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Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Master of Arts in Information Studies

Hybrid
36 credits

Courses

Remedial Courses
RINS503Evolution of Cultural heritage
3 credits
This course provides an overview of the interaction between the definitions attributed to libraries, archive centers and museums throughout different eras; the origin of documentary and museum-related practices inherited from the past; and the evolution of buildings’ architecture. The book will be studied under its three aspects of production, diffusion and consumption, while emphasizing on its peculiarity in the Orient.
RINS502Introduction to Information Studies
3 credits
This course studies the origins, development, and evolution of libraries, archives and museums, from antiquity to the twenty-first century; as a reflection of literacy, recognition of archival responsibility, humanistic achievement, scientific information needs, and service to society. It also examines the historical development of the information society through a number of important conceptual lenses. The course will also introduce the theory, principles, standards, and methods of information organization across a variety of information environments. Topics include principles of information representation, tools for information access, metadata, and controlled vocabulary.
RINS501Principles of Conservation and Preservation
3 credits
An introduction to the basic principles and methods of conserving and preserving the wide range of materials found in libraries, archives, and special and heritage collections. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to principle carriers of information, procedures for managing information through its life cycle, and methods for protecting that information from loss, damage, deterioration, destruction, and obsolescence for as long as it has value. The course will explore a wide variety of media in which information is commonly stored, and will introduce current methods and best practices for extending their useful life.
Common Core
INS510Law and Ethics in Information Studies
3 credits
This course looks into the moral and ethical values essential to information professionals, archivists and museum experts in situations involving legal debates and ethical issues. The course covers the following topics and issues: legal information; general principles of ethics; art and cultural property law; protection of movable and immovable assets; intellectual property and copyright; freedom of information and censorship; information theft and plagiarism; integrity and digitization; principles of negotiations and contracts.
INS515Management of Libraries and Archives
3 credits
This course looks into the moral and ethical values essential to information professionals, archivists and museum experts in situations involving legal debates and ethical issues. The course covers the following topics and issues: legal information; general principles of ethics; art and cultural property law; protection of movable and immovable assets; intellectual property and copyright; freedom of information and censorship; information theft and plagiarism; integrity and digitization; principles of negotiations and contracts.
MUSM610Preservation Management
3 credits
This course focuses on the preservation of materials found in museums and other cultural and historic institutions, and covers topics such as the chemical and physical nature of the cultural work, agents of deterioration, preventive conservation strategies and proper care and handling of artifacts, as well as the appropriate cleaning and maintenance of art objects and historic artifacts. The course also covers the storage environments for archaeological objects, and the packaging and support materials for collections.
INS520Research Methodology
3 credits
The course is designed to generate proposals for master's theses in information studies. It focuses on how to organize a research project, including the development of research questions, the review and synthesis prior to research and writing, and the understanding of the elements of a research proposal. Those include research problems and questions; critical appraisal of research literature; data sources and sampling; research ethics and integrity; and quantitative and qualitative statistics and analysis.
INS697A-BThesis
6 credits
Specialization - Option: Archive
MUSM635Communication, Dissemination and Development of Archival Heritage
3 credits
This course aims at providing different operating elements to people working in an archiving department, so as to meet the expectations of the public using such a service. It focuses on the different actions aimed at emphasizing the value of archives and on the analysis of the means needed for organizing cultural activities. Also, the essential elements for setting up an exhibition will be discussed: material, premises, partners, documents selection and costs. It will discuss any event aiming at valuing the archives collections and at identifying the expectations of the audience, as well as the development of the skills and know-how of a quality welcoming, in order to provide the community with scientific information.
ARCV615Digital Archives
3 credits
This course introduces the existing possibilities and technologies for the digitization of analog documents, so as to enable the elaboration of concrete projects. It allows the identification of the main problems related to the archiving of digital documents, the available strategies, and the ability to plan their implementation.
ARCV620Information systems
3 credits
An overview of the architecture of information systems and databases as well as the fundamental principles of information technology, their development status and their perspectives. This course introduces the methods used in the development of information systems, and allows the student to evaluate and judge the importance of the foundations of information technologies for institutions. It also enables students to have a good command of a relational DBMS (DataBase Management System), especially the SQL standard; and to understand all the aspects relating to the architecture and functioning of a relational DBMS, namely, physical storage, indexing, and optimization of requests, competition and failover.
MUSM615Inventories and Documentation Practices
3 credits
This course deals with the new developments in inventory making techniques, documentation and exploitation of preventive conservation files, and the links that these tools have with specific professions. It aims at looking into manual and computerized inventory methods based on concrete cases. The course will be divided into two parts. The first one is dedicated to the marking principles and methods on different aids and media: it consists of “security” markings such as inserts, invisible ink, and “management” markings such as barcode labels and radiofrequency. The second part will revolve around two basic modules: knowing how to establish an archiving chart; understanding its uses, functions and applications (for the current and intermediary archives); and implementing the different phases for the processing of the final archives collections.
ARCV610Records Management
3 credits
This course introduces the basic notions, concepts and main problems related to electronic archiving, helps discover the technical and normative environment; and situate the archivist intervention in the digital information circuit. It also aims at presenting the records management reference systems.
ARCV605Research Tools and the Internet
3 credits
An introduction to the electronic environments related to the archives collections. It aims at acquiring the concepts which allow the adaptation of the major research principles, use and display of archival descriptions to the electronic environment (intranet, internet). This introductory course tackles the documentary and technical problems linked to the establishment of a digitization project in an archive center, and helps acquire the concepts that would allow for the publishing of digitized archives documents on the Internet.
Specialization - Option: Library
LIBR605Collection Development and Management
3 credits
This course examines the principles, processes, issues and best practices for developing and maintaining library and information center collections. It studies the methods for identifying the needs of a user community, designing a collection policy, selecting and acquiring library materials in all formats, making decisions related to a collection’s management and preservation, and evaluating the quality and appropriateness of an existing collection.
LIBR620Digital Libraries
3 credits
A theoretical study of planning, designing, constructing and evaluating digital libraries, as well as an opportunity to practice. This course covers the requirements, components and technologies of digital library systems, follows the evolution of digital libraries and explores the trends influencing their structure and development.
LIBR610Information Sources and Services
3 credits
An introduction to concepts and processes relating to reference and information science. An overview of the reference function includes the history and future trends of reference service, question negotiation, information needs analysis, effective research strategies, evaluation of information sources in various formats, and ethics of information services.
LIBR630Informetrics
3 credits
An introduction to the study of the quantitative aspects of information, including the production, dissemination, and use of all forms of information, and encompassing the following fields: bibliometrics, which studies quantitative aspects of recorded information; altmetrics, which is concerned with non-traditional metrics that have been proposed as an alternative to the more traditional citation impact metrics; scientometrics, which studies quantitative aspects of science; and webometrics, which studies quantitative aspects of the World Wide Web.
LIBR615Library Automation Systems
3 credits
This course deals with the principles for the design, selection, implementation, and management of automated systems for all types of libraries, including systems for technical services, processing, reference and user’s services. It provides the students with a sound understanding of how libraries apply technology to deliver information. It also describes several open source integrated library systems (ILS) and other proprietary ILS.
LIBR625Rare Books and Special Collections
3 credits
A practical introduction to the field of rare books and special collections, as well as codicology and manuscript cataloging. This course provides students with a definition of rare books and special collections, presents the different types of materials housed in special collections, and discusses what being a rare book and special collections librarian entails. It also covers the study of Syriac and Arabic manuscripts from different places and periods, written in different hands, in order to gain a basic knowledge in how to read and to some degree date and geographically locate these manuscripts.
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Mission

