LIBR 228-10
Advanced Information Resources and Services
Fall 2007 Greensheet
Todd Gilman
E-mail
Office Location: Web
Phone: (203)432-1761
Office Hours: M-F 9-5 EST
| Greensheet Links Course Materials Course Requirements Course Schedule About your Instructor |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Blackboard course enrollment dates are 21 Aug. – 27 Aug. 2007. Students must self-enroll for this course on Blackboard during these dates. You will be required to use a password access code that I will provide using MYSJSU Messaging system. For more information on access code enrollment, see the tutorial entitled Enrolling in a Blackboard course.
Course Description
Survey of information sources, information transfer processes, and research patterns in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, including use characteristics, interpersonal communication, and query analysis. Topics covered will include library instruction, library guides, virtual reference systems, management, and evaluation of reference services. In addition, the course will emphasize specific skills deemed essential for effective reference work: oral and written communication, functioning effectively with other people, analysis, creative problem solving, and assessment.
Intended for students who wish to work in academic libraries or major public libraries.
Prerequisites: Libr 202 and Libr 210.
Course Objectives
- To understand the process of information seeking in the sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.
- To demonstrate the ability to produce a library guide in both print and electronic format in consultation with a faculty member.
- To present, as a team member, an effective interactive teaching and learning session for a specific electronic source.
- To develop an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of virtual reference systems.
- To analyze the effectiveness of electronic answering sources for statistical queries.
- To develop skills in evaluating reference service effectiveness.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the course, the student should be able to perform the following:
- Give examples of basic reference sources used in various types of libraries.
- Identify various types of reference sources, including their characteristics and functions.
- Describe theoretical concepts and techniques that support the provision of reference and information services.
- Discover theory-into-practice approaches to provide advanced reference and information services.
- Identify state-of-the-art information technology and current models for the delivery of reference and information services.
LIBR 228 supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- use service concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access, relevance, and accuracy for individuals or groups of users;
- demonstrate oral and written communication skills necessary for group work, collaborations and professional level presentations;
- design training programs based on appropriate learning principles and theories.
In addition, this section supports the following SLIS Core Competencies:
- evaluate programs and services on specified criteria.
Course Materials
Required Texts
The required textbooks fro the course are:
- William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work: Basic Information Services, Volume I, Eighth Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002. ISBN: 0-07-244107-0.
- William A. Katz, Introduction to Reference Work: Reference Services and Reference Processes, Volume II, Eighth Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002. ISBN: 0-07-244143-7.
Go to.
The textbooks may be ordered directly from the publishers or through Web-based vendors such as the SLIS eBookstore or Barnes & Noble at www.bn.com
NOTE: The Katz books are costly and not completely up to date; however, they are the best resource of their kind available, and should be taken seriously. Also, you will need to have books in hand by the first day of class, so please rush order them as soon as you see this Greensheet.
Additional Readings
Additional course materials will be available through the Blackboard course site.
Core Journals
You should be familiar with professional journals that explore reference and information service issues appropriate to this course, including
- College & Research Libraries (Z671 .C6)*
- Journal of Academic Librarianship (Z671 .J58)*
- Medical Reference Services Quarterly (R118.2 .M4)*
- Public Libraries (Z673.A5 .P88)*
- Reference & User Services Quarterly (Z671 .R7)*
- The Reference Librarian (Z711 .R43x)*
- Reference Services Review (Z1035.1 .R43)*
I have taken the call numbers above from the SJSU library catalog, but they should also help you locate materials, if available, at any academic library to which you have access. Titles marked with an asterisk (*) show electronic access through the SJSU Electronic Journals List.
Discussion Lists
Electronic discussion lists constitute an important part of professional dialogue and support for reference and information service librarians. All students in this class should subscribe to LIBREF-L, the largest electronic discussion list dedicated to issues in reference librarianship.
- * Join LIBREF-L *
You will also find a variety of electronic discussion lists dedicated to specific subject areas (e.g., history librarianship), to specialized service areas often administered as part of reference and information service programs (e.g., instructional services), and to the use of information technology as a means of supporting reference and information services. You can see some of these lists in the "External Links" section of the Blackboard course site.
Course Requirements
Primary Requirements
Primary requirements consist of:
- Successfully completing assignments related to objectives listed above. Participation during each unit in the form of asynchronous Threaded Discussion. Use of basic HTML for student presentation pages.
- Reading assignment must be completed each week. Readings not in the Katz books are provided through Blackboard.
