University of Hawai'i Ð
Manoa
Library & Information
Science Program
LIS 610:
Introduction to Library k
Information Science (3 Credits) (Fall 2004)
SYLLABUS
Classroom: Hamilton
Library, Room 4V
Schedule: Thursdays: 1:00-3:40 PM
Instructor: Assistant
Professor Andrew (Drew) Wertheimer, Ph.D.
Contact Information:
4N Hamilton
Library, 2550 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu HI 96822
TEL:
808/ 956. 5839 FAX: 808/
956. 5835
OFFICE HOURS: TUES:
1:00-5:00; THU:
4:00-5:00
E-mail: wertheim@hawaii.edu
Please mention LIS 610 in the message line.
Homepage: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~wertheim/Teaming.html
Course Catalog Description (from the LIS Program home page):
LIS
610
Introduction to Library and Information Science (3) Lecture/discussion
course on role of libraries, their social utility in information societies.
History and future of libraries in changing technological world. Information
professions, information ethics, intellectual freedom, intellectual property,
information access, national/international library developments. Prerequisites: None
This introductory survey
course addresses the following objectives of the LIS Program, enabling students
to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophy, principles,
policies and ethics of library and information science and technology;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the development and
communication of knowledge;
3. Apply basic competencies and knowledge that are essential
for providing, managing, and designing information services in a variety of
information environments;
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the development and
interrelationship of librarianship and information science;
5. Demonstrate theoretical understanding of and basic
competencies in evaluating, selecting and organizing information sources;
6. Demonstrate theoretical understanding of and basic
competencies in retrieval, dissemination, utilization and evaluation of
information sources
7.
Demonstrate an understanding of research techniques and methods of applying new
knowledge as it becomes available [Not 8-12].
This is an introductory
survey course, enabling students to:
(1) Become acquainted
with a variety of aspects of their chosen profession;
(2) Develop an
understanding of the relationships and roles that libraries and comparable
information agencies fulfill in the larger society, throughout history and into
the future;
(3) Develop capacities
for critical thinking, particularly in viewing major social issues and problems
of concern to the profession;
(4) Gain experience in
making informative presentations to colleagues on topics of interest to the
profession;
(5) Gain experience in
accessing information structure and assessing its uses;
(6) And, on a personal
level, to understand the potential scope and dimensions of the careers for
which they are preparing, in order to perceive their own pathways to meaningful
and rewarding work.
Teaching Method
Primary emphasis is on
reading, group discussion, and critical analysis. Oral and written assignments
are designed to promote these activities. The assignment due dates are on the
course schedule. Attendance and constructive participation are required.
Because it provides a foundation for understanding the concerns of the
profession, this is the kind of course that students might find more useful
several years after graduation, rather than on their first day as a new
librarian or information specialist.
Grading:
Assigned
Papers (6 x 10) 60
%
Group
Project: Position 15
%
Class
Participation 10
%
Student
Portfolio and Vitae Final
Draft 10 %
Student
Portfolio and Vitae First
Draft 05 %
Grading Scale: 100-98 A+, 97-94 A, 93-90 A-;
89 - 87 B+, 86-83 B, 82-80 B-; 79 - 77 C+, 76-73 C, 72-70 C-; 69 - 67 D+, 66-63 D, 62-60 D-.
My personal and professional ambition is to
facilitate your learning, so I welcome specific or rough proposals for alternative
learning experiences to
assignments.
I reserve the right to reject or make
counterproposals, but I encourage you to consult me about this. If you want to pursue this, please talk
with me well in advance of the deadline of the assignment you want to
replace.
Class participation is based on: (a) Attendance (e-mail me in advance
if you are unable to attend). You need to bring a doctorÕs slip or evidence of
a family funeral in order to be officially excused. (b) Active participation in
classroom discussion. This does not mean monopolizing discussion, but does mean
being prepared and actively contributing to discussion.
Required Textbook:
& Richard E. Rubin, Foundations
of Library and Information Science
2nd edition. (New York: Neal-Schuman,
2004). ISBN: 1-55570-518-9 (at
University Bookstore).
This new edition is due to be published on July
2004.
