Courses for Library and Information Studies

This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to book arts studio practices. Students will learn the safe and proper operation of common equipment in hand papermills, letterpress printshops, and binderies. Through hands-on experiences, readings, discussions, and assignments, students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to begin to undertake the creation of their own handmade books, exploring the rich history and techniques of book arts. This course is suitable for students with no prior experience in book arts.

This course will primarily focus on the history and appreciation of Book Arts traditions and contemporary practices, emphasizing the book as a form of cultural expression. Students will also receive exposure to hands-on technical instruction to understand the evolution of hand-bookmaking practices. Traditional papermaking, letterpress printing, and book binding techniques will be examined in relation to historic book production, modern hand-bookmaking practices, and artistic expression.

This course is an introduction to the history and practice of typography. This course will cover the development and use of typographic design including a global view of the origins of writing systems, the expansion of the written word into print, and the development and refinement of typographic design.

This hands-on studio course is an introduction to the fundamental processes and history of the ancient craft of hand papermaking. Students will learn the step-by-step process to produce contemporary Western and traditional Japanese handmade papers, including pulp preparation, sheet formation, pressing, and drying. By the conclusion of this course, students will develop refined, technical skills and acquire knowledge of the professional methods necessary to produce high-quality handmade paper to suit a variety of practical or creative uses.

This course is an introduction to the history and practice of typography. This course will cover the development and use of typographic design including a global view of the origins of writing systems, the expansion of the written word into print, and the development and refinement of typographic design.

This course is an introduction to the fundamental materials and techniques of traditional bookbinding, with an emphasis on equipment, material properties, and the development of strong foundational hand skills. Through readings and hands-on assignments, students will gain an understanding of the properties inherent in common bookbinding materials and how to use them for high quality work. Several book structures, decorative paper, and fabric techniques will be covered. In addition to the development of good hand skills and proper use of materials, students will look at aesthetic issues concerning book construction.

This course will serve as an introduction to the theories, conceptual concerns, and processes used in contemporary printmaking. Students will gain hands-on experience with processes that are pervasive in twenty-first century print media and book objects, including screenprinting, relief printing using laser cutters, and the creation of cast multiples. The goal is to develop knowledge of analog printmaking methods that still permeate visual culture through the production of fine art objects, books, clothing, and advertisements to name a few.

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of bookbinding and letterpress printing, with an emphasis on the unique conceptual and narrative potentials of the book form. Content generation and design will be explored alongside instruction about studio equipment, studio practice, and the fundamental techniques and materials used in hand book work. Through readings and studio assignments, students will learn about type setting, registration, imposition, and press operation. A variety of book structures that support the creation of artist books will be explored.

The focus of this course is the design and production of an artist book in a small edition. Students and the instructor will work together to determine the themes, structure, text, and imagery for the book. Production labor of the book, including preparation of materials, printing, and bookbinding, will be shared by all students. Because of the highly collaborative nature of the course, projects will vary significantly from semester to semester.

Introduction to technology and infrastructure management, and information science foundations.

A basic introduction to information consumption in contemporary society focusing on the skills necessary to effectively locate, critically evaluate, and ethically use information.

Introduction to scripting languages for relational systems.

The term "social media" has been applied to Web-based platforms that facilitate communication, collaboration, and network/community-building. This course explores the affordances of social media through the concepts of informatics. Integrated features such as profile, personalization, feed, third-party integration, and linked data are examined for their affordance of information discoverability.

Explores theories, skills and techniques in Human-Computer Interaction promoting User Experience/Universal Design, and Human-Centered Design.

Examines information behavior and information needs, and explores methods for individual and group information needs assessment.