The University of Arizona

The University of Arizona	Fall 2001
School of Information Resources	Dr. Bill Edgar
and Library Science	Office Phone: 621-5220
	E-Mail: bedgar@u.arizona.edu
	Office: No. 2
	Office Hours: Monday and Tuesday
	1:00-2:30pm or by appointment

IRLS 524

Information Resources Evaluation

Course Description: This course is designed to familiarize students with the theory, practice, and issues of reference services in libraries and information centers. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to describe the principal features of reference services in a variety of environments. Specific topics covered include information provision theory; the information society; information seeking and retrieval; the history and philosophy of reference services; types of reference services; reference service in different library environments; the reference interview; the fundamentals of bibliographic control; online searching; the evaluation of reference sources and services; the management of reference services; specific types of reference sources, in both physical and digital format; and other topics. Learning will be through lecture, group presentations, guest speakers, tours, evaluation of reference sources, use of reference sources to answer specific reference questions, and completion of a final project guiding library users to appropriate reference sources in a topic. Three credit hours.

Prerequisite: None

Class Meetings: Tuesdays 6:00-8:30 p.m. Please note that we will not meet Tuesday, August 21 or Tuesday, November 6.

Recommended Readings:

There are no required texts. However, the following journals and professional association support the provision of reference services:

Journals:

RSR (Reference Services Review), The Reference Librarian, Reference and User Services Quarterly

Professional Association: The American Library Association - Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) (http://www.ala.org/rusa/)

Assignments and Evaluation:

All students are required to:

1. Complete three reference worksheets. A handout describing this assignment will be provided.

Due: September 18, October 16, November 20

Value: 30%

2. Complete one source evaluation. A handout describing this assignment will be provided.

Due: October 23

Value: 10%

3. Complete one group written report and oral presentation. A handout describing this assignment will be provided.

Due: October 16, 23, 30, and November 13

Value: 20%

4. Complete a Pathfinder, either in print format, or, preferably, in digital format on the World Wide Web. A handout describing this assignment will be provided.

Due: Interim reports 1 and 2, Sept. 18 and October 2; Final Pathfinder, December 4

Value: 40%

Please note:

Late work will lose one letter grade from the grade it would have gotten had it been turned in on time. However, the final project, the Pathfinder, will not be accepted late.

Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date.

Please include your name on the first page of all your assignments.

Grading criteria:

A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=59 and below

Attendance and Class Participation:

Attendance is expected because we do not meet many times. Specifically, please do not schedule on-going outside commitments, such as work or family obligations, during class-time. Class participation will have no specific grade value. However, meaningful and active participation will contribute to a student’s final grade by increasing it slightly (for example from a high B to a low A). Conversely, inappropriate and disruptive participation will lower a student’s final grade.

Academic Misconduct:

Academic misconduct is unacceptable. The appropriate UA regulations regarding it will be enforced.