Courses for Undergraduates
Courses
4217 Helen C. White Hall, 600 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706; 608/263-2900; uw-slis@slis.wisc.edu; www.slis.wisc.edu
Professors Lundin, Robbins (director); Associate Professor Downey, Eschenfelder, Pawley; Assistant Professors Kim, Klais, Paling, Smith, Trace, Whitmire
Undergraduate adviser: Barbara J. Arnold, 4217C H. C. White Hall, 263-2909; bjarnold@wisc.edu
Faculty diversity liaison: Ethelene Whitmire, ewhitmire@wisc.edu
The School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS), within the College of Letters and Science, offers programs in information studies and librarianship at the master's, specialist, and doctoral levels. Undergraduates with junior or senior standing may take graduate level courses from the school. (L&S students should be aware, however, that degree credit for graduate courses can be earned only under certain conditions. See the heading Graduate Courses in the L&S section of this catalog.)
The information profession is concerned with the ways people create, collect, organize, store, analyze, distribute, send, and use information. Students may prepare themselves for a variety of careers available in today's information-based society, including: information resources manager, librarian, abstractor or indexer, online search specialist, information broker, library systems analyst, Webmaster, and information products and services sales representative. Examples of specialized programs that combine information studies with other disciplines or professional fields are: art, law, or music librarianship; archival studies, conservation and preservation; information services for children or older adults; and public administration for information services. The basic level of education for library and information studies professional positions is the master's degree built upon a bachelor's degree in any subject area.
Accreditation. The SLIS master's program is accredited by the American Library Association, the Wisconsin Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning (for certification of public librarians), and the State Department of Public Instruction (for licensing of school library/media specialists).
Some courses offered by the school are open to juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students who wish to include courses in information studies and librarianship in their undergraduate program must consult the school's undergraduate adviser.
Courses for Undergraduate Education Majors. Students interested in school librarianship need a license to teach in Wisconsin to hold a School Library Media Specialist license. The undergraduate and SLIS faculty advisers should be consulted on the program requirements.
Information also is available at www.slis.wisc.edu.
All classes listed in the course descriptions section will be offered regularly unless otherwise noted. Please check with the school office for information on specific courses.
319 Scandinavian Children's Literature. (Crosslisted with Littrans) Alt yrs.; 3-4 cr (L-I). Forms and themes of Scandinavian children's literature from the nineteenth century to the present. Exploration of the dominant concerns of authors, adult and non-adult audiences. Film adaptations and Scandinavian-American materials included. P: Jr st or cons inst.
354 Introduction to Children's Literature. (Crosslisted with English) II; 3 cr (H-I). This online course will cover various types of books for children (pre-K to teens) including picture books, folk and fairy tales, fiction, poetry. P: So st. Stdts may not receive cr for both 354 & 622.
399 Independent Reading and Research. 1-4 cr (I). Concentrated work on a subject or problem of the student's need or interest; students must submit a written report, paper, or other product covering the work accomplished. P: Cons inst.
450 Information Agencies and Their Environment. 3 cr (S-I). Basic communication theories and models; information users as individuals and as members of groups; production and transmission of information; nature and roles of libraries and other information agencies; the profession of librarianship. P: Jr st & cons of dept.
490 Field Methods and the Public Presentation of Folklore. (Crosslisted with Folklore) Alt yrs.; I; 3 cr (A). The course combines a fieldwork practicum with scrutiny of the cultural, political, and ethical dimensions underlying the documentation and public presentation of folklore through festivals, exhibitions, publications, and audio-visual productions. P: Sr st, two crses in folklore or cultural anthro or cons inst.
551 Organization of Information. 3 cr (S-D). Introduction to bibliographic organization and control, including cataloging, classification, indexing, file organization, vocabulary control and retrieval strategies. P: LIS 450 or con reg.
561 Information Use and Users. 3 cr (I). Survey of information needs, information seeking behavior, and information use by people in their various roles, situations, and contexts. Methods that are used to study information needs, uses, and information seeking behavior, including community analysis. P: LIS 450 or con reg.
569 History of American Librarianship. (Crosslisted with History) 3 cr (H-D). Development of American librarianship from Colonial times to the present, with special reference to the relationship of library institutions to their contemporary social, economic, cultural and political environments. P: Jr st; or Grad st in Slis.
570 History of Books and Print Culture. (Crosslisted with History, Journ) 3 cr (D). History of books and print culture in the West from ancient times to the present. Focus on the influence of reading and writing on social, cultural, and intellectual life. Methodologies, theories, and sources for study of book and print culture history. P: Jr st; or Grad st in SLIS.
571 Information Sources. 3 cr (I). Survey of societal communication processes, including scholarly communication, and important types of information sources produced by these processes; the information professional as an intermediary between information sources and information users. P: LIS 450 or con reg.
616 Records Management. 1-3 cr. An introduction to the role of records in society and to the principles and practices involved in managing records (both paper and electronic) in private and public sector organizations. Grad st in SLIS or cons inst.
