Electives in SLIS

Posted October 30, 2026 by Ashten Vassar-Cain

With course selections approaching, I wanted to share some insights on choosing electives. At the start of the fall semester, after completing the core courses for my program, I wanted to start branching out. Picking electives felt intimidating at first, but thankfully there is something for everyone!

My concentration is in cultural heritage informatics, and I also have a strong interest in archives. When looking for an elective, I wanted to prioritize courses that supported my interests, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and provided me with practical skills. Fortunately, the two electives I ended up taking this semester seemed to be a perfect fit.

First, I chose LIS 439: Preservation Management, which focuses on professional and practical skills. This course has been extremely comprehensive, and Professor Conn has made it incredibly fun and engaging. She walks students through common challenges they may face in libraries, archives, and museums, and also demonstrates how to create comprehensive strategies that can be implemented in a variety of environments. This elective has been fun for me because it emphasizes creative problem-solving and forward-thinking. Using the skills from this course, I’ve already begun implementing stronger preservation decisions at my place of work. It was rewarding to see the impact of the course material in real time!

For my second elective, I wanted to pick something that would expand my horizons. I ultimately decided on LIS 471: Photographic Archives and Visual Information. Professor Gehrt demonstrates how to identify photographic processes and how to use identifications to better care for photographic collections. Additionally, he challenges students to think more expansively about visual storytelling. Through this course, students directly engage with historic photographs and the history of photography, as well as respond to current dilemmas faced by LAMs professionals. LIS 471 gave me the opportunity to dive deep into a subject that I was unfamiliar with prior to this semester. I was a bit nervous to take a more specialized course, but I ended up really enjoying learning something new!