Supplementary Readings:
& Siva Vaidhyanathan, Copyrights and
Copywrongs: The Rise of
Intellectual
Property and How it Threatens Creativity (New York:
New York University Press, 2001) (at University Bookstore).
Additional required readings are specified below.
They are available via Electronic Reserves or at the Sinclair Library.
Course Schedule (subject to change)
Objectives: Review
syllabus; Lecture: Researching Information Needs.
Readings: None.
DUE: Nothing.
2 September
Class 2: Information Needs
Objectives: [a] Presentation on Survey Results (1:00-2:15; break
2:15-2:30).
[b] Guest Speaker:
Dr. Diane Nahl (2:30-3:40):
Lecture & Group Discussion on the
Readings
Readings: & Brenda Dervin, and M.
Nilan, ÒInformation Needs and
Users.Ó Annual Review of Information Science and Technology 21 (1986): 3-33.
& T. D. Wilson, ÒOn User Studies and
Information Needs.Ó Journal of Documentation 37 (1981): 3-15.
& Lynn Westbrook, ÒUser Needs: A Synthesis and Analysis of Current Theories for the Practitioner.Ó RQ 32 (1993): 541-549.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT
(1): INFORMATION NEEDS
9 September
Class 3: Information Professions
Part I
Objectives: Lecture on Historical context for libraries
Readings: & RUBIN: 1-56; 457-464; skim
449-455.
Class 4: (a) Information Professions Part II
(b)
Historical Context for LIS: Literacy, Education
& Printing
Class 5: Brief History of Archives,
Research and National Libraries
Readings: &
RUBIN: 207-264.
Class 6: Growth of Public, School
& Special Libraries
Readings: & Buildings, Books, and Bytes: Libraries and Communities
in the Digital Age (Washington, D.C.: Benton Foundation, 1996).
DUE: Nothing.
Class 7: Professional Associations,
Certification, LIS Education
Readings: &
Christine Pawley, ÒHegemony's Handmaid:
The Library and Information Studies Curriculum from a Class Perspective.Ó
Library Quarterly 68 (1998): 123-144.
& Skim: Pierce Butler, An Introduction to Library
Science (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1933).
DUE: ASSIGNMENT
(3): HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL PAPER
14 October
Class 8: International and Comparative Librarianship
Guest Speaker: Dr. Rebecca Knuth
Readings: & RUBIN: 171-205.
DUE: Nothing
[Note:
Andrew is at Library Research Seminar III]
Class 9: Information Science
Readings: & Michael Buckland,
ÒDocumentation, Information Science,
and
Library Science in the USA.Ó Information Processing and
Management 32 (1996): 63-76.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT
(4): BRIEF NATIONAL STUDY
28 October
Class 10: Technology
& National Policy
Readings: & RUBIN: 57-169, 425-435.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT
(5): RESEARCH CRITIQUE
Class 11: Intellectual
Freedom
Readings: & RUBIN: 265-296, 419-424, 437-441.
& Lester Asheim, ÒNot Censorship But Selection.Ó Wilson
Library Bulletin 28 (September
1953): 63-67.
& Lester Asheim, ÒSelection and Censorship: A Reappraisal.Ó Wilson
Library Bulletin 58 (November
1983): 180-184.
& Skim: ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Intellectual
Freedom Manual (6th
Ed.) (Chicago: ALA, 2002).
DUE: Nothing.
HOLIDAY: ELECTION DAY
(No class, Go vote)
Class 12: Intellectual Property
Readings: & Siva
Vaidhyanathan, Copyrights and
Copywrongs: The Rise of
Intellectual Property
and How it Threatens Creativity (New York:
New York University Press, 2001) Read
pages: 1-80, 160-167, 174-189, and 243-254.
DUE: Nothing.
Class 13: GROUP
PRESENTATIONS
Readings: None.
DUE: ASSIGNMENT
(6): LIS PHILOSOPHICAL POSITION PAPER
Class 14: GROUP
PRESENTATIONS CONTINUED & WRAP-UP
Readings: None.
DUE: Final
Draft of Student Portfolio and Vitae
There is no exam in this
course or class meeting during Finals Week.
All papers and extra credit
must be handed in by 9 December.
Important Fall 2004 Dates:
30 August Last day to withdraw from the class
without a "W."
22 October Last day to withdraw from the class
with a "W."