617 Health Information Systems. (Crosslisted with ISyE) 3 cr (D). Provides grounding in core concepts of health information systems. Major applications include clinical information systems, language and standards, decision support, image technology and digital libraries. Evaluation of IE tools and perspectives designed to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of health information. P: Sr or Grad st, or cons inst.
620 Field Project in Library and Information Agencies. (Crosslisted with Curric) 2-8 cr. Analysis of field experience through seminars, individual conferences, required reading and consultations with cooperating librarians and information specialists. Enrollment limited. P: LIS 551, 552, 553, & 554; electives appropriate to the proposed project; & cons inst.
622 Children's Literature. 3 cr (S-I). Traditional sources to the present; criticism and evaluation; contemporary trends and issues. Techniques of reading guidance in school or public library in relationship to developmental interests, needs and skills of children. P: Jr st & cons inst; or Grad st in SLIS.
624 Story Telling and Oral Literature. 3 cr (S-D). The oral tradition in world literature for children. Techniques of interpretation through story telling; development of story telling programs in library, school and community. P: Jr st & cons inst; or Grad st in SLIS.
629 Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults. 3 cr (e-D). Focus on literature written or illustrated by U.S. citizens or residents which depicts people of color both within and outside the U.S. Emphasis on literature of past fifteen years with comparison to earlier literature. Publishing trends.
631 Young Adult Literature. 3 cr (S-D). Survey of background and current media interests and needs of young adults, with emphasis on reading interests. Critical examination of media trends, materials, selection criteria, guiding the individual user, censorship problems, as they relate to the young adult. P: Jr st & cons inst; or Grad st in SLIS.
639 Information Literacy. 3 cr. Introduction to the concept of information literacy and its significance for the practice of librarianship in school, public, and academic library settings. Students gain expertise and practice in conducting research and in teaching information literacy competencies. P: Grad st in SLIS or cons inst.
640 Topics in Library and Information Studies. 1-3 cr (D). Current issues in library and information studies that are not addressed in sufficient depth in existing courses or that combine facets of several existing courses. P: Jr st & cons inst; or Grad st in SLIS.
641 The School Library/Media Center. 3 cr. Its function in the educational program; the management, organization, and development of its media resources and services. P: LIS 561, 571, & 654 or con reg or cons inst.
642 Reading Interests of Adults. 3 cr. An examination of the nature and societal functions of a variety of mass media-generated adult reading materials, the standards by which they are judged, and their relationship to contemporary library and information science fields. P: LIS 561 & 571; 551 or con reg or cons inst.
644 Telecommunications and Network Management in Information Science. 3 cr (S-D). Analysis of present and emerging telecommunications and the relationship to information transfer. In the context of societal change, examination of developments in telecommunications and the implications for libraries/information agencies. P: Jr st & cons inst or Grad st in SLIS.
645 Intellectual Freedom and Libraries. 3 cr (S-I). An examination of the current trends and topics in intellectual freedom related to librarianship and of the historical and legal background of censorship in libraries. P: LIS 561, 571 or cons inst.
651 Cataloging and Classification. 3 cr. Basic cataloging and classification principles and suitable techniques. Includes descriptive cataloging, selected entry headings, Sears subject headings, Dewey Decimal Classification, book numbers, and cataloging with supplied copy including OCLC editing. P: LIS 551; 561 & 571 or con reg or cons inst.
653 Government Information Sources. 3 cr (A). Issues of United States government information policy. Structure, policies, and procedures of the Depository Library System. Selection, acquisition, and problems of access to government information sources, including electronic formats. P: Jr st & cons inst; or Grad st in SLIS.
654 Information Services Management. 3 cr (D). Survey of concepts and skills necessary to perform in an information services organization. Service needs assessment, goal and objective setting, staffing, budgeting and evaluation. P: LIS 551, 561 & 571 or con reg or cons inst.
655 Collection Management. II; 3 cr (I). A course in collection development designed to teach professional skills in selection and control of collections. The course examines large societal forces affecting the ways librarians have traditionally built collections and contemporary changes in access and ownership. P: Grad st in Slis or cons inst.
661 Information and Telecommunications Policy. 3 cr (A). Examines: selected public policy issues relating to information and communications; topics such as copyright, privacy, internet filtering, and the Freedom of Information Act; information policy-making process at both state and federal levels. P: Jr st & cons inst, or Grad st in SLIS.
663 Introduction to Cyberlaw. (Crosslisted with Legal St) 3 cr (A). This is an introductory course in the law of cyberspace. The emphasis is on critical thinking about a broad variety of legal and policy problems that arise because of ever-changing information and communication technologies. P: Jr st & cons inst, or Grad st in SLIS.
678 Preservation and Conservation of Library and Archives Materials. 3 cr. Basic concepts, principles, and approaches to protection and care of library and archives material, including nature and structure of paper- and plastic-based materials, deterioration, preservation management, disaster prevention, reformatting, and repair. Laboratory experience offered. P: LIS 561 & 571 or con reg or cons inst.