Information Center for SLIS Students
LIS 438: Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice
A core component of LIS 438 is a 60-hour field experience. This field experience is either completed in-person at repository near you under the supervision of a professional, or it is completed at home with an online practicum. The online practicum mirrors the in-person experience , and in that experience you will survey, appraise, process, arrange, and describe a digital collection.
Student Profiles
Before the semester begins, you will receive an email to your Simmons address asking you to complete a student profile for LIS 438 in FXMS.
Share location, transportation needs, schedule, and any accessibility needs you may have. If you have access to public transportation, please indicate that. This information is used to match you with a site.
If there are any significant changes to your circumstances after you submit your profile, or you need to update your student profile after initially submitting it, please email us at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Placements
After student profiles in FXMS are completed, the Field Experience Team will work together to match students with field experiences that best match their location, transportation, and accessibility needs. During the placement process we give these factors priority over individual interests.
It is important to note that you should not secure your field placement on your own without first consulting with one of the members of the Field Experience Teams at [email protected].
You will not be formally placed with an institution until the third week in the semester. At the beginning of the third week in the semester, you will be expected to log into FXMS to access your site supervisor’s contact information, and then you will reach out to the supervisor in order to schedule a first meeting. During the fourth week of the semester, you will be permitted to begin your field experience.
Practicum
If you are placed in the practicum, you will be contacted by one of the Field Experience Managers during the third week of the semester to sign up for the practicum’s virtual orientation. During this orientation, you will learn about the collection you will process and all pertinent information to your success in the practicum.
Further questions?Please reach out to the Field Experience Team at [email protected].
LIS 512: Advanced Field Experience
As an advanced SLIS student, you can take LIS 512 in order to have a practical hands-on experiential learning experience.
After completing SLIS core courses and the required courses for your concentration, you can take LIS 512.
The course includes 20 hours of online coursework and a 130-hour field experience. The fieldwork occurs in a repository that best-suits your personalized interest. This includes libraries, archives, or other cultural heritage sites. Fieldwork can be onsite, remote, or hybrid.
Unlike LIS 438, you can find your own placement for LIS 512; however, all placements must be approved by the Field Experience Team.
To signal your interest in LIS 512, please email [email protected], and the Field Experience Team will reach out to you in order to schedule an appointment to discuss your interests, location, and availability for the course.
Student Profiles and Placements
After contacting [email protected] to signal your interest in the course, you will receive an email to your Simmons email address asking you to submit or update your student profile in FXMS. Include access to public transportation if you have any.. This provides the Field Experience Managers with information about your needs prior to your meeting with them.
This process can take time; however, if you have any questions over the course of the process please reach out to [email protected].
While you are permitted to obtain a placement yourself, you must maintain an open line of communication with the Field Experience Team. This ensures that your project will match the curricular requirements of the course and your project is submitted into FXMS in a timely manner.
Typically, placements are located prior to the start of the semester, and you are permitted to begin your placement during the first week of the semester. If there are any significant changes to your circumstances after you submit your profile, or you need to update your student profile after initially submitting it, please email us at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Further questions?
Please reach out to the Field Experience Team at [email protected].