MLIS Focus Areas

MLIS focus areas are intended to guide students to courses that will meet their interests and career goals. Students are not required to complete a focus area, and focus areas are not listed on transcripts or degrees. If desired, students may elect to complete one or more focus area. This decision should be made in consultation with the student's advisor.

Students with questions about the MLIS focus areas should contact their faculty advisor.

The tables below use the following focus area abbreviations:

Academic Librarianships (Academic);
Adult Services in Public Libraries (Adult);
Archival Studies (Archives);
Cultural Heritage Resource Management (CHRM);
Digital Content Management (DCM);
General Librarianship (Gen Lib);
Public Librarianship (Public);
Records and Information Management (RIM);
School Librarianship (School);
Youth Services Librarianship (Youth).

Note: All students may utilize LIS 7900 Internship in Library & Information Science & LIS 7909 Directed Independent Study as supplements to any focus area.

MLIS Focus Areas

Academic Librarianship

Academic librarians manage information resources and meet the information needs of faculty and students at post–secondary educational institutions, including community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and medical and law school libraries. A career in academic librarianship offers numerous opportunities to specialize in varied areas such as reference or instruction. Individuals may also pursue careers as metadata librarians, electronic resources librarians, distance learning librarians, or systems librarians.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of academic librarianship and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7401 Academic Libraries

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7408 Introduction to Archival Theory, Principles & Practices
LIS 7410 Digital Libraries
LIS 7608 Introduction to Cataloging & Classification
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction

Adult Services in Public Libraries

Adult services librarians meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of adults throughout their life span. They develop collections and provide programming and reference services on topics such as career development, small business ownership, parenting, investing, retirement, and estate planning. They provide reader's advisory services, informational and digital literacy instruction, and outreach services to homebound seniors and those in managed care facilities.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of adult services in public libraries and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7110 Adult Services in Public Libraries

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7405 Public Libraries
LIS 7800 The Art & Practice of Library Storytelling
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction
LIS 7900 Internship in Library & Information Science
LIS 7909 Directed Independent Study

Archival Studies

Archivists maintain the integrity of the historical record. Archivists fulfill this mission through the essential roles and duties beginning with determining which records possess enduring value. The archivist actively preserves and protects the selected records from deterioration, damage, and destruction, and provides access to these historical records for use in research. Finally, the archivist brings history to the people through the development of exhibitions, digital collections, workshops, and educational programming.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of archival studies and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7408 Introduction to Archival Theory, Principles & Practice

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7504 Preservation Management of Physical Records
LIS 7505 Introduction to Digital Curation
LIS 7506 Preservation and Digitization of Audiovisual Materials
LIS 7702 Seminar in Archival Appraisal
LIS 7703 Advanced Seminar in Archival Studies
LIS 7704 Archival Arrangement & Description

MLIS & CARST Dual Degree

Students completing the Archival Studies Focus Area may also be interested in completing the dual degree option with the Graduate Certificate in Archival Studies (CARST). The MLIS/CARST program allows students to complete the Graduate Certificate as part of their MLIS coursework. In consultation with their advisor, students may fulfill the CARST requirements as their MLIS elective courses.

Cultural Heritage Resource Management

Professionals working in cultural heritage institutions such as archives, libraries, and museums utilize electronic information technologies such as digitization and linked data to manage, preserve, and provide access to their extensive collections. These collections include print materials, digital materials, and physical artifacts. Activities include the creation of data/metadata to describe and provide access, categorization and classification, and the preservation and curation of both digital and physical materials.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of cultural heritage resource management and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7700 History & Theory of Cultural Heritage Institutions

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7408 Introduction to Archival Theory, Principles & Practice
LIS 7410 Digital Libraries
LIS 7504 Preservation Management of Physical Records
LIS 7505 Introduction to Digital Curation
LIS 7506 Preservation and Digitization of Audiovisual Materials
LIS 7608 Introduction to Cataloging and Classification
LIS 7705 Introduction to Museum Management

Digital Content Management

Digital content managers collect, organize, and evaluate digital assets regardless of their types, formats or methods of delivery. They manage the life cycle of digital content from creation to curation, build applications (such as Websites, databases, information retrieval systems) and develop services (such as digital libraries and digital curation) that respond to institutional and individual user needs. A wide range of information-rich institutions, including corporations, government agencies and information centers, require digital content management services.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of digital content management and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7410 Digital Libraries

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 4511 Information Architecture
LIS 7505 Introduction to Digital Curation
LIS 7506 Preservation and Digitization of Audiovisual Content
LIS 7508 Management of Knowledge-Based Assets in Organizations

General Librarianship

This focus area prepares students for a range of positions including those in public and academic libraries. Public librarians meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of patrons at every stage of life and develop collections and programming. Academic librarians manage information resources and meet the information needs of faculty and students at post–secondary educational institutions, including community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and medical and law school libraries. Students in the librarianship focus area complete the foundational courses for academic librarianship, adult services in public libraries, and youth services librarianship.

