Course Catalog

Note: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, and 703 are considered to be core courses and are pre-requisite or co-requisite for most other selections.

GSLIS 700. The Technology of Information. 3 hr.; 3 cr. This course will introduce the student to the conceptual and practical elements of visual and computer literacy for the library and information science profession. Particular attention will be paid to the place and role of libraries and information centers. A laboratory session following each class will give students the opportunity to apply some of the concepts learned in class and to learn and strengthen basic skills.

 
GSLIS 701. Fundamentals of Library and Information Science. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Overview of the curriculum, historical introduction to librarianship and information science as a profession; professional literature; role and structure of libraries and information centers in the conservation and dissemination of knowledge to various clientele; nature of research in library and information science.

 
GSLIS 702. Information Sources and Service: General. 3 hrs.; 3 cr. Study and application of general reference, bibliographic and other information sources (Print and electronic); techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; criteria for evaluating these sources and service and for developing appropriate collections.

 
GSLIS 703. Introduction to Technical Services. 3 hr.; 3 cr. The focus will be on the principles of providing access to items using the current cataloging code and the provision of subject access to items through subject heading lists and classification systems. Study and practical exercises in all areas of technical services.

 
GSLIS 705. Organization and Management. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Fundamentals of administration; functions of management (planning, organizing, staffing, controlling and communicating) in various types of libraries and information centers.

 
GSLIS 709. Research and Bibliographic Methods. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703; completion of 24 course credits. Survey of research methods in library and information studies; supervised individual project to fulfill research requirement of the New York State Department of Education. Students enrolling must have completed at least 21 credits.

GSLIS 711. Collection Development. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Design of collection policy; criteria for selection and maintenance; evaluation techniques; resource sharing; organization and management of collection development, electronic and print.

 
GSLIS 713. Information Sources and Service: Science and Technology. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Study and application of reference, bibliographic and other information sources (print and electronic) in science and technology; techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; criteria for evaluating these sources and service for developing appropriate collections.

 
GSLIS 715. Information Sources and Service: Social Sciences. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Study and application of reference, bibliographic and other information sources (print and electronic) in the social sciences; techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; criteria for evaluating these sources and service and for developing appropriate collections.

 
GSLIS 717. Information Sources and Service: Humanities. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Study and application of reference, bibliographic, and other information sources (print and electronic) in the humanities; techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; criteria for evaluating these sources and service for developing appropriate collections.

 
GSLIS 719. Government Information Sources. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Structure of the U.S. government in relation to its official publications, selection, acquisition, organization and use of federal documents of the United States, with some attention to American state and municipal documents as well as international and United Nations publications; print and electronic access.

GSLIS 721. Advanced Technical Services. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. A survey course including several ancillary activities required for maximum access to the materials in a library collection. Principal topics are acquisitions, circulation policies and procedures, preservation and conservation, online public access catalogs, interlibrary loan procedures, and the administration of the technical services department. 

GSLIS 723. Problems in the Organization of Materials. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq. GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Advanced problems in cataloging and subject access applying AACR2, Dewey and Library of Congress systems; cataloging and subject analysis for new and special types of materials; utilization of centralized and automated processing; comparative study of other cataloging and subject analysis techniques; individualized student projects.

 
GSLIS 725. Bibliographic Control of Nonprint Materials. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course will introduce the principles of bibliographic control as they are applied to nonprint materials in libraries and other information agencies. Topics include the background and development of current practices, bibliographic description of the range of nonprint materials, and subject access.

 
GSLIS 727. Serials Librarianship. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course will address problems in serials librarianship for all types of libraries, covering purposes, organization and arrangement, collection development and acquisitions, bibliographic control and cataloging, reference tools and subject access, administration, budgeting and accounting, and personnel.

 
GSLIS 729. Introduction to Metadata for the Cataloging and Classification of Electronic Resources. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to the cataloging and classification of information objects (e.g. World Wide Web pages) in a distributed network. environment. It covers the principles and practice of bibliographic control for digital networked resources by using various metadata schemes, text encoding standards and cataloging rules, including ISBD(ER), MARC 21, Dublin Core, XML, Warwick Framework and RDF. Other metadata standards like EAD, TEI Header, PICS and MCF will also be discussed.

GSLIS 731. Development of Books and Printing. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq. GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Early writing systems; manuscripts and other forerunners of the typographic book; the hand-produced book and related arts; the impact of the steam press; new printing processes growing out of twentieth-century technology.

