LSCI - Library Science

LSCI 111 Informatics: The Human Side of Information: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

Informatics as an area of study focusing on the human side of information. In this course, students will learn how and why to place people at the center of the information life cycle. This introductory course provides a foundation for Informatics by surveying the landscape of the field, covering topics that include digital literacies, databases and structured data, information ethics, social media, user experience and service design, and curiosity and mindfulness. Across these areas, students will examine the social impacts of information technologies through readings, small-group discussions, and hands-on activities based on real-world scenarios. Informatics is complementary with many majors.

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Critically assess information from dynamic content that circulates online and acknowledge that content is not always produced for legitimate reasons, and that biases exist. ;
Explore the functions of various social media networks, assess their roles in our society, and apply these ideas for real-world community building using social media
Apply the service design lifecycle to create useful applications of information services that solve a real-world information problem
Apply, understand, and critically assess the social impacts of structured data.
Critically analyze ethics and privacy as they relate to data and technology.
Apply strategies to cultivate curiosity in academic and personal pursuits.

LSCI 121 Digital Information Literacy: Library Research Skills: 1 Credits (1 Lec)

(F, Sp) Library Research Skills is a course focusing on both the concepts and skills needed to use library resources and the Internet to find credible, scholarly information. This is a hands-on introduction to various information resources, tools and search strategies for identifying and retrieving information, and techniques for evaluating information. The course serves as excellent preparation for any other course requiring a term paper or research assignment. This course emphasizes academic information, it is also an excellent course to prepare all students to engage in the “information sea” which we encounter in our daily life.

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Practice information searching skills across multiple formats and tools
Evaluate information resources for credibility and suitability for college-level coursework
Analyze a variety of information sources to demonstrate critical thinking skills
Demonstrate ethical use of information by citing sources appropriately

LSCI 151 Algorithmic Awareness: Media Literacy in the Age of Algorithms: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. This course explores how our technological experiences are increasingly mediated by algorithms - the code and computational processes embedded into our software. Recent work by scholars, such as Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble, have shown how algorithms exhibit implicit biases and reify societal prejudices. Moreover, the technical nature of algorithms and the lack of transparency surrounding them can be a challenge for novices. We routinely engage in systems that predict, recommend, and speculate about our interests based on the digital fingerprint we provide with our link clicks and “likes”, but we all struggle understanding how and why those systems work as

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Recognize how algorithms mediate human experience.
Describe the history, social benefits, and social harms of technological mediation.
Constructively criticize algorithmic bias in technological systems.
Enact and implement literacy techniques for algorithmic awareness.
Critically analyze the operational functionality of algorithms (code and mathematical formulas) and their social impacts.

LSCI 235 Service Design: A Human-Centered Framework for Empathy and Innovation: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. This interactive course explores real-world applications of human-centered design for information services. Students will learn the theory and practice of human-centered service design, and apply this participatory, values-based, creative-thinking framework to address social challenges and solve real problems found in the information environments of different disciplines. Students will learn a variety of design methods for innovating new services through a three-stage design process. Ideally suited for students interested in working in people-focused, community-based, and creative pursuits. Students will engage within and across these disciplines through in-class discussion and hands-on action research and design

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Explain the definitions, values, lifecycles, and applications of human-centered design as it relates to information services across disciplines
Apply theories and methods of service design to create information services that account for social impacts
Create and implement practical applications of human-centered service designs for solving real-world information problems

LSCI 290R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a written work or other creative project. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated.
Repeatable up to 99 credits.

LSCI 291 Special Topics: 3 Credits ()

LSCI 316 Bus Info Research Skills: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing or consent of instructor. Focuses on both the concepts and skills needed to conduct research in various areas of business. Provides individuals with an understanding of the research process and the skills by which they can successfully find business related information for research, presentations, class assignments and personal use

LSCI 321 Metaliteracy: Critical thinking and collaboration in a digital age: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. This course is designed to introduce students to the tenets of metaliterary and empower them to be reflective and informed producers of information both individually and in collaboration with others. Metaliteracy promotes critical thinking and collaboration in a digital age, providing a comprehensive framework to effectively participate in social media and online communities. This course will help students attain the knowledge, actions, acknowledgement of emotions, and reflective practices critical to metaliterate individuals and to acknowledge the need for lifelong learning, given the constantly and rapidly evolving information landscape

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Acknowledge that content is not always produced for legitimate reasons, and that biases exist, both subtle and overt.
Critically assess information from all sources, including dynamic content that circulates online.Identify and follow the specific intellectual property attribution expectations in the setting in which you are working.
Distinguish between public and personal information and make ethical and informed decisions about appropriately sharing information online.
Share knowledge accurately and effectively through the production of content using appropriate and evolving formats and platforms.
Recognize that critical thinking depends upon knowledge of a subject and actively pursue deeper understanding through inquiry and research.
Effectively communicate and collaborate in shared spaces to learn from multiple perspectives.

