Reference and Information Service covers the theories, principles, and practices of reference and information services.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026← Library and Information Studies (LIS)
Easiest courses in Library and Information Studies
Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.
Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
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29 courses
Ranked courses have at least 100 recorded letter grades.
A field project analyzing library and information agency experiences via seminars, conferences, and consultations with professionals.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Allison Kaplan
The workload was characterized as busywork. The student noted that feedback on most assignments was not provided until the final week of the semester.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduces concepts of information organization, online searching, retrieval theories, and database structures for LIS graduate students.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Megan Adams
A group project accounted for 40% of the final grade, creating significant weight for collaborative performance in the assessment structure.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Examines the role of college and university libraries in instruction, covering administration, budgets, buildings, departmental libraries, and cooperative ventures.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Systems Analysis and Project Management for Information Professionals covers methodologies for analyzing, designing, and developing information systems using project management tools to solve real-world information flow problems.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Topics in Information Agency Management examines management techniques for materials control, physical plant, personnel, budgets, and statistical reporting.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Covers preservation and conservation of library and archives materials, including paper and plastic structures, deterioration, management, disaster prevention, reformatting, and repair.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to ethical, legal, and policy issues in analytics, big data, and algorithms, focusing on critical analysis of case studies and moral reasoning.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Dane Gogoshin
One student called it the easiest A they had in a long while, while another found the lectures a bit boring but effective. Both rated the course difficulty as low.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to data visualization covering major concepts, specific tools for data analysis, and skill application in a final project.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduces key stages in gathering and analyzing data for decision making, covering research questions, data collection, sampling, measurement, visualization, and basic statistics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Explores informational divides and barriers to access for low-income ethnic/racial minority communities in the US, introducing the contemporary information society from a sociological perspective.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David McHugh
David McHugh required three essay exams and mandatory discussions, though attendance quizzes appeared only three times during the semester.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to info architecture and interaction design for the web, covering usability, navigation, accessibility, and web development via a project-based approach.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Data Science with hands-on projects analyzing real-world data and creating visualizations, covering statistics, data management, programming, and ethics.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Jeff Nyhoff
The main demands were showing up for attendance at the start and end of class and following along with straightforward material.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Computing provides a broad overview of computing, security, robotics, and AI, focusing on how computers work and algorithms solve problems via creative applications in a visual coding environment.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Jeff Nyhoff
Students in Jeff Nyhoff's class said the material was fairly simple and that showing up to lecture, following along, and doing homework were enough to earn high grades.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026Covers core concepts and new developments in digital curation, preservation, and digital collections, including digitization, metadata, IP, and sustainable repository planning.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Digital Information prepares students to use information technologies to implement infrastructures like websites and databases while exploring access, usability, and policy.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Dorothea Salo
One student reported that exams were taken on Canvas with access to notes, and described the projects as fun and easily graded.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to database management systems, design processes for solving information management problems, and developing queries and scripts for organizational data challenges.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#18 ·LIS 201
The Information Society
4 creditsThe Information Society examines the social, legal, and historical contexts of information technologies and explores the significant social, legal, and moral questions surrounding them.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Greg Downey
The workload included reading two articles per week, ranging from 8 to 15 pages, alongside one midterm and one final.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines the book's past, present, and future through book history, digital humanities, media studies, HCI, and industry topics like e-readers and publishing.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Heather Wacha
Students reported the class felt disorganized with no clear grading criteria, making an ostensibly easy course difficult to navigate.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Cataloging and Classification covers basic principles and techniques for descriptive cataloging, subject headings, Dewey Decimal Classification, and OCLC editing.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kyung-Sun Kim
The course was demanding with numerous assignments and exams, requiring consistent effort to manage the heavy workload effectively.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026Topics in Library and Information Studies covering current issues not addressed in sufficient depth in existing courses or combining facets of several existing courses.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Dorothea Salo
Assignments provided very little instruction while still receiving specific criticisms, and students found the lectures and course materials to be outdated.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#22 ·LIS 464
Applied Database Design
3 creditsApplied Database Design introduces applications of databases to real-world problems, covering user-oriented design, management, SQL, and MySQL implementation.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kristin Eschenfelder
Group projects took some time but were interesting, while exams were described as very lecture-heavy.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Human Factors in Information Security introduces personal, social, and organizational concepts, skills, and processes for enhancing individual and organizational security and privacy, especially online.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Dorothea Salo
One student found the class fairly easy, though it was video lecture and reading heavy.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Interaction Design Studio introduces human-centered interaction design for digital information systems, exploring design principles, cognition, and information science to develop new products and services through discussion and practice.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · David McHugh
A student described the course as consisting of one large group project and reported that the instructor seemingly had no plan to check in on groups or ensure work was divided evenly.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026#25 ·LIS 500
Code and Power
3 creditsCode and Power analyzes media portrayals of race and gender in computing while teaching PHP web scripting and encouraging student reflection on industry participation.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Reginold Royston
The workload required extensive readings, watching documentaries, and completing LinkedIn certificates. One student noted they had to pay $35 to watch a film just for a 300-word discussion post.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Text Mining covers computational methods for processing and analyzing text data, including NLP pipelines, text classification, information extraction, and ethical considerations.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Aaron Enright
The course required four major homework assignments, though one student noted the grading feedback for these tasks was unclear.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026#27 ·LIS 655
Collection Management
3 creditsTeaches professional skills in collection development, selection, and control while examining societal forces and contemporary changes in access and ownership.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Web Development covers secure/interactive web content, programming fundamentals, CMSs, accessibility, design, ethics, and website implementation using scripting languages and frameworks.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2025–Spring 2026Introduction to data visualization covering effective tools for summarizing and analyzing data, limitations, and planning visualizations using software platforms.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Xiang Zheng
Students noted that understanding the concepts required some effort, but quizzes and assignments were easy if you attended class and followed the demonstrations.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2023–Spring 2026