1 September Last day to add the class, change
grading option or to receive a
100% refund for the course.
13 September Last day to receive a 50% refund for
the course.
EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS
** Plagiarism, if caught, will result in failing the class. It also
will be reported to the department for appropriate action. Please donÕt do
it.
As a review, any quotes should either be placed in
quotation marks or block quotes for longer extracts. You may use any recognized citation style (Chicago, APA,
ASA, MLA) to cite sources of quotations or other information as long as you are
consistent in doing so. If you will be citing the same source (such as in the
article critique), then I suggest you use parenthetical references such as the
MLA style. For example, you can write (Daniels, 1995, 15), or (Daniels 15) if
you have only one citation by Daniels, or (15) if you only cite one article.
For papers using parenthetical references, you need to submit a bibliography of
works cited. You do not need a bibliography, however, if you use complete
citations in the footnotes.
Information from personal conversations, letters, and the Internet
should also be cited with the date (and URL for the Internet).
Please use 12-point Times (or comparable) font and
double-space your written assignments and leave a 1-inch margin. Papers should
also be stapled. You do not need a cover page, but should include your name,
the date, and assignment name on the first page of all materials. You are
encouraged to use a title for each paper since this often helps writers to
establish a focused theme.
Papers should be spell-checked and proofread. My
interest is to see that you follow the instructions and are able to develop a
logical, analytical paper, and provide evidence for your observations. Papers
are due during class. Late assignments will be
reduced by 2% per day. No overdue assignments or extra credit
projects will be accepted after 9 December.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS
(DUE
2 September) (10 points)
The first assignment is to conduct a very small,
informal survey of a few people in your community about their library use,
reading habits, and their information needs. This will provide a real context
for the readings on formal national and regional library surveys.
Procedure:
Please make five copies of the LIS
610 Library User Survey Form, which will be handed out in class. Select
five or more people and ask each of them the questions on the form. Use a
separate copy of the form for each individual interviewed. Fill in the form as
the person provides his or her answers, so that you obtain all the information
for each person. Record their responses accurately. Try not to put words in
their mouths, like a multiple-choice quiz. Some people arenÕt used to talking
about such things, so help them describe their experiences. You may interview
more than five people if you wish. You may choose family members, friends,
co-workers, students, or strangers. You may include any age group. Please
inform them that you have a class assignment to ask people about their library
and reading habits. Tell them your questions may take 20 minutes to answer and
ask if they can give you the time to complete it. Some people take longer
because they enjoy discussing these topics.
Go over your results and organize the information
in some meaningful way (What types of information needs did people mention?
Where do they usually get their information? etc.). Come to class prepared to
discuss your results and to compare them to othersÕ. We will discuss your
results in class and compare findings with each other. It helps to summarize
your data for each question in a table.
You will hand in this table or survey findings.
(DUE
16 September) (10 points)
Select an LIS professional LIS specialization that
you are interested in pursuing, and do research on key employment trends. I encourage you to choose a
specialization that you are interested in for your own future employment. For
the first part of this assignment, you should examine at least 30 recent
detailed job postings related to your profession, and then write up a summary
of trends, such as: salaries; future prospects for employment and advancement,
desired skills and abilities, etc. You also should do additional research using
LIS literature and talking with professionals. You will find many sources linked from http://www2.hawaii.edu/slis/resources/employment.html.
If you are interested in working in a specific
locale, I encourage you to add this parameter to your search. For example, if
you want to work in a New York school library media center, you should look up
certification requirements, expectations (such as languages or other skills),
salaries (compared to the cost of living), recent job ads, and ideally contact
someone working there for additional information. You should also explore what
organizations (and section/ division/ roundtable) and listserves, professionals
in this specialization belong to.
The
second half of this assignment is for you to reflect on the list of desired and
required qualifications for candidates and relate these to your own
abilities. You should explore your
strengths, and possible weaknesses.
You should then set specific long and short term learning objectives.
You should specify which goals you hope to achieve in classes, learn on the job
or how you hope to achieve them.
This
assignment will be evaluated primarily on the diversity of credible sources and
the quality of your analysis of current and future job trends (80 %).