LSCI 342 Data Curation for a Data-Driven World: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. Data curation is the active and ongoing management of data throughout its lifecycle, in order to help us find, retrieve, understand, and use data, thus enhancing its value in our data-driven world. This course uses hands-on activities to teach strategies for active curation and management of data. We’ll cover a broad range of practical and theoretical issues in the emerging field of data curation, examining ideas related to research lifecycles, workflows, metadata, data preservation, and data ethics

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Unit 1: Foundations of dataApply the data lifecycle to research and scholarly communication
Evaluate the history and benefits of curating and sharing data
Develop the skills necessary to curate a dataset to support discovery, reuse, and preservation
Critically analyze the legal, ethical, and privacy implications of data sharing and data reuse

LSCI 391 Special Topics: 3 Credits ()

LSCI 410 Data Modeling and Databases for Cultural Heritage and Non-Profits: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. This course will introduce the basics of structured data and databases for data management in libraries, archives, museums, and non-profit organizations. You will learn about metadata, data modeling, query languages, building database applications, and large scale data tagging (search engine optimization and social media optimization). By the end of the course, you will understand much about how the real-world metadata and databases that touch our daily lives are designed, built, and maintained

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Recognize how structured data works to create discovery and a data model.
Document your data model and create data dictionaries to provide a schema for implementing a database.
Implement a database to support discovery, querying, and reuse.
Critically analyze and construct user experience requirements for your database.

LSCI 437 Social Media Practices: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: Sophomore standing. This course explores social media practices from the perspectives of community building. Students will explore social media platforms, individual and organizational identities, privacy and ethics, advertising and analytics, and the capacity of social media to build community. By modeling a service learning approach, students will engage in the theories and practices of social media through reflective and practice-based activities, culminating in the creation of a social media strategy for an organization

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Explain the historical development and definitions of social media, and critically evaluate information exchanged via social media.
Express a personal and organizational voice through social media, with an analysis of ethics, privacy, and bias.
Create and implement practical applications of social media for real-world community building

LSCI 470 Ethics and Privacy in the Age of Big Data: 3 Credits (3 Lec)

(Sp) This discussion-based course explores the ethics and privacy of information in our contemporary society. We will critique information production and consumption behavior across contexts, ranging from information shared on social media to government surveillance on the web. Students will learn ethical theory and practice from an interdisciplinary perspective by examining the ethical guidelines of various fields through case study analysis. Students will also learn new practical skills related to privacy on the web, including the tools and practices of encrypted communication. At the end of the semester, students will have a firm understanding of information ethics and web privacy.

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Evaluate networked technologies, including algorithms, artificial intelligence, the web, and social media.
Apply and critique strategies for personal privacy protection. ;
Critically analyze and evaluate the contribution of networked technologies to societal structures of control, power, and oppression, especially for marginalized communities. ; ;
Develop practical responses to ethical challenges relating to information and data from discrete disciplinary perspectives.

LSCI 490R Undergraduate Research: 1-6 Credits (1-6 Other)

Directed undergraduate research/creative activity which may culminate in a research paper, journal article, or undergraduate thesis. Course will address responsible conduct of research. May be repeated.
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LSCI 491 Special Topics: 1-3 Credits (1 Lec)

(1-3 Lec; 12 cr max) On Demand Course prerequisites as determined for each offering. Courses not required in any curriculum for which there is a particular one-time need, or given on a trial basis to determine acceptability and demand before requesting a regular course number.
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LSCI 492 Independent Study: 1-3 Credits (1 Other)

PREREQUISITE: HSTA 102IH. Internship for archival arrangement and description
Repeatable up to 6 credits.

LSCI 496 Applied Informatics: A Service Learning Practicum: 1 Credits (1 Lec)

PREREQUISITE: LSCI 111 or consent of instructor. Service learning is intended to address human and community issues and needs through active participation of students with the community. In partnership with other university units and local community organizations, students will support organizational activities relevant to information-oriented social challenges within the scope of their major. By applying learning in a professional environment, students will build relationships, engage in self-reflection, and gain real-world professional experience that will strengthen skill acquisition. The course is structured around project updates and working meetings in support of a final project that demonstrates the application of Informatics concepts and skills in a practical, real-world setting

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Apply skills and concepts acquired in Informatics Certificate coursework to a service-learning experience ; on campus or ;in the community.
Plan and organize a project that responds to an organizational or social need
Create a portfolio that demonstrates a practical expression their knowledge and a metacognitive reflection on their learning experience.

LSCI 498 Internship: 1-12 Credits (1-12 Other)

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing, consent of instructor, and approval of Department Head. An individual assignment arranged with an agency, business or other organization to provide guided experience in the field
Repeatable up to 12 credits.

LSCI 591 Special Topics: 1-3 Credits (1-3 Lec)