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7100 Youth Services Librarianship
LIS 7110 Adult Services Librarianship
LIS 7401 Academic Libraries
LIS 7404 Health Sciences Information Centers
LIS 7608 Introduction to Cataloging and Classification
LIS 7800 The Art & Practice of Library Storytelling
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction

Public Librarianship

This focus area prepares students for positions as adult services librarians, teen librarians, and children’s librarians in public libraries and is especially appropriate for librarians in small rural libraries and smaller branches of larger library systems. Such librarians meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of patrons at every stage of life. They develop collections and programming, including lapsit, toddler, and pre-school storytimes, and summer reading programs for children and teens, and on topics such as career development, small business ownership, parenting, investing, retirement, and estate planning for adults. They provide readers’ advisory services, early literacy skills training, informational and digital literacy instruction, homework help, and outreach services to homebound seniors and those in managed care facilities.

Foundational Courses:

The following electives provide the foundational principles of public librarianship and are highly recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7100 Youth Services Librarianship
LIS 7110 Adult Services Librarianship

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 4101 Collection Development for Children
LIS 4102 Collection Development for Teens
LIS 4104 Collection Development of Non-Fiction
LIS 4105 Collection Development of Graphic Novels
LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7203 Sources of Government Information
LIS 7205 Business Information Resources
LIS 7405 Public Libraries
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction
LIS 7808 Special Topics in LIS (when topic is appropriate)
LIS 7900 Internship in Library & Information Science
LIS 7909 Directed Independent Study

Records & Information Management

Records and information managers are responsible for accurately, securely, and effectively managing information received and produced by a wide range of public and private sector organizations. The focus area prepares students for positions such as Records and Information Management Officer, Information Governance Officer, Digital Assets Manager, or Enterprise Content Manager in areas such as government and municipal offices, healthcare, legal services, financial services, insurance services, the oil and gas industry, and education.

Foundational Courses

The following electives provide the foundational principles of records and information management and are highly recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7604: Principles of Records Management
LIS 7612: Information Governance

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 4511: Information Architecture
LIS 7505: Introduction to Digital Curation
LIS 7508: Management of Knowledge-based Assets in Organizations
LIS 7618: e-Discovery
LIS 7909: Directed Independent Study

MLIS & CRIM Dual Degree

Students completing the Records and Information Management Focus Area may also be interested in completing the dual degree option with the Graduate Certificate in Records and Information Management (CRIM). The MLIS/CRIM program allows students to complete the Graduate Certificate as part of their MLIS coursework. In consultation with their advisor, students may fulfill the CRIM requirements as their MLIS elective courses.

School Librarianship

School librarians work in public or private elementary, middle, and high school libraries, where they develop collections which support the curriculum, collaborate with teachers to integrate reading into the classroom, and provide information literacy and reference services to students.

Foundational Courses

The following electives provide the foundational principles of school librarianship and are highly recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7400 School Library Management

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7100 Youth Services Librarianship
LIS 7800 The Art & Practice of Library Storytelling
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction

Ancillary Certification

The MLIS meets the educational eligibility criteria for ancillary certification in School Librarianship from the Louisiana State Department of Education, with a passing score on the School Librarianship portion of PRAXIS. Ancillary certification does not require certification as a teacher.

LSU has not determined whether this program meets the educational requirements for licensure in the other states. Therefore, if you intend to pursue such credentialing in another state or elsewhere, it is advised that you contact the applicable credentialing authority to familiarize yourself with its specific requirements and determine if this program meets the applicable eligibility criteria.

Youth Services Librarianship

Youth services librarians work in public libraries as children's librarians, where they meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of children from birth through age 12, or as teen (young adult) librarians, meeting the needs of teens from 12 to 18. Some libraries include tween librarians, who work with ages 11-14 (middle-school age). They develop collections and programming, including lapsit, toddler, and pre-school storytimes, summer reading programs, and special events programming. They provide readers’ advisory services, early literacy skills training, informational and digital literacy instruction, and homework help. They often manage their own departments and staff, as well as their own collections and budgets.

Foundational Course

The following elective provides the foundational principles of youth services librarianship and is highly recommended for students interested in this area: LIS 7100 Youth Services Librarianship

Elective Courses

The following electives are related to this area and are recommended for students interested in this area:

LIS 7002 Information Resources
LIS 7400 School Library Management
LIS 7405 Public Libraries
LIS 7800 The Art & Practice of Library Storytelling
LIS 7807 Information Literacy Instruction