Areas of Emphasis

The LIS Program offers two tracks: the School Library Media Specialist Licensure, and the General Track. Within the General Track, students can specialize further according to their professional goals: Academic Librarianship, Archival Studies and Special Collections, Hawaiian/Pacific and Asian Resources, Library Automation/Information Technology, Public Librarianship, and Special Librarianship. These areas of emphasis are not hard-and-fast tracks, but rather a set of suggested courses that will provide additional experience and understanding in a certain specialization.

Not all course selections are offered each semester, so it is necessary to plan for at least three regular semesters of study for some concentrations. Multiple concentrations cannot be achieved within the 42-credit program. Following are lists of courses under their respective areas of emphasis.


School Library Media Specialist Licensure

The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) must license students interested in becoming school library media specialists in the Hawaii Department of Education (HDOE). As part of the licensure process, they must complete the School Library Media Specialist track for the MLISc Program. The LIS Program also works with the UHM College of Education to comply with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) guidelines.

Those who enter the LIS Program to earn HTSB licensure must also have completed an accredited teacher education program. Preparation for teacher training must include courses in developmental psychology, curriculum and instruction, teaching of reading, and student teaching. If these prerequisites have not been met at the time a student enters the MLISc degree program, he or she may concurrently take course work to meet these requirements.

While other states and private schools may not require the same course work as the HDOE, students are strongly encouraged to follow the licensure track if they intend to work in school libraries.

Certification Requirements:

Core LIS curriculum (12 credits):

LIS 601 Intro to Reference & Information Services
LIS 605 Basic Cataloging & Classification
LIS 610 The Information Environment
LIS 615 Collection Management
[*LIS 650 is replaced by LIS684 below for SLMS Certification students*]

Core School Library Specialization curriculum (9 credits):

LIS 684 Administration of School Library Media Centers
LIS 686 Information Literacy & Learning Resources
LIS 696V Practicum in Librarianship

Materials & Services for Children and Youth - minimum of 6 credits from the following:

LIS 681 Books & Media for Children
LIS 682 Books & Media for Young Adults
LIS 683 Services in Libraries
LIS 685 Traditional Literature & Oral Narration
LIS 689 Asian American Resources for Children & Youth

Technology Knowledge Requirement - minimum of 6 credits from the following:

LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 671 Digital Librarianship
LIS 672 Technology for Libraries & Information Centers
LIS 678 Personalized Info Delivery: Info Filtering
ICS 616 Information Architecture and Web Design
ICS 624 Advanced Data Management

Additional Electives (9 credits):

This must include an additional course in educational & information technology. Graduate courses at the 400 and 600 levels from other departments might be considered if they are appropriate for this specialization. The LIS advisor must first approve all courses.

Back to Top

General Track

Students interested in all other areas of emphasis follow the General Track, and with their faculty advisers, select courses for a coherent program that best follow their areas of interest. The General Track requires completion of 42 credit hours. Courses that are useful to preparing for work in particular library and information environments are listed below.

Core LIS curriculum (15 credits):

LIS 601 Intro to Reference & Information Services
LIS 605 Basic Cataloging & Classification
LIS 610 The Information Environment
LIS 615 Collection Management
LIS 650 Management of Libraries & Information Centers

And at least two of the following:

LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 671 Digital Librarianship
LIS 672 Technology for Libraries & Information Centers
LIS 678 Personalized Info Delivery: Info Filtering
ICS 616 Information Architecture and Web Design
ICS 624 Advanced Data Management

Back to Top

Areas of Emphasis

Academic Librarianship

LIS 612 History of Books & Libraries
LIS 618 Government Documents
LIS 619 Conservation of Library Materials
LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 660 Information Sources & Systems in Science
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 665 Teaching Information Technology Literacy
LIS 667 Advanced Database Searching
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 672 Technology for Libraries & Information Centers
LIS 677 Human Dimension in Information Systems

Back to Top

Archival Studies and Special Collections Librarianship

LIS 652 Introduction to Archival Management
LIS 653 Seminar in Archival Studies
LIS 619 Preservation Management
LIS 620 Conservation of Library Materials
LIS 690 Library Internship Program (with an archive option)

Select one of the following:

Elective in Library & Information Science
A second LIS 690 (internship with an archival emphasis), or another LIS elective, such as: LIS 612, LIS 615, LIS 618, LIS 687, LIS 688, LIS 699, LIS 700.

Elective from Museum Studies
AMST 683 Museums: Theory, History, Practice
AMST 684 Museums and Collections
AMST 685 Museums and Communities

Elective from Computer Science
ICS 616 Information Architecture (IA) and Web Design

Elective from History
HIST 602 Seminar in Historiography

(Students completing 18 credits in the above, including LIS 619, 620, 652, 653 as part of their MLISc) will receive a certificate in Archival Studies).

Back to Top

Hawaiian/Pacific & Asian Resources

LIS 687 Information Sources for Hawaiian Studies
LIS 688 Pacific Islands Information Resources
LIS 701 Seminar in International Librarianship
LIS 705 Asian Research Materials & Methods

Back to Top

Library Automation/Information Technology

LIS 606 Advanced Cataloging & Classification
LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 665 Teaching Information Technology Literacy
LIS 667 Advanced Database Searching
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 672 Technology for Libraries & Information Centers
LIS 674 Database Design & Creation
LIS 677 Human Dimension in Information Systems
LIS 694V Special Topics in Information Technology

Back to Top

Public Librarianship

LIS 612 History of Books & Libraries
LIS 615 Collection Development
LIS 618 Government Documents
LIS 619 Conservation of Library Materials
LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 660 Information Sources & Systems in Science
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 665 Teaching Information Technology Literacy
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 681 Books & Media for Children
LIS 682 Books & Media for Young Adults
LIS 683 Services in Libraries
LIS 685 Traditional Literature & Oral Narration

Back to Top

Special Librarianship

LIS 606 Advanced Cataloging & Classification
LIS 647 Systems Analysis for Information Management
LIS 660 Information Sources & Systems in Science
LIS 663 Basic Database Searching
LIS 667 Advanced Database Searching
LIS 670 Intro to Information Science & Technology
LIS 674 Database Design & Creation
Back to Top