. Other issues related to information technology, such as data and system security, etc., are also discussed.
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Theory, design, use, and evaluation of information retrieval (IR) systems. Design principles for IR systems and their implementation, characteristics of operational and experimental retrieval systems, and evaluation of information retrieval systems.
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Computerization of library and information center circulation, catalogs, acquisitions, and other internal and external databases and control systems. System specification, procurement, and administration; database license negotiation; shared system governance.
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Fundamental issues, problems, and approaches to digital libraries, reflecting differing efforts and thinking in a number of fields and enterprises. Variety of digital library collections; organization, access, and use of digital libraries. Technical infrastructure; socioeconomic issues; integration of information resources; relation to traditional libraries. Current projects and initiatives.
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Design of presentations using texts, graphics, images, sounds. User interpretation, navigation, and interaction with visualizations. Visualization in information retrieval, and interfaces in library and information processes. Effective display and presentation of information in organizational contexts, using various formats, both print and electronic.
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A laboratory course in the design and production of multimedia resources for libraries, media centers, and information systems and other informational applications. Examines and critiques current uses of new media and provides skills in user-centered multimedia design.
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How to keep what we have for as long as we want to have it. The risks to physical materials, and the ways of preventing loss. Deterioration, environmental controls, and principles of handling. Reformatting. Digital preservation.
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Relational, object oriented and other database systems as tools for management decision making, for inclusion on the web and for other purposes. Custom designing versus off-the-shelf applications.
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Organizational, technical, and logistical issues
concerning the design and implementation of electronic collections,
documents, and services. Students learn in the context of building
their own prototype digital library.
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Management information systems (MIS) as a framework for decision support in libraries and other organizations, including analysis of decision tasks and supportive information requirement; data sources and management information flow patterns; planning and control loops; influence of organizational and end-user characteristics on the MIS design and implementation.
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An introduction to the current state of management theory, ethics and practice focusing
on leadership and the management of organizational change. Organizational culture explored as an underpinning for the principle roles and functions of managers, including developing information policy; and managing new information technologies, information and decision support systems, finances, human resources conducive to the creation of a multicultural workforce for a multicultural society.
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Leadership theory, principles and practices, particularly emphasizing feminist theory as it relates to a feminized profession; communication and diversity in organizations and in a global society; and, recurring professional and leadership issues within the local, national, and international structure of the library and information professions.
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Methods of assessing performance and value, with emphasis on evaluating each system or service in its context. Specification of criteria, measures, measuring instruments, and methods of evaluation related to a variety of library services, and to information retrieval (IR) systems.
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Introduction to fiscal management as a strategic planning process resulting in the selection of accounting systems and the development and control of budgets. Emphasis is on the creation of a financial plan based on an assessment of fiscal status, an environmental scan, market survey, and the selection and implementation of a budget format. Special attention is given to capturing alternate sources of funding, preparation of grant proposals and determination of appropriate investment strategies.
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Critical approach to theories and applications of knowledge management in corporations and organizations, with special attention to multinationals. Knowledge as a resource and asset. Role of special librarians/information specialists as knowledge brokers. Knowledge repositories and transer of technology. Applications of information technologies to knowledge management.
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Students conduct a case study of a school library media center, with emphasis on how it responds to the nature of the community and the mission of the district and the school. The facility, the collection, staffing, and funding are analyzed. A long-range improvement plan is produced.
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Applications of general principles and theories of supervision to current problems in library media center administration. Students will learn theories, competencies and techniques needed to function as a supervisor in schools and school districts.
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Issues in the cost and impact of information systems, both print and electronic. The supply chain from authors through publishers, jobbers, and libraries to readers. Methods for estimating costs, describing impacts, and conducting benefit analysis. Use for management decisions. Economics of scale and of scope. Internet commerce in information and competing paper and electronic formats.
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Information Professionals interact with many different people on a daily basis including: clients and library users of all types, colleagues, support personnel, and administrators. This course provides an overview of interpersonal communication theory with in-depth analysis of its practical application in LIS settings. Topics include: strategies for understanding and improving interpersonal interactions, professional-client interactions, dealing with problem users and situations, the role of nonverbal communication, and intercultural communication.
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Introduction to the production, dissemination, and consumption of knowledge in society, related to roles of information professionals and the functions of libraries and other information institutions. Differences among disciplines in how knowledge is recorded and transmitted. Global issues and trends in society that have affected scholarly communication and the access to information for the public.
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Technological innovation, computerization, and electronic information are associated with dilemmas, value conflicts, and choices surrounding the scholarly, personal, and professional use of information. Addresses social relationships, technological utopianism, societal control, vulnerability of information systems, and ethical responsibilities.
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The economic, social, and political forces affecting the introduction and implementation of current information legislation and policy, set within the theoretical context of frame refection. Emphasis on national and global policy in the design of evolving electronic infrastructures. Particular attention given to issues of access, including universal service, intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights, privacy, security, advocacy, equity, and the role of library and information professionals and organizations in policy formulation.
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Historical overview of literary content, illustration, social values, and publishing of literature for children, primarily in England and the United States. Consideration of scholarship and resources in the field.
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An examination of picture books for children from a feminist standpoint and various cultural perspectives. Emphasis on identification of books that use powerful verbal and visual images to promote self esteem and cultural awareness.
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This course focuses on the examination and evaluation of materials for adult library users, with special attention to fiction genres. Use of materials in programming. Emphasis on popular culture and adult literacy.
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The course will examine the production and circulation of knowledge in light of
changing technologies, institutions and textual forms. An overview and comparison
of textual transmission in oral, manuscript, print and electronic communication
environments will include regulatory frameworks and the history of “intellectual
property” (from attribution, authorship, to participatory ownership of creation). It will
examine the current scholarship relevant for understanding books, documents and
record manifestations comparatively. The focus on the book trades, web spheres,
and socio-technical systems such as digital libraries will prompt questions about the
nature of texts (print, non-print, and digital), their reception, associated literacy
practices, communities and institutional contexts. The course will present a critique
of the technological revolution perspective.
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Prior to registering, students write a proposal for the study, specifying rationale and outcome, and seek the approval of a faculty member who will supervise the investigation. Usually pursued near the end of a student's program of study.
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Requires a minimum of 150 hours of supervised professional work in a library or other information organization; attendance at meetings with the faculty advisor and other students; keeping a journal; and a brief summary paper. Placement is based on the student's background and career objectives.
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Prior to registering, students write a proposal for the study, specifying rationale and outcome, and seek the approval of a faculty member who will supervise the investigation. Usually pursued near the end of a student's program of study.
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New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.
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New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.
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New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.
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New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.
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Rutgers SCILS is a member of the WISE Consortium, a collaboration of accredited universities who offer online masters programs in library and information science. Students at Rutgers may be able to register for one or two online courses at another university through WISE, with permission of an adviser. WISE courses count as transfer credits to the MLIS program; note that a maximum of 6 transfer credits in total may be counted towards an MLIS degree.
