LIS589: Scholarly Communication, Spring 1996
Instructor: Allen B. Veaner
Calendar:
January 11, 1996 (Thursday): first day of classes
January 15, 1996: Martin Luther King Day, no class
March 9-17, 1996: Spring Recess
March 27, 1996: Last day to drop a course
May 1, 1996 (Wednesday): last day of classes
May 3-10, 1996: Exam week
May 11, 1996: Spring Commencement
Class meets each Monday from 7:00-9:30 PM
Place: Psychology, Room 204
Instructor's Conference Hours: flexible. Please inquire.
Basis of grading:
Oral presentations: 25%
Term paper: 25%
Class participation: 25%
Final exam: 25%
SCOPE OF THE COURSE
LIS589, Scholarly Communication, is a
wide-ranging historical survey of communication processes and
tools significant to academic life; the course covers means,
methods, and motivation. Principal foci include the social
environment of scholarly communication in Western society; the
rise of science and the scientific method; the origins of the
alphabet and the development of paper, printing, and writing
instruments; the languages of scholarly communication; the rise
and roles of universities and learned societies; international
conferences; journals; university presses; photomechanical
reproduction methods, indexing, and computerized aids to
scholarship; copyright and the concept of intellectual property;
and electronic media and telecommunication systems. Major
objectives of the course are to trace change in scholarly
communication throughout history, to determine what forces
caused change, to analyze how modern technology is continuously
changing methods and expectations in scholarship, and to
understand the library's ever changing role in scholarly
communication.
WHO SHOULD ENROLL
This course is designed for students who
(a) expect to work directly with independent scholars or
faculty, research associates, and graduate students in
universities; (b) are considering employment in corporate,
special or government libraries where research and publication
are primary activities; (c) wish to work for major networks,
consortia or bibliographic utilities that manage large, complex
databases; (d) are seeking employment with academically oriented
publishers, such as university presses or professional societies;
(e) are simply interested in the subject.
METHODOLOGY
The first half of most sessions will consist of
lecture interspersed with class discussion. During the second
half students will present oral reports from the list of topics
suggested below for the term papers. Students are expected to
prepare 10-15 minute oral reports in sufficient detail to
sustain 15-20 minutes of animated critique and discussion.
Students are required to prepare 250-300 word abstracts of the
oral reports' principal points and arguments and distribute them
via the class listserv *at least 24 hours in advance of the day
when reports are presented to the class.* For their term papers
students may select a topic already used for an oral report or a
different topic; a student may propose a topic other than those
from the list, but the instructor's approval is required.
REQUIRED TEXTS
The following two textbooks are required:
Irving Louis Horowitz, COMMUNICATING IDEAS. 2nd ed. (New
Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1991. ISBN 0-88738-898-1
Cummings, Anthony M., et al. UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AND
SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION. Report commissioned by the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation. Washington: Association of Research
Libraries, 1993/94. ISBN: 0-918006-22-8
TERM PAPER
A term paper of not less than 10 nor more than 20
double-spaced pages is required. All papers must be typed (or
printed from a computer file) and all must be submitted as hard
copy. All must include complete citations to works you have
consulted to buttress the points you make. You may choose any
bibliographic style you wish but you must designate the style you
are using and throughout your paper your usage must be consistent
with your choice.
TOPICS
Suggested topics for oral reports and term papers will
be found in the course pack, obtainable at the ASUA Bookstore;
other topics will be considered but will require approval of the
instructor.
IMPORTANT
"Starter" citations are supplied for many--but not
all--topics in the course pack, as are questions that might
profitably be asked in the course of work on the term papers and
oral reports. Read the following carefully:
*Do not treat the comments and questions associated with these
topics as a fixed list of questions you are expected to answer in your term
paper or oral report; these questions and comments
are merely intended to stimulate you and help to start off your
research. Also, from your readings you must derive additional,
original vital questions worthy of analysis and response in your
papers. Your papers should range widely and show documented
evidence of thoroughgoing reading and research. Responses that
are limited solely to the questions and problem descriptions,
or which show little evidence of external readings, will receive
significantly reduced grades*
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Oral reports and term papers *must be specific to scholarly communication and the defined scope of the
course, i.e., "on topic." In preparation of term papers,
students are expected to utilize the complete spectrum of
information resources and all papers must include documented
evidence of appropriate use of Internet resources. Spelling,
grammar and syntax in the term papers must conform to established
norms of English composition; faults in these areas will result
in reduced grades. Papers showing evidence of grave need for
remedial work in major aspects of composition, i.e., papers
demonstrating substantial deficiencies in writing skills, will
be returned ungraded with the recommendation that the student
first seek appropriate assistance and then resubmit the revised
work.