I will not grade your goals per se (in the second
part), but want to see evidence of reflection on your own background relevant
to employment opportunities and expectations for the remaining (20 %). This paper should be between 6 and 10
pages long.
STUDENT PORTFOLIO AND VITAE
(First Draft DUE 23 September) (5 points for first
draft, 10 for Final)
For the first draft, I want to see: (1) A first
draft of your curriculum vitae
(professional rŽsumŽ), (2) An outline and a first draft of the text you will
put on your student portfolio homepage. This will be discussed in class in more
detail.
(DUE
7 October) (10 points)
For this assignment you are to choose an important
LIS professional, institution or association in the United States and write a 5
to 7 page paper including:
a) Brief summary of the life of the person/
institution/ association
b) Summarize why this person/ institution/
association is important to LIS
c) Briefly evaluate the secondary sources you used
in a one paragraph bibliographical note. You might also comment on alternatives
or how you located the sources in this brief section.
You should be prepared to give a three-minute
informal round-robin summary of your paper, with emphasis on the significance
of the contribution to LIS.
You should use at least one book or one thesis/ dissertation or 3 journal articles to complete this paper.
Internet materials may supplement, but this, but do not replace these
requirements. For sources consult:
¤ Dictionary of American Library Biography (and supplements) and the bibliography, American
Library History by Donald G.
Davis, Jr. and John Mark Tucker (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1989) [HAMILTON:
Z720. A4 D5, Z720. A4 D5 Suppl.].
¤ Arthur P. Young, American Library History: A Bibliography of Doctoral Dissertations and
Theses 3rd ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1988). [HAMILTON: Z666.Y68 1988 ].
¤ Articles published since then are reviewed in the
biannual review of the literature in the journal Libraries and Culture. HAMILTON: Z671. J67 ].
¤ Many are also listed on the homepage of the
ALA-Library History Roundtable (www.ala.org).
Assignments 3 and 4 will be evaluated on the following
criteria:
q 25% Three+
published academic sources (e.g., LIS journals, encyclopedias, books) At
least one must be a journal article or book (not a brief entry).
q 25% Quality
of writing and consistent usage of citation style.
q 25% Ability to summarize the subject and relate it to LIS at large, and wider historical context.
q 25% Oral
3-minute in-class Presentation
****As an alternative, you can do an oral history
interview with an LIS professional and write a 5 to 7 page paper on this
personÕs life and contribution to the profession. Oral history papers only need
one additional quality source for the paper.
(DUE 21 November) (10 points)
This assignment is similar to Paper (3) regarding
the United States. For this paper though you are either [OPTION A] give an
overview of the LIS context in one nation OR [OPTION B] choose an important foreign LIS
professional, institution or association not in the United States. Your
3 to 5 page paper should include:
[OPTION A]
a) Briefly explain when libraries were
established, who founded them (and why).
b) How are LIS professionals trained / educated?
c) What are the major LIS issues today?
[OPTION B]
a) Brief summary of the life of the person/
institution/ association
b) Summarize why this person/ institution/
association is important to LIS
c) Briefly evaluate the secondary sources you used
in a one paragraph bibliographical note. You might also comment on alternatives
or how you located the sources in this brief section.
You should be prepared to give a three-minute
informal round-robin summary of your paper, with the emphasis on the
significance of the contribution to LIS.
You should use at least one book or one thesis/ dissertation and 1 article
or
2 articles to complete this paper. Internet materials may supplement, but this,
but do not replace these requirements. Cited material need not be in English.
For sources consult:
¤ Library Literature [online on/off-campus
from UHM Libraries]
¤ Wayne A. Wiegand and Donald G. Davis, Jr., Encyclopedia
of Library History (New York:
Garland, 1994). [HAMILTON REF: Z721 .E54
1994 ].
¤ Allen Kent, The Encyclopedia of Library and
Information Science (New
York: M. Dekker, 1968-). -) [HAMILTON REF: Z1006 .E57 ].
¤ Robert Wedgeworth, ALA World Encyclopedia of Library and
Information Services
(Chicago: ALA, 1986). [HAMILTON: Z1006
.A18 ].
¤ Wilfred J. Plumbe,
Tropical librarianship (Metuchen,
NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1987). [HAMILTON: Z730.5
.P57 1987].