 
GSLIS 732. Archives and Manuscripts. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of managing archives and manuscript collections. The course will cover the theoretical basis for preserving and using historical records, the role of the archivist, and the various types of archives and manuscript repositories as well as the techniques of acquisition, arrangement, description, preservation, reference, and the handling of special formats such as photographs, moving images, sound recordings and electronic records.

 
GSLIS 733. Fundamentals of Library Conservation and Preservation. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course surveys the threats to unique materials in the library/information center's collection and introduces the basic methods employed to ensure the survival of these materials. The focus is on in-house procedures and techniques. Administration of the conservation/preservation program and emerging technologies are included. A materials fee will be charged.

GSLIS 734. Art Librarianship. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq. GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Survey, evaluation and application of reference and bibliographic resources (print and electronic) in the visual arts; techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; special issues in art and museum libraries.

 
GSLIS 735. History of Children's Literature to the Twentieth Century. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. The development of literature for children in Great Britain and North America, with major emphasis on the period from 1700 to 1900.

 
GSLIS 736. Records Management. 3 hr; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course will examine the history of recordkeeping; the records and information needs of businesses, nonprofits and governments; records management theory and practice; and the challenge posed by electronic records.

GSLIS 737. Literature for Children and Adolescents. 3hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq. GSLIS 700, 701,702, 703. Introduction to the forms and types of literature; criteria for excellence; techniques for analysis and evaluation; and identification of appeal and suitability for different types of readers.

 
GSLIS 738. Mythology and Folklore for Children and Adolescents. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introductions to myths, folklore and fairy tales from a wide range of cultures. Major recorders and collectors of mythology, folklore and fairy tales and the place of these stories in library/information center programs will be addressed. Professional resources and criteria for selection of these materials for the K-12 audience will be examined.

 
GSLIS 739. Literature for the Young Adult. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Survey of literature written for young people ages 12-17, includes historical development of specific genre, and consideration of the reading interests and needs of the young adult.

 
GSLIS 740. The Information Environment in Contemporary Society. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. An introduction to information products and services and how they relate to societal issues. The following will be studied: the interdisciplinary nature of research, industries that generate information products, human communication, information networks, the economics of information, intellectual property issues and information policy.

GSLIS 741. Information Systems Analysis and Design. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the concepts and methodology of systems analysis both organizational and automated. The course emphasizes problem solving and decision making skills and developing criteria for judgment. Current and developing uses of automation in libraries and information centers will be discussed and demonstrated.

 
GSLIS 743. Information Access Systems: Indexing, Abstracting, and Other Access Systems. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to the theory, methodology and implementation of text-based access systems. Identification, selection and organization of concept-bearing terms to generate patterns for document analysis, storage and information retrieval. Both manual and electronic information systems will be used to demonstrate patterns of storage and retrieval including graphics, user interfaces, indexes, abstracts and thesauri.

GSLIS 745. Online Research. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course will cover the structures, content, acquisitions and search methods of the following three types of databases: remote online databases obtained through a vendor, locally loaded databases available through campus or organizational computer installations, and locally stored databases on stand-alone or networked optical devices. At least three hours of supervised online searching. A materials fee will be charged.

 
GSLIS 747. Selected Technology Applications in Information Management. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to some of the latest developments in information technology of immediate relevance to information professionals; hands-on laboratory experience of the systems selected. Units and contents may be changed from time to time to reflect new developments in the information arena.

 
GSLIS 749. Libraries and the Internet. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. This course will introduce the student to the Internet on both a conceptual and practical basis. Special attention will be directed to the utilization of the Internet in libraries and information centers and in its overall societal problems and promise. A series of exercises will provide the student with the rudiments of access to and use of the Internet.

 
GSLIS 751. The Design and Evaluation of Visual Information. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to the techniques and tools used in the planning, production, and evaluation of multimedia visual displays of information. Special attention will be devoted to Internet Web pages and ways of presenting statistical and qualitative information in multimedia.

GSLIS 753. Digital Libraries. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to the emerging concept of the digital library; historical developments; current digital library projects and initiatives; issues involved in building, preserving and maintaining access to digital collections, and social and economic issues.

 
GSLIS 761. Organization and Management: Media Centers. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Organizational structure, theory, and managerial practice of libraries emphasizing nonbook materials, standards, personnel, budget, selection, information, and technical service.

