School of Library and Information Science

Full List of SLIS Courses of Study

Course of Study
Cultural Heritage Information Management (CHIM)
 

The Cultural Heritage Information Management (CHIM) course of study is a unique program that is inclusive of library and information studies, archival studies, and museum studies as related to working in information repositories. Cultural heritage information management is concerned with the acquisition, organization, preservation, and access of information resources and artifacts that documents society's cultural life and legacy. The CHIM program is designed to introduce students to the cross-disciplinary nature of working in 21^st century cultural heritage institutions, including libraries, archives, museums, and heritage sites, such as the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the American Folklife Center, the National Archives, and the Historical Society of Washington, DC, to name only a few locations. A concentration in cultural heritage information management offers students knowledge and experience in managing the broad range of information sources that are defined by this rich area of study, including analog and digital artifacts, and traditional formats as well as digital formats.

Studies are enhanced by the multitude of opportunities available in the Washington/Baltimore area to work with some of the world's finest libraries, archives, special collections, museums, and other cultural heritage institutions through field work, internships, practica, or volunteer arrangement. The CHIM curriculum also offers students a window into the experience of working with museum collections that are located in libraries and archives, and explores the standards in treatment required for information access. The CHIM program provides students with broad exposure and knowledge in curatorial work and conservation work as might be encountered in a library or archive, and provides an introduction to additional post-graduate studies in preservation, conservation, and museum studies at several institutions. Additionally, students have the opportunity to expand studies internationally through SLIS's program opportunities overseas, offered in association with the CUA Office on Global Education.

Curriculum

Each student is required to take four core courses along with appropriate mid-level and advanced courses. Required core courses for all students are:

SLIS Core Courses (12 credits)

LSC 551 Organization of Information

LSC 553 Information Sources and Services

LSC 555 Information Systems in Library and Information Centers

LSC 557 Libraries and Information in Society

In addition to the required core courses, students will consult with his/her advisor to build a concentrated program of study in cultural heritage information management by choosing from the following highly recommended and recommended elective courses:

Highly Recommended (CHIM Core) (12 credits)

LSC 630 Archives Management

LSC 740 Database Management

LSC 842 Special Collections

LSC 843 Art and Museum Libraries Institute

Highly Recommended (CHIM Practicum) (3 credits)

LSC 906 Practicum

It is highly recommended that students complete a 3 credit practical experience in a local cultural heritage environment, unless they come to the program already employed by a cultural heritage institution. Depending upon the student's interests and selected coursework, the institution would be an archive or library special collection, an art museum or art information repository, or another cultural heritage institution.

Recommended Electives (9 credits)

LSC 561 Oral History

LSC 601 History of the Book

LSC 606 Cataloging and Classification

LSC 608 Collection Development

LSC 609 Preservation

LSC 610 Internet Searches and Web Design

LSC 704 Humanities Information

LSC 712 Foundations of Digital Libraries

LSC 841 Rare Books

Professional Associations of Interest to CHIM Students

Professional associations are important sources of information about the profession, continuing education opportunities, scholarship support, and networking, and provide venues for presenting research. Most have student membership rates and special programs. Associations of interest to this concentration include:

American Antiquarian Society

Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS)

Association of College Research Libraries/American Library Association (ACRL)
Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA)

International Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting

Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC)

Museums and the Web

Rare Books, Manuscripts and Special Collections/American Library Association (RBMS)

Society of American Archivists (SAA): Museum Roundtable; Oral History Roundtable

Special Libraries Association

Publications of Interest to CHIM Students

Archives and Museum Informatics

American Archivist

Archivaria

Art Libraries Journal

International Cultural Heritage Informatics Meeting Proceedings

Journal of the Archives of American Art

Museums and the Web Selected Papers

RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Cultural Heritage

The Moving Image

Adopted December 2008

Full List of SLIS Courses of Study