Evaluation Criteria
I shall evaluate ALL written work according to the following criteria in addition to the specific requirements for each assignment:
- Quality of the presentation--neat and error-free
- Quality of the writing--clear, direct, and correct
- Quality of the organization--smooth, logical flow and content
- Quality and amount of reflection, analysis, and evaluation
All papers must be typed, double spaced, with a font size of at least 12 points. They must also conform to APA style. You should own a copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition (2001). For further information, see the SLIS APA Style Resources page.
Late Assignments
Let the instructor know in advance if you will be unable to participate during a given week. Late assignments will be accepted up to five days past the deadline, with a penalty of 1 point (1% of course grade) per day. With an appropriate reason stated BEFORE the due date, students may be allowed additional time without penalty for UP TO THREE ASSIGNMENTS. I shall not accept any paper that is more than five days late.
Technical Requirements
You must have access to the following: Internet/World Wide Web access, Java-enabled Web browser, Microsoft Office (particularly Word and PowerPoint), and Adobe Acrobat Reader 5+.
You must be able to send and receive e-mail, including attachments. You should plan to check your e-mail and the Blackboard course site regularly for announcements.
For more detailed information, consult the SLIS home computing environment page.
Blackboard
This course is run via Blackboard. Stanley Laufer, the SLIS Network Administrator, has created a "Blackboard Tutorials and Resources for SLIS Instructors and Students" site. It is located at http://witloof.sjsu.edu/blackboard/. Use the tutorial to learn how to set up your Blackboard account.
Course enrolment dates are 21 Aug. – 27 Aug. 2007.
Office Hours
I shall have no specific online office hours, but shall be available to answer questions submitted either through the Blackboard course site, or directly to me via e-mail. Please note that I am on Eastern Standard Time, and that you should expect to receive a reply to any questions within 48 hours of receipt. Any extended absences that might affect response time will be announced through the Blackboard course site.
Grading
There are 100 possible points for this course, divided as follows:
| Assignments | Total Point Value |
| 4 Article Reviews=5 points each x 4 | 20 points |
| 3 Exercises [i.e., sets of 10 reference questions each]=5 points each x 3 |
15 points |
| 2 Investigations=10 points each x 2 | 30 points |
| 2 Papers=10 points | 20 points |
| ONTIME Participation in 15 threaded discussions [that means you must participate during each Unit by midnight of the day before the next Unit opens]=1 point each x 15 |
15 points |
Specific requirements for each assignment, including due dates, will be posted in the course site via Blackboard.
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU SLIS Grading Scale is utilized for all SLIS courses:
| 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+ |
| 70-72 | D |
| 67-69 | D- |
| Below 67 | F |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:
- C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
- B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
- A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0.
Additional Information
Each student will:
- assume responsibility for his/her learning
- use the provided learning guides and resources; conduct data searches when necessary
- manage his/her time effectively (plan a schedule and practice time management)
- ask for assistance when needed; avoid unnecessary frustration and confusion
- remain active in the Discussions and Email
- prepare all work at graduate performance levels
- enter each Unit beginning the date that Unit starts. He/she is then free to access that Unit as many times as he/she likes through the end of the course
- follow good online etiquette
Please note:
- You must have access to a “bricks and mortar” (i.e., physical, not just virtual) library that houses a standard collection of academic reference works.
- I prefer not to use the Chat function for this course, though you are welcome to; formal interaction of the class as a whole will take the form of Discussions.
- So that I am not inundated with email, please limit the number of emails you send me to two per week if possible. That means saving up questions, perhaps, for several days.
- Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment in question (see more on plagiarism below).
The instructor will:
- provide assistance/knowledge in facilitating understanding of the course content
- guide students through the course
- facilitate discussion through questioning, probing, examples, etc.
- provide feedback
- maintain records
- mark exams/assignments and maintain records within 15 working days
- respond to messages on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Academic Integrity
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University, and the University's Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm.
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/
Course Schedule
| Unit | Topic |
| 1 | Reference Librarians on the Information Highway |
2 |
The Electronic Library |
3 |
Bibliography |
4 |
National and Trade Bibliographies |
5 |
Indexing and Abstracting Services: General and Collections |
6 |
Indexing and Abstracting Services: Subject and Newspaper |
7 |
Encyclopedias: General and Subject Sets |
8 |
Ready-Reference Sources: Almanacs, Yearbooks, Handbooks, Directories |
9 |
Biographical Sources |
10 |
Dictionaries |
11 |
Geographical Sources |
12 |
Government Documents |
13 |
The Internet and Reference Services |
14 |
Interview and Search |
15 |
Instruction and Reference Policies |
About your Instructor
Professor Gilman holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Toronto and an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons College in Boston. He is Librarian for Literature in English at Yale University Library (www.library.yale.edu). He also teaches part-time for the Library and Information Science Program at Wayne State University.
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