LIBR 221-10
Government Information Resources
Spring 2006 Greensheet
Mary Martin
E-mail
Office: Libraries of The Claremont Colleges
Phone: 909-621-8923; I will give my cell number to anyone who absolutely can’t call me at the office
Office Hours: Wed. 5:00 -7:00 pm & Thurs. 5 – 6:45 pm (Online or at Claremont)
| Course Links Greensheet Assignments Calendar |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials |
Textbooks and Resources | Course Requirements
Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard between January 9 and January 24. You will be required to use a password access code, which I will provide on the MySJSU Messaging system.
Course Description
This course will prepare a framework from which the student will develop a working knowledge of the creation, nature, distribution and accessibility of government information resources. Topics covered will include government information resources, provenance (origin) of government information, uses for citizenry and academic communities, collections, services, staffing, and future trends for government information in libraries.
Prerequisite: LIBR 210
Class Objectives
The student will; as an information professional, understand the origins and nature of government information resources and establish an expertise in finding government information resources for library patrons. The student will also learn how to direct library patrons in finding government information resources on their own. The focus is on how to find and use government information no matter what your position might be in a library, school, or corporate setting. The student will have an understanding of how to build/access a government documents collection for a library of any type.
The class will assist in preparing them as professionals for participation in the world of government information access whether as a library generalist, a government information specialist, or a special library information provider. The method will involve exploring various government information venues; federal; international, foreign; state and local. The student will learn how to access government information; anticipating and facilitating government information requests, and helping users locate more difficult to find information resources. It will also create an awareness of the role the library profession can play in providing access to government information to citizens, students, scholars, and other professionals.
On completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand what government information is based on its nature, format; how it is disseminated and how it may be used
- Determine who/what creates government information and understand the organizational structure of that body.
- Learn how to use specially created reference tools and Web pages to find answers to common government information questions
- Determine what type of information is available, and what is not; to ferret out possible “hidden’ sources of information and direct users to possible sources
- Learn how to move beyond Web resources into the paper historical collections when necessary
- Create a basic Web page guide or pathfinder to government information resources on a particular topic or of a particular jurisdiction
- Begin to develop and maintain an awareness of government information creation and dissemination policies and how to interact with professional organizations and government agencies to be a partner in this important area of librarianship
Textbooks and Resources
U.S. Government on the Web [electronic resource]: Getting the Information you Need / Peter Hernon, Robert E. Dugan, John A Shuler. (Hernon, Dugan, Shuler, 2001, Libraries Unlimited)
There is a 2003 edition available in paper only. I am selecting the 2001 because it is available as an eBook through the King Library at San Jose State through NetLibrary. If the newer version becomes available on NetLibrary before class begins, we will use that version. I do not think that the information will change substantively, I think URL’s and agencies change. That is a fact of life we will have to live with.
There are five books available in the Collection of the Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton. As most students are from the Southern California area, these books would be more convenient for them to use. They are:
Other Textbooks
The following two books are classics, but rapidly becoming out of date – they are good for historical reference concerning federal government information
- Introduction to United States Government Sources, by Joe Morehead, 6th edition, 1999.
- Tapping the Government Grapevine, by Judith Robinson, c. 1998.
- International Information: Documents, Publications, and Electronic Information
of International Governmental Organizations / Peter I.Hajinal, ed., Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1997. - Local and Regional Government Information: How to Find It, How to Use It/ edited by Mary Martin. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2005.
- Tapping State Government Information Sources / Lori L. Smith ... [et al] Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003.
IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE A TEXTBOOK- PURCHASE THE HERNON BOOK: U.S. Government Information on the Web. Remember that it is an eBook at the King Library – but you can only print a page at a time. If you wait until the last minute to do the readings you may be competing with other students to check out the online text. The book can be purchased from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591580862/qid=1136231834/sr=1-
1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3787549-1525458?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
Readings
Readings are resources for discussions and to help with assignments: as readings are assigned, they may be added to the resource list. Some may not be posted full-text, if they are widely available. Full-text resources that are posted to E-Reserve or on Blackboard will be indicated as such.
Course Requirements
Course Format
Online Class with 3 face-to-face meetings
- February 3: Fullerton,
- February 10: Claremont,
- May 5: Fullerton
Assignments
See the assignments page.
Grading
Assignments will be graded in the following manner:
| Assignment | % of Final Grade |
| Assignment 1 (Due Feb 3) | 10% |
| Assignment 2 (Due Feb 17) | 10% |
| Assignment 3 (Due Mar 10) | 10% |
| Assignment 4 (Due Mar 24) | 10% |
| Assignment 5 (Due April 13) | 15% |
| Assignment 6 (Due April 21) | 10% |
| Assignment 7 (Due May 1) | 10 % |
| Assignment 8 Due May12) | 10 % |
| Participation in class discussion | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
Late Assignments
Points earned for late assignments will be reduced by10 percent.
Assignment Requirements
The following are expected for assignment submissions:
- All assignments should be in MS Word or WordPerfect format [contact the instructor if you cannot do this]. The exception is the Web page which should be in HTML formatting - preferably using the template that will be provided. They will be submitted electronically through Blackboard.
- All assignments should be clearly marked with the student’s name, the class, assignment number and the date.
- Assignments should be free of spelling errors and the sentence structure should be excellent [grammar should reflect a student working at the graduate level – which is rather high [I will take into account English as a second language]
- Assignments should ideally be paginated, with the name and assignment number on each page.
- The assignments should be clearly written, so the instructor can easily determine which question you are answering. Each section should clearly state which question is being answered and have an introductory and closing sentence. Multipart assignments should be delineated – however. I’m not picky about whether its letters or numbers, just that it be in logical order.
- Essay format is desirable only in a policy or opinion paper.
- Outline or clearly marked format is preferable for multipart assignments, to keep the students answers clearly marked, and make it easy for the instructor to read.
- All ideas taken from other sources should be credited, preferably using Chicago style format; MLA or Turabian are acceptable also. I will not correct formatting errors in citations, nor deduct from the grade for minor errors, but students should be in the habit of using proper citation format.
- It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the instructor can read the assignment, and that it is very clear what the student is writing about.
- It is because of my role as a practitioner in an academic library for so many years, and having to read so many memos and policy papers etc. (the real thing – in the workplace), I have learned to appreciate and be brief and concise. We need to sell our ideas, convince others that we can accomplish the task. There’s no time to wax eloquent on a subject any longer. You can if you must, but be prepared to lose your audience after the first couple of paragraphs.
- If you are unhappy with a grade, approach me about it. I am not unreasonable. The reason I am a stickler about all of this is that no one has time to have to struggle to understand what the student is saying (or anyone else for that matter). Have someone else read your paper – you’ll be in for a shock! I found this out the hard way – writing a book with three editors, having copyeditors, and having to edit other authors work.
Grading
Final grades will be based on the preceding grading scale established for graduate students by San José State University:
| 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+ |
Academic Integrity
Read the SJSU Academic Integrity Policy
http://www2.sjsu.edu/senate/S04-12.pdf
Reasonable Accommodation of Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
please e-mail me as soon as possible. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires
that students with disabilities register with the Disability Resource Center
(DRC) to establish record of their disability.
No matter where students reside, they should contact the SJSU DRC to register. The DRC Web site: http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/
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Phone: 408-924-2490
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