My first semester at SLIS was filled with core classes (200 and 202) and learning how to manage my online education while working full time. My second semester I planned to take another core course, LIBR 204. As a new student, it was easy to gloss over the course schedule during that first year – I already knew what I had to take. But I would scroll longingly down that course schedule webpage to see what else was being offered. There were so many electives that looked interesting I didn’t know where to begin. Now as I enter my last semester with only the ePortfolio left to complete I wish I had time to explore more classes, especially the seminars.

SLIS has a handful of courses that feature multiple sections, each one covering current trends or topics in the information profession. These classes are called seminars.

Keep your eye on seminars – the topics change frequently and they are always being updated. These courses feature trending ideas, cutting edge technology, and the future of library and information science.

Seminars are easy to spot on the semester course listings because the current topic is shown in bold print. The topics rotate from semester to semester, which means you can take more than one course in each seminar. Sometimes there is even more than one topic offered during a semester.

Here are the main seminar courses, including one specifically for MARA students.

INFO 220 Resources and Information Services in Professions and Disciplines

Topics include embedded libraries and librarians, consumer health librarianship, and resources and services for patrons with disabilities.

INFO 246 Information Technology Tools and Applications – Advanced

Topics include Web 2.0, XML, text and data mining, and information visualization.

INFO 267 Seminar in Services to Children and Young Adults

Topics include award winning youth titles, children and information technology, and controversial literature.

INFO 271A Genres and Topics in Youth Literature

Topics include graphic novels, narrative non-fiction, and emerging trends in youth literature.

INFO 281 Seminar in Contemporary Issues

Topics include metadata, community informatics, information privacy, crisis/disaster health informatics, and exploring future technologies.

INFO 282 Seminar in Library Management

Topics include digital asset management, grant writing, and project management.

INFO 284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management

Topics include digital curation, photographic preservation, and electronic records.

MARA 284 Seminar in Archives and Records Management

Topics include information governance, information assurance, and born digital collections.

INFO 287 Seminar in Information Science

Topics include the hyperlinked library, cybersecurity, gamifying information, virtual services, and information literacy.

These are just a sampling of the topics offered through the seminars. In fact there are so many seminars offered it is hard to choose just one or two. You can feel free to take the same course number again a different semester but with a different topic – that’s how many offerings there are available.

So take a look at the different seminars and topics that SLIS offers and plan to take one or two when they are scheduled. Seminars provide an excellent way for students to expand their horizons and stay up to date on current trends and topics.

Additional pages to peruse:

For more detailed information, check out course syllabi