 
GSLIS 763. Nonbook Materials: Sources and Service. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Evaluation, selection, and utilization of nonbook materials and technology to serve the library/information needs of all students, including those with special needs, faculty regardless of specialization; and to foster information literacy skills including cooperative programs with teachers, school library media centers, and other types of library and information agencies.

GSLIS 765. Resources for the School Curriculum. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Selection, evaluation, and utilization of instructional materials to support the curriculum on all grade levels. Special attention will be given to teacher-librarian collaboration and current educational developments in literacy and innovative programs for students with special needs.

 
GSLIS 767. Reading Motivation Techniques for Children and Adolescents. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Development of techniques and skills, to include collaboration with faculty in reading guidance; aspects covered include individual performance and group criticism of book talks, storytelling, and poetry reading. Strategies to work with faculty with responsibilities for literacy and students with special needs are components of the course.

 
GSLIS 771. Organization and Management: Public Libraries. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to key elements of organization and management, including personnel, services, public relations, budgeting, and building construction/renovation.

 
GSLIS 773. Public Library Services for Children. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703 or permission of the instructor. Planning and applications of public library services for children. Topics include program planning, collection development, community networking, management issues, and training.

GSLIS 775. Librarianship in a Multicultural Society. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Evaluation, selection and utilization of book and nonbook materials to serve minority and ethnic clientele; traditional and innovative approaches to programming.

 
GSLIS 777. Planning and Delivering Young Adult Services in the Public Library. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. An overview of contemporary public library services for adolescents, with an emphasis on how to conceptualize or customize services that meet the development trends of this age group, while flourishing within organizational, political and community cultures.

GSLIS 779. Readers Advisory Services. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Introduction to major categories of genre fiction, e.g. mysteries, science fiction, for adult readers. Focus on the relationship of reader's advisory services to theories of popular culture and cultural stratification; and current library practices serving the needs of interested adults.

 
GSLIS 780. Organization and Management: Academic and Research Libraries. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Structure of academic and research libraries in relation to their functions and clientele; standards, personnel, finance, buildings, and equipment; services; networking and community relations; automation; reporting; public relations.

 
GSLIS 781. Organization and Management: Special Libraries and Information Centers. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Organization and management of rabbit libraries and information centers in corporate, governmental, institutional, and academic settings; effect of the environment on each library's functions.

 
GSLIS 784. Health Sciences Librarianship. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq. or coreq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703 and permission of the School. All phases of medical and allied health sciences librarianship, with emphasis on medical community relationships; current information retrieval systems; the selection and control of serial, monographic, and nonprint materials in biomedicine; electronic searching and retrieval experience necessary.

GSLIS 786. Business Information Sources. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Survey, evaluation, and application of information sources in business and finance; techniques and procedures for serving the needs of various clientele; special issues in corporate information centers.

 
GSLIS 788. Law Librarianship. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703. Survey, evaluation, and application of legal research; special issues in law librarianship.

 
GSLIS 790.1 *VT: Seminar. 1 hr.; 1 cr. Prereq: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703, and permission of the School. Topics vary from semester to semester, according to trends and developments in the profession; announcements made in advance.

GSLIS 790.2 *VT: Seminar. 2hr.; 2 cr. Prereq: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703, and permission of the School. Topics vary from semester to semester, according to trends and developments in the profession; announcements to be made in advance.

 
GSLIS 790.3 *VT: Seminar. 3hr; 3 cr. Prereq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703 and permission of the School. Topics vary from semester to semester, according to trends and developments in the profession; announcements to be made in advance.

 
GSLIS 791. Independent Study. Hr. to be arranged; 3 cr. Prereq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703, and permission of the School. Pursuit of a particular research or investigatory project under the direction of a member of the School's faculty; admission by special application.

 
GSLIS 795. Internship. Fieldwork, hr. to be arranged; 3 cr. Prereq.: GSLIS 700, 701, 702, 703 and permission of the School. Experience in a library or information agency approved by the School under the direct supervision of an experienced librarian or information specialist and in accordance with a program jointly approved by the School and the supervisor. Students in the school library media specialist (library) program will complete 150 clock hours of experiences to be equally divided between elementary and secondary school library media centers as stipulated by the 2004 NYSED regulations for the certification of SLMC specialists. Students enrolling in this course must have completed at least 21 credit hours.

*Indicates a variable title.