LIBR 210-12
Reference & Information Services
Summer 2004

Dr. Renée N. Jefferson
E-mail
Office hours: Blackboard, by appointment

GREENSHEET

Course Description

The major topics are:

1. an understanding of concepts/definitions and models/types of reference and information services;
2. a survey of reference sources in various types of formats;
3. a study of the evaluation, selection, and use of general reference sources by type of material;
4. theoretical frameworks and techniques supporting the practices of reference and information services; and
5. issues in information technology and its impact on the provision of reference and information services and on current models for the delivery of reference and information services to remote users, such as e-mail based and world wide web-based service models and other mechanisms that apply network technology.

Course Objectives

1. demonstrate familiarity with a number of basic reference sources in various types of formats by efficiently and independently providing answers to sample questions designed to utilize those sources;
2. identify the various types of reference sources, including their characteristics and functions;
3. comprehend theoretical concepts and techniques that support the provision of reference and information services;
4. apply theory-into-practice approaches to provide basic reference and information services; and
5. identify state-of-the-art information technology and current models for the delivery of reference and information services.

The course supports the following School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) objectives:

The student will be able to understand the major theories and important principles of the foundation of information services, and in addition will demonstrate knowledge of current practices in (1) information transfer, (2) information management, including the selection, organization, storage, retrieval, dissemination and utilization of information resources, and the application of diverse technologies to information services.

Course Materials

Katz, W. A. (2002). Introduction to reference work. Volume I Basic Information Services. 8th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. [The textbook is available from Amazon at www.amazon.com and Barnes and Noble at www.bn.com.]

Additional course materials will be available through Blackboard.

Blackboard

The course will be ready for you to enroll on the Blackboard site on Monday, May 24 th. Please enroll no later than Friday, May 28 th. After enrolling, follow the instructions posted in the Announcements’ section of Blackboard.

Office Hours

I will not set specific online hours. I will be available to answer questions Monday through Friday. You should have a response to your questions within 48 hours. You may also make an appointment to meet with me in the chat room that is available in Blackboard, or you may schedule a time for me to telephone you.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to adhere to the following:

1. Check email and Blackboard daily for messages and announcements. Communication in an online course is essential.

2. Submit all assignments by the specified due date and time. Instructions for each assignment are posted under the Assignments section of Blackboard. Points will be deducted for failure to follow directions. Any assignment submitted after the due date, without the permission of the instructor, will have its total score reduced by 10%. [Note: You must have permission from the instructor to submit your assignment late PRIOR to the due date.] Any assignment submitted more than one week after the deadline will not be accepted for grading, and a failing grade will be recorded; that is, unless a student has received an extension from the instructor. This is only fair to students who work to submit their assignments on time.

3. Submit assignments that are free of spelling and grammatical errors. All sources must be correctly cited using the APA style manual.

4. All assignments must be your own work. Sources must be properly cited in papers. The San Jose State University codes and rules governing plagiarism are in effect. Please refer to the following sites for specific information.

                     "Academic Dishonesty Procedures", SJSU Class Schedule http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/narr/soc-spring/soc-spring-273.html     University Policy F88-10: http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/f88-10.htm S98-1 (amends F88-10): http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/s98-1.htm S02-4 (amends S98-1): http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S02-4.htm.

5. Work cooperatively on group assignments. Group work is an important component of this course. If a member of a group is not contributing his or her fair share, please inform the instructor as soon as possible.

6. Identify a local academic library, preferably a CSU library, with a sizable reference collection. Plan to visit that library frequently throughout the semester. Although the course is conducted online, not all reference sources are readily available online.

7. Know how to use Blackboard. See the Blackboard Tutorials and Resources for SLIS Instructors and Students located at http://witloof.sjsu.edu/blackboard/.

8. It is the responsibility of the student to maintain a copy of all graded and returned materials for use as evidence in any question that might arise regarding the final grade in the course.

9. Incompletes will be assigned only in cases of medical or family emergency. Medical or other proof will be required.

Assignments

Reference Environment I—In-Person: This assignment is designed to assist you in becoming familiar with daily activities that occur within a reference environment. You will spend 3 hours observing reference activities. You will be required to post information a discussion forum and to write a summary of your observations. The assignment contributes 20% toward your final course grade.

Reference Environment II—Digital Reference: This assignment is designed to assist you in becoming familiar with a variety of digital reference services. You will use and review a virtual reference service. You will be required to post information to a discussion forum and to write a summary of your experience. The assignment contributes 20% toward your final course grade.

 Reference Collection: This assignment is designed to assist you in becoming familiar with a variety of information sources and their uses. You will develop a reference collection for a specific type of library. There are two parts to this assignment. The assignment contributes 30% toward your final course grade, each part contributing 15%. You will be required to post sections of the assignment to a discussion forum. This is a group assignment.

Instruction Session Presentation: The instruction session is designed to assist you in identifying and describing information sources generally located in reference departments. It will also assist you in comprehending and applying library instruction concepts. You will design and develop instructional materials for a specific library user group. The materials will be used for your instruction session presentation. The instructional materials will contribute 15% toward your final course grade, and the presentation will contribute 10%. You will be required to post your instructional materials to a discussion forum. This is an individual assignment.

Ready Reference Role Play: You will be required to demonstrate the role of a librarian and a library user. Questions will be provided by the instructor. The role play assignment will be conducted during the site visit session. It contributes 5% toward your final course grade.

Evaluation

All graded assignments will be marked using one of the following letter grades.

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