School of Library and Information Science
Tom Reichert, Ph.D., Dean
Karen Gavigan, Ph.D., Interim Director, School of Library and Information Science
As a professional school grounded strongly in the sciences and liberal arts, the School of Library and Information Science emphasizes the value of a broad educational foundation as well as proficiency in information and communication skills. Information Science is the study of the cognitive, social, technological, and organizational roles of information in all its forms and rests on three foundations: content, people, and technology. That is, the substance of the information being created, communicated, stored, and/or transformed; the people who interact with this content; and the technology used to support content creation, communication, storage, or transformation.
The program emphasizes research-based learning and incorporates opportunities for service learning, internship, and work-study in a wide range of public and private organizations and agencies. In addition to providing a strong background for graduate work in library and information science, law, social science, and business, the graduate will be well suited to compete for beginning level positions as a competitive intelligence analyst, consultant, database developer and analyst, data mining specialist, information architect, archivist and records manager, information broker, information consultant, Internet researcher, knowledge management consultant, online searcher, navigation designer, researcher/analyst, Web designer/developer/programmer, and others related to organizational needs for workers who understand information resources and services.
Progression Requirements
Each student within the school is expected to make orderly progress toward a baccalaureate degree. To facilitate this, the school’s undergraduate program is divided into upper and lower divisions.
- Lower-division students are those who have earned fewer than 60 semester hours toward the degree or who do not meet admission requirements to the upper division.
- Admission to the upper division is based upon a minimum 2.50 cumulative UofSC GPA; completion of SLIS 201 and SLIS 202 with grades of C or higher; completion of 60 or more semester hours toward the degree; completion of most general education requirements (see below); selection of a particular program of study within the School; and selection and approval of a minor. All students desiring to be admitted to the upper division must formally apply for admission some time after completion of 45 semester hours and SLIS 201 and SLIS 202 and before completion of more than 75 hours of University course work.
- All students must maintain a minimum 2.50 GPA on UofSC courses in order to maintain good standing in the School and to graduate with a B.S. in Information Science. Grades will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Students who have less than a 2.50 GPA on UofSC work are not in good standing and will be placed on probation within the School. With the exception of upper-division courses, they may continue to take course work toward their degree if seats are available.
- All majors within the School will be expected to pass all Information Science courses used toward the degree with a minimum grade of C.
- No Information Science course may be repeated more than once by any student.
Second Degree
Students from other UofSC colleges who expect to obtain a second baccalaureate degree from the School of Library and Information Science meet regular admission and progression requirements of the School, must be assigned an Information Science advisor, and must formally apply to and be accepted by the School not later than the next-to-the-last semester in which the student expects to receive the Information Science degree.
Courses
Major concepts, principles, theories, issues, and trends in the development of Information Science.
An introduction to the basic information technologies used in all types of information organizations and the essential concepts and skills needed for information literacy.
Carolina Core: INF
Introduction to information services and sources available in print and electronic format. Techniques for locating, evaluating, and using information resources basic to academic work.
Comprehensive overview of responsive website development for information-intensive organizations. Examine the current tools and standards used in today’s field and learn how they function together in a modern web environment. Web development foundation focusing on content management and website design with an emphasis on today’s myriad of viewing devices and specific reference to the unique needs of information-intensive institutions.
Introduction to the concepts, issues, theories, and techniques of information storage and retrieval systems.
Problems and ethical issues that arise in the development and implementation of information policies in Information Science.
A study of materials for children from birth through elementary school (age 13) with emphasis on the evaluation, selection, and use of those materials to meet the educational, cultural, and recreational needs of children.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service
The basic information technology concepts and applications relevant to library and related information environments. Unique information technology needs and applications of information-intensive organizations.
History, development, and implementation of theories and practices associated with managing information environments.
Introduction to the background, principles, practices, and technologies of knowledge management for library and information professionals.
Examines the design, uses, and effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) from the standpoint that society and technology mutually shape one another.
Online resources specific to mass communications, research strategies, organization and creation of digital information.
Processes and techniques for designing user-centered information systems on the Web. Issues of needs analysis, content development, cognitive models, human-computer interaction, interface design, and usability testing.
The students will review knowledge discovery basics concepts, techniques, tools, and applications. This course is project based and the students will develop new Wikipedia pages by reading papers in a selected domain.
Problem of identifying or defining cultural heritage and the issues and problems in preserving, accessing, and managing cultural heritage information. Issues such as copyright/ownership, technical problems of preservation and intellectual access, and the different ways in which libraries, archives, museums, zoos and other cultural heritage institutions operate.
Supervised field experience in an information agency relevant to students professional goals. Approval of the appropriate internship application must be submitted early in the semester preceding enrollment.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships
Knowledge and skills for applying complementary technologies for learning in distributed learning environments (Pre-K-lifelong) through lecture, demonstration, and discussion.
Media resources and techniques for children from birth to 9 years. Reading interests and developmental needs of young children. Authors, illustrators, indexes, bibliographic tools, evaluation sources, and professional literature. Not open to students enrolled in M.L.I.S. program.
Media resources for children. Reading interests of children and their curricular and independent needs for information. Authors, illustrators, indexes, bibliographic tools, and sources of evaluation of materials for children. Techniques and literature for read-aloud programs and storytelling. Not open to students enrolled in M.L.I.S. program.
Media resources for adolescents. Reading interests of adolescents and their curricular and independent information needs. Study of relationships of media to information needs and critical comparison between classic and contemporary materials for adolescents. Indexes, bibliographic tools, and sources of evaluation of materials. Not open to students enrolled in M.L.I.S. program.
Specific topics of current concern to the library, information, and media professions to be identified by title. Not open to students enrolled in M.L.I.S. program.
Introductory knowledge for school library media specialists, teachers, administrators, parents, and other citizens interested in practical applications of information technology to support learning, decision making, and community building.
Knowledge discovery techniques and applications.
Foster theoretical insights about information visualization. Prepare small and large-scale datasets for visual representations. Project-based and students will map real datasets and understand the methods to interpret the visualizations.
Storytelling methods, techniques, and materials encompassing heritage, art, literature, and programming.
Focuses on theories, models, and concepts of information behavior. Emphasizes information seeking and use practices and activities in relation particular communities, channels and barriers to information, and the impacts of technology. Provides an introduction to methods that can be used to study information needs, information seeking behavior, and related phenomena.
Addresses the renewed phenomenon of fake news, misinformation/disinformation, and its related concepts; then focuses more explicitly on the affective information behaviors that influence our interactions with information and help us intellectually thrive in a post-truth society.