Greensheet
Introduction 
GREENSHEET
Textbooks and Readings | Course Requirements
The Blackboard site for this class will open for self-enrollment on August 22. I will provide you with a password access code using the MySJSU messaging system. You should be enrolled by August 26, 2005
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce you to the world of reference and information services. We will explore different methods and models of information service delivery; examine and evaluate key information sources of various types and formats; and discuss vital issues pertinent to the provision of reference service.
Catalog Description
A process-oriented examination of how information professionals answer reference questions. The interpersonal skills required for effective question negotiation and the sources with which questions are answered are stressed.
Major themes will include:
- The history of reference service
- Information seeking behavior
- The reference process (including the reference interview)
- Evaluation of reference interactions
- Information sources and their use (including effective search strategies)
- Evaluation of reference sources
- Reference service to diverse populations
- The role of instruction in reference service
- Reference ethics and reference policies
- Trends in reference and information services
Course Goals and Objectives
You should emerge from this course with:
- A clear understanding of the reference process and the skills required for conducting a successful reference interview
- More highly developed search skills for assisting users with their information needs
- A demonstrated familiarity with a variety of basic reference sources, in both print and electronic formats
- The ability to thoroughly evaluate reference sources in a particular area
- An understanding of current trends and ongoing issues in reference and information service
This course supports the following SLIS objectives:
- SLIS supports an environment and curriculum that prepares students to function effectively in libraries, information centers, schools, and other relevant institutions
- Teaching students the major theories, important principles, and current practice in the foundations of information services; information transfer; and information management, including the selection, organization, storage, retrieval, dissemination and utilization of information resources
Required Text
Bopp , R. E., & Smith, L. C. (2001). Reference and information services: An introduction (3rd ed.). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. Available through amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Additional Readings
Additional required readings will be made available online, through the course Blackboard site.
Recommended Texts
For your further edification:
- Katz, W. A. (2002). Introduction to reference work. 8th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
A staple of reference courses for many years, Katz provides a knowledgeable, witty, and often opinionated alternative to the Bopp & Smith text. - Balay , R. (Ed.) Guide to Reference Books (11th ed. and supplements). Chicago: ALA
Although you will not wish to purchase this book, it is a useful resource for getting a quick sense of the contents of many reference works. A copy of Balay should be readily available at a library near you!
Expectations
As a graduate student, you are expected to:
- Read and carefully consider all readings.
- Fully participate in all class activities and discussions.
- Complete all assignments on time.
- Inform the instructor if you have an illness or emergency which requires you to miss class or to request an extension on an assignment. If a legitimate emergency should arise, we will negotiate future action; otherwise, there will be a penalty for work turned in after the assigned date.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used extensively in this course:
- The Blackboard site for this class will open for self-enrollment on August 22. I will provide you with a password access code using the MySJSU messaging system. You should be enrolled by August 26, 2005 (the end of the first week of classes).
- As we will only meet face-to-face four times, a number of class discussions and activities will take place via Blackboard. It is crucial that you log in every few days between meetings.
- The SLIS Blackboard site is located at http://tigris.sjsu.edu and tutorials are available at http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/blackboard.
Assignments
The assignments for this course are:
- Reports
Your understanding of reference work will benefit if you are able to consider some of the concepts we read about and discuss in a real-world setting. Thus, you will be asked to formally observe reference work; consciously participate in reference interactions; and explore some of the programs in place to extend reference services to certain users in a library of your choice. You will submit a brief report on each of these experiences. - Exercises
You will complete a series of exercises designed to give you practical experience examining and using some of the reference sources and search techniques we are studying. - Pathfinder
Your success as a reference librarian will depend, in great part, on your ability to understand your patrons’ information needs and help them locate appropriate resources. In order to hone these skills, you will compile a pathfinder designed to assist a user (a fellow classmate) with a particular information need. This assignment will enable you to work through various facets of the reference process, including interviewing the user, searching for useful information sources, communicating your findings to the user, and receiving user feedback. It will also help you develop skills in the analysis and evaluation of information sources.
The pathfinder will be worth 25% of your grade. More information on this assignment will be given in a separate handout. - Participation
A portion of the overall grade is allocated for class participation. For the purposes of this class, participation includes prompt and thoughtful contribution to online discussions, engagement with class activities, and a demonstration that you are making an effort to master the material covered in this course.
Assignment Evaluation
Summary of assignments and their worth:
| Assignment | % of final grade |
| Reports | 30% |
| Exercises | 30% |
| Pathfinder | 25% |
| Class participation | 15% |
More details on the assignments, and a list of due dates, will be provided in Blackboard.
Grading
Your work will be evaluated according to four criteria; it should:
- Be clearly written or presented
- Display familiarity with the appropriate literature and/or bibliographic tools
- Show insight into the concepts and/or issues in question
- Demonstrate a degree of originality
In accordance with the SJSU Graduate School guidelines, the following grading scale will be used:
| 97-100 | A |
| 94-96 | A- |
| 91-93 | B+ |
| 88-90 | B |
| 85-87 | B- |
| 82-84 | C+ |
| 79-81 | C |
| 76-78 | C- |
| 73-75 | D+ |
Plagiarism/Academic Integrity
All SJSU students are expected to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. As a SLIS student, it is particularly important that you properly cite your sources in assignments, as specified in class. Acts of dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and misrepresentation, violate the University’s Academic Integrity Policy. The San José State University regulations governing academic integrity (available at http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf) will be enforced in such cases.
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
Students who need accommodation due to a disability must register with SJSU's Disability Resource Center (DRC) during the first three weeks of the semester. The Center will work with the students to determine the disability, document it, and determine the services and accommodations necessary for student success. Then, the DRC will contact the faculty member to determine the types of consideration necessary.
Students attending the Fullerton campus should first contact the Disability Resource Center in San José since they are SJSU students. The DRC will then direct the students to supporting resources on the Fullerton campus.
The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/