Fall 2006

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

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

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

Winter 2007

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

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

MUS 512 - Seminar in Ethnomusicology
Deals with advanced theoretical and methodological problems in ethnomusicology, and with the relationship of ethnomusicology to allied disciplines.

Spring 2007

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

LIS 540 - Information Systems, Architectures and Retrieval
Concepts, processes, and issues related to the larger social context within which the life cycle of knowledge is played out. Discussion topics include intellectual freedom, information as public/private good, intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, information liability, information and telecommunications policy, the economics of information, and other professional values.

LIS 569 - Book Lust 102
Many library users head straight for the genre fiction when they're choosing what to read next. Since it's such a popular part of a public library's materials collection, it's vital that librarians have a close familiarity with the various genres. Through reading and discussion, class members will gain familiarity with the characteristics of the most popular genres, including speculative fiction, mystery/thriller/suspense, romance, westerns, and graphica. Students will gain practice in book talking, preparing annotated booklists, and making reading suggestions to library users.

Summer 2007

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

LIS 598 - Directed Fieldwork
Internship at the Cornish College of the Arts. Copy-cataloged and created original catalog records for more than 200 musical scores, art monographs, and theatrical scripts.

Fall 2007

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

LIS 538 - Metadata: Evolving Principles and Practices
Principles, skills and practices in the conceptualization and implementation of metadata and metadata systems with a focus on semantic interoperability in distributed environments. Topics include metadata development for attribute and value spaces, metadata registry roles and services, organizational mechanisms, Web Services and advanced search engines.

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

Winter 2008

LIS 533 - Advanced Cataloging and Classification
In-depth theory and practice in library cataloging and classification. Includes introduction to cataloging materials in a variety of formats.

LIS 598 - Directed Fieldwork
Worked on the new collection Puget Sounds: Documenting Music Close to Home, at the Odegaard Undergraduate Library Media Center. Worked mainly on creating a collection development policy, selecting music for purchase, and marketing the web presences of the collection.

LIS 600 - Independent Study
Under the supervision of Mike Crandall, MSIM Program Chair, developed a metadata schema for representing 78 rpm collections on the semantic web, implemented the schema at the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives using Greenstone Digital Library Software, developed cataloging procedures, and created all associated documentation for the project.

Spring 2008

LIS 535 - Classification Theory
Survey of classificatory principles from bibliographic, philosophical, socio-cognitive, and linguistic perspectives. Overview of history of bibliographic classification and exploration of some existing bibliographic classification systems. Ramification of theoretical approach for classification practice.

LIS 588 - Special Librarianship
Seminar in the practice of special librarianship in business and industrial firms, government agencies, and the free-lance sector. User services and information resources.

LIS 529 - Information Access in the Humanities
How has technology changed the way research is done in the humanities? What are the humanities, anyway, and what do its scholars need beyond primary texts? Is the world of humanities reference irrelevant, or is there still a need for the dedication, skill, and insight that well-trained librarians can provide? We'll tackle these issues and others while analyzing information problems and resources in the humanities, covering the fields of philosophy, religion, visual and performing arts, language, and literature.

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

Course descriptions from the University of Washington iSchool, available at http://www.washington.edu/students/crscat/lis.html