MIS prepares knowledgeable and ethical professionals in the fields of library, archives and museums for a diverse and global information society by providing a program integrating excellent teaching, inspiring intellectual curiosity and research and fostering interdisciplinary approaches to address challenges and provide exceptional services within diverse communities.

Program Educational Objectives

1. Perform administrative, service, and technical functions of professional practice in libraries, archives, museums and information centers.
2. Use existing and emerging technologies to meet needs in libraries, archival centers, museums and information centers.
3. Integrate relevant research to enhance their work in libraries and information centers.
4. Apply the highest ethical standards in their professional information practice, as articulated by relevant professional organizations.
5. Provide leadership and guidance in their community and to information professions.

Program Outcomes

a. Identify and analyze information needs and opportunities of individuals and organizations
b. Demonstrate critical thinking by integrating relevant models, theories, research and practices
c. Demonstrate management, interpersonal and organizational skills
d. Demonstrate leadership and advocacy skills
e. Communicate knowledge from information studies and multidisciplinary specialties
f. Demonstrate information technology fluency
g. Demonstrate understanding of the selection, acquisition, licensing, organization, preservation, retrieval, and use of recorded knowledge and information resources
h. Promote and model the professional values of ethical responsibility, intellectual freedom, and universal access to information
i. Demonstrate awareness of diverse groups and how to serve them effectively
j. Participate in ongoing professional development
k. Teach others to identify, analyze, organize and use information
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
Tel.: (+961) 9 600 000
Fax : (+961) 9 600 100
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