SC&I Courses

Introduction to options and methods for creating information systems that provide access to the content of a collection of resources, whether print or electronic, linguistic, audio, visual, graphical, or commercial. Comparison of different kinds of classification schemes such as library subject headings, folksonomies, taxonomies, and ontologies. Techniques for vocabulary control and for assessment of information system quality with respect to usability and maintainability. Application of basic design principles to information systems. Introduction to fundamentals of resource description using XML and RDF metamodels and the simple Dublin Core metadata schema.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of cataloging and classification. It emphasizes the functions of library catalogs identified in Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records, as well as the use of Resource Description and Access, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and the MARC21 (MAchine Readable Cataloging) encoding format in the creation and maintenance of such catalogs. It likewise covers the use of the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Library of Congress Classification as vehicles for access to information and in the organization of library collections. Due attention is given to the history of cataloging and classification and to the impact of the past on current practice and emerging developments.

In this project-based course, students will apply user-centered methods they learned in the design of interactive computing systems. Students will perform data collection, synthesize data, and design novel digital solutions to meet the needs of stakeholders. By completing their work, students will gain hands-on experiences with collaborative brainstorming, iterative design, rapid prototyping and usability evaluations to become interaction design professionals

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.

This course explores principles, services, processes, policies, and strategies for leading the development, organization, and implementation of an effective and innovative school library program to ensure equitable physical, digital, and intellectual discovery, access to, and usability of collection and resources for diverse learning communities. 

New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.

New courses developed in response to emerging areas of interest, and courses in traditional areas given occasionally as student demand dictates.

This course explores professional, user-centered strategies for seeking, finding, retrieving, managing, evaluating, and sharing information across an array of traditional and emerging digital platforms, as well as the evolving role of the information professional.

This course provides an introduction to the role that algorithms increasingly play in daily life, addressing the social forces that they both shape and that they are shaped by. Although algorithms are not new, their development and use has accelerated in recent years, resulting in a critical mass of academic literature on the topic. The course takes a multidisciplinary approach to interrogating algorithms, drawing primarily on literature from information science, computer science, and science and technology studies, with additional readings from disciplines such as philosophy, law, and public health. After completing this course, students will be able to critically engage with the role of algorithms in society on both theoretical and practical levels.

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.