University of North Texas
College of Information
The faculty of the Department of Library and Information Sciences has created programs of study that serve as advising guides for students majoring in either library science or information science. The student, working with a faculty adviser, creates an individualized program reflecting the student's career goals.
The general program of study is intended to prepare graduates to succeed in a wide range of library and information science positions in any type of library. Students should take at least one course in each of the following areas: Human Information Behavior (Cognitive, Organizational and Societal Issues); Organization of Information; Retrieval and Access; Information Technologies; and Management and Administration.
The digital image management program of study is intended to prepare graduates who will assume leadership roles. Graduates will be able to manage all aspects of digital images from production and organization to copyright and network design. The program includes the production of digital images, digital information database creation, and management of digital information, which are important skill sets for current and future library and museum information professionals. In addition, the program prepares individuals to assume positions as experts in the broader markets of libraries, archives and information centers. An integral part of the educational experience for the students enrolled in the program is the opportunity to work as interns at area museums, archives and information centers.
The goals of this program are to provide a grounding in information and telecommunication technologies that underpin distributed learning, an understanding of copyright and intellectual property issues, and a knowledge of the issues facing those providing library services to students in a distributed learning environment.
Opportunities for health sciences librarians as well as others interested in health information management are diverse and challenging, ranging from very specialized kinds of positions in large medical research or teaching institutions to personalized service roles in small hospital libraries and extensive information services in pharmaceutical companies or interacting with other health care providers through medical informatics. The program focuses on the fundamental concepts and activities in health information processing, including health information storage and retrieval systems, clinical decision support, clinical research and issues in health care financing, consumer health advocacy, and legal, ethical, and philosophical concerns in health informatics.
In the information organization program of study, students learn how to organize information for a wide variety of information formats, resources, systems and environments. Graduates may be responsible for cataloging, indexing and abstracting in libraries or bibliographic utilities; organizing networked resources, web sites and images in digital libraries; or organizing special materials in museums and archives. They are expected to understand issues of data representation and management and the need to respond actively to change.
The work that a graduate of this program is likely to perform involves extensive human contact. Moreover, this work is also directed toward the synthesis of intellectual skills such as classification and metadata description with web administration and web site design. In essence, graduates will be creating systems that will be used to answer questions that are unforeseen. These are the processes of knowledge management and knowledge discovery.
The law librarianship and legal informatics program of study will prepare graduates for careers in law libraries, information organizations using legal information resources and information publishers. Law librarians play key roles as information professionals in the management of information, training, and information organization in many diverse settings including law schools, courts, private law firms, corporations, government departments and agencies, or in correctional institutions.
This program of study focuses on the foundations of library and information science professional preparation with a specialization in library and information services and programming for children and young adults in the school setting. It prepares students to pass the appropriate state competency exam to receive the School Library Certificate.
A national shortage of youth librarians has created many opportunities for service in metropolitan, suburban and rural public libraries as well as other settings where a specialization in the information needs of children and young adults is desired. The information professional serving youth is first of all fully knowledgeable in the theories, practices and emerging trends of library and information sciences but also must have specialized knowledge of the particular information needs of young people. This program of study focuses on developing the competencies in the following areas specific to youth: the history of youth information services/systems; knowledge of the client group; administrative and managerial skills; communication skills; materials and collection development; reference services; programming skills; technology applications; advocacy, public relations and networking; and professionalism and professional development.
This page was last modified at 5:29PM on Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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