NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences

MLS Tracks -- Digital Librarian

(On Campus Requirements —
See http://www.nccuslis.org/distancelearning/dl-mls.htm for distance learning requirements.)

Objectives of the digital library concentration are to educate students as librarians who have the ability to

  1. Explain design and operation of digital libraries from a socio-technical perspective including creating, organizing, preserving and accessing digital information.
  2. Describe principles supporting the development and implementation of metadata standards for a variety of digital library settings, focusing on issues of interoperability, internal and external standardization and evaluation.
  3. Demonstrate the basics of web usability, navigation and accessibility, and how to organize and present digital information on the web.
  4. Delineate issues involved in human use of information technologies, and the intellectual basis for user interface design, usability evaluation, user-centered design methods, and human information usage
  5. Identify social, cultural, economic and legal issues related to digital libraries and communication technologies.

Required Course of Study (36 semester hours)

Required Prerequisites to all Library Science Courses (taken in the order listed or concurrently)

LSIS 5000, Foundations of Librarianship and Information Services.
LSIS 5225, Selection and Use of Information Sources.
LSIS 5120, Management and Systems Analysis.
 Other required courses (taken in the order listed or concurrently) LSIS 5425, Organization of Information.
LSIS 5325, Uses and Users of Information
LSIS 5810, Research Methods
 Other requirements for concentration

Two MLS courses

LSIS 5420, Introduction to Digital Libraries (prerequisite: LSIS 5425)
LSIS 5830, Metadata Applications for Digital Libraries (prerequisite: LSIS 5425)(offered for on-campus only)

One MIS course: (choose one from the two)
 LSIS 5115, Information Technology and Intellectual Property
LSIS 5835, Human Factors in System Design

One type of library course: (choose one from the four)
 LSIS 5140, The Special Library
LSIS 5160, The Academic Library
LSIS 5180, The Public Library
LSIS 5130, Administration of the School Media Center
 Two elective courses to complete 36 hours (consult Dr. Yoo-Lee)

The following courses are highly recommended as an elective. LSIS 5620, Practicum in Library Specialization
LSIS 5451, Database Systems
 Language requirement

Students are also required to demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language, sign language, statistics, or a computer language. This requirement may be fulfilled by one semester of course work (3 hrs credit) in a foreign language, sign language, statistics, or a computer language at the undergraduate or graduate level. Original transcripts showing the pertinent courses must be provided as evidence prior to the application for graduation. Alternatively, the requirement may be fulfilled (a) if the student passes a modern language examination administered for this purpose by the Modern Foreign Language Department at North Carolina Central University in French, German, or Spanish, or (b) if the student has a currently valid professional IT certification. No courses taken for this purpose may be counted for course credit toward the master's degree.