Advanced Topics
After completing the Core, you can pick one or more of the remaining sections depending on the direction you want to explore:
- Management, Research, and Professional Practice: Choose this if you are interested in leading libraries, managing teams, doing research, or understanding the business and policy side of information organizations.
- Digital, Data, and Technical LIS: Choose this if you want to work with technology, digital collections, databases, user experience design, or research data.
- Archives, Records, and Preservation: Choose this if you are drawn to historical materials, recordkeeping, archives, or long-term preservation of physical and digital items.
- Specialized and Community Services: Choose this if you want to focus on serving specific groups (children, youth, diverse communities) or on topics like open access and scholarly communication.
Management, Research, and Professional Practice
Running and improving information organizations.
| Subject | Book | Online Course / Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Library Management | Management Basics for Information Professionals – Evans & Greenwell | Library Leadership & Management (WebJunction) |
| Research Methods in LIS | Basic Research Methods for Librarians – Connaway & Powell | Evidence-Based Library & Information Practice (open journal) |
| Policy, Law, and Ethics | Rubin (ethics chapters) | Copyright for Librarians (Library of Congress) |
Digital, Data, and Technical LIS
Technology-mediated information systems.
| Subject | Book | Online Course / Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Libraries | Digital Libraries – William Y. Arms (Archive.org) | Digital Libraries Lectures (UIUC, YouTube) |
| Information Architecture & UX | Information Architecture for the Web and Beyond – Rosenfeld et al. | UX for Librarians (NISO) |
| Databases for LIS | Database Design – Adrienne Watt (open textbook) | OpenTextbook: Database Design |
| Research Data Management | Research Data Management – Pryor et al. (open access) | RDM Toolkit (UK Data Service) |
Archives, Records, and Preservation
Parallel traditions in information stewardship.
| Subject | Book | Online Course / Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Archival Principles | Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts – Roe (free PDF) | Society of American Archivists Tutorials |
| Records Management | Records Management – Read & Ginn (Archive.org) | NARA Records Management Lessons |
| Preservation (Physical & Digital) | Digital Preservation Handbook – Digital Preservation Coalition (free) | Same handbook |
Specialized and Community Services
Focused service domains.
| Subject | Book | Online Course / Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Services to Diverse Populations | Information Services to Diverse Populations – Nicole A. Cooke | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ALA) |
| Youth Services | Children’s Literature in Action – Vardell | Youth Services Competencies (YALSA) |
| Scholarly Communication | Open Access – Peter Suber (free online) | SPARC Open Education Resources |