(DUE
28 October) (10 points)
It
is important for LIS professionals to be able to engage with LIS research. For
this assignment, you are to select a research article (either qualitative or
quantitative) in a peer-reviewed LIS research journal (published within the
past two years), and then write a 3 to 5 page critique of the article. Your
critique should include: a brief summary of the authorÕs thesis statement and
findings, methodology, significance of the findings, and qualifications for the
study. You should then critically evaluate the overall contribution of the
study, what you learned from it, or how the study could have been improved in
terms of research methodology, sampling, generalizability, etc. We will discuss
this in class, including defining the above terms and helping to select an
article.
You
are encouraged to consult Diane NahlÕs Strategic
Research Approach for Reference Librarians
(Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 2001) [HAMILTON: LB2369 .N34 2001] for more on research methods. You may work either alone or
in a group of two. Groups
should hand in one paper with both names.
(DUE 2 December) (10 points)
Another facet of professionalism is developing a
set of working ethics and a philosophy.
Throughout this course you will be introduced to many perspectives from
questions of freedom and responsibility to the role of libraries service to
minorities, to feminist and class-based questions of librariesÕ roles in
societies. For this assignment, I want to you select a question that concerns
you. You are then to do research in Library Literature and for information to better understand the
argument. You should locate several sources (journal articles, articles,
editorials, and websites, etc.) taking different positions.
In
your 6-10 page paper, you are to: (a) summarize the problem or question, (b)
present several responses to the issue, and (c) develop your own response or
philosophy. You may either write the entire paper or simply part (c) as a persuasive argument.
You
will not be evaluated on the basis of your opinions, but on your thorough
research (using diverse sources), summary, and grasp of the issue (70 %), and
then your ability to write a persuasive, logical argument (30 %). You may do this assignment in a
group of two people if both contribute equally to the writing and researching.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS (2 + 9 December) (15 points)
While
assignment (6) is an individual assignment, the group project is an opportunity
for you to collaborate with others to express your professional philosophical
position. Groups should range in size from two to five members. You will have
four minutes presentation time per group member. You should also prepare for
questions and class discussion. Possible formats include:
(a) Debate, (b) Individual Speeches or Lectures,
(c) Skit, (d) Video or PowerPoint presentation, etc. You are strongly
encouraged to be both creative and informative on this project. Humor is encouraged (as long as it is
not offensive). Handouts or other supplements are optional.
Each
group will be evaluated together by students (50 %) and the instructor (50 %)
on the basis of the following rubric:
Was the introduction/ overview sufficiently information-rich?
Did the presentation clearly present both/ several perspectives?
Was the presentation creative (skit, humor, creative PowerPoint?)?
Was the presentation persuasive as to
why you should care?
Your individual score will be a combination of
your group evaluation and your groupÕs evaluation of your contribution to the
group.
STUDENT PORTFOLIO AND VITAE
(Final Draft DUE 9 December) (10 points for Final
Draft)
For the final draft, I want to see (1) your
complete curriculum vitae
(professional rŽsumŽ), (2) Your student portfolio homepage. Your homepage
should include at least your vitae, but may include other information relevant
to your professional identity.
You are encouraged to use a web editor to create
your homepage. You will be
evaluated by (a) the Vitae (3 points), (b) Professional portfolio content
(e.g., sample papers) (4 points), (c) Additional content on your student
homepage and professional aesthetics (3 points). For help on creating a homepage, visit
http://www2.hawaii.edu/slis/resources/compskil.htm.
WARNING: You
are strongly encouraged to consider your privacy when creating your homepage,
and should not include your social security number, birth date, motherÕs maiden
name or other confidential information.
OPTIONAL EXTRA CREDIT (DUE 9 December) (1 point)
Report on Hawai'i Library
Association 2003 Annual Conference
(23-24 October). You should
submit a brief (3-6 page) report summarizing and evaluating professional
aspects of the HLA conference.
Rather than simply listing programs, you are encouraged to focus on one
to three elements, and summarize and critique the most noteworthy aspects.
Alternative extra credit projects (LIMIT: 5
extra credit projects per student only) include a report on another
professional conference related to LIS or some professional project (e.g.,
internship, presentation, paper, book review) as long as you are not getting
credit for this in another class. Consult with the professor regarding
alternatives.