UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

School of Information Resources & Library Science

 

IRLS 501

Organization of Information

Summer Session I -- 2005

(Mixed Mode)

Instructor: Deborah J. Karpuk

E-mail: arizonakarpuk@aol.com

Office hours: After class; e-mail

 

D2L used for posting Content, Discussion Forums

Macromedia Breeze: used for live sessions after June 10th

Course Objective:

This course provides a framework for understanding the organization of information and the implications for knowledge management. Decisions regarding the organization of materials, access points, vocabulary control, thesauri, and user perspectives will be covered.

Course outline (in WORD format)

Course Meetings:

IRLS 501 will meet: June 6-10

June 6 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

June 7 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

June 8 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

June 9 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

June 10 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Classroom: To be announced

Breeze Lectures/Discussions:

June 13 (Mon.) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Arizona Time

June 20 (Mon.) 6:30 -- 8:00 p.m., Arizona Time

June 27 (Mon.) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Arizona Time

July 4 (Mon.) Holiday

July 5 (Tues.) 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Arizona Time

Course Readings:

Rowley, Jennifer and John Farrow. ORGANIZING KNOWLEDGE: AN INTRODUCTION TO MANAGING ACCESS TO INFORMATION. 3 rd ed. (Burlington, Ct.: Gower, 2000)

Taylor, Arlene G. THE ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION. 2 nd ed. (Westport, Conn. : Libraries Unlimites, 2004) [Optional text]

Additional Readings:

(ELECTRONIC RESERVES)

Readings are in alphabetical order under IRLS501.

Note that readings are for on-campus meetings and for online discussions.

Password: IRLS501 (case sensitive)

The instructor will distribute additional readings in class.

 

Individual Project:

The core components of the project included below. The DRAFT dates provide for beginning each section of the project during the week on campus.

Points for each section will be assigned with the FINAL SUBMISSION.

This strategy provides the opportunity to begin each area of the project as the topic is being covered in class lecture, simulation exercises and discussion.

Application Draft Due Dates and % points:

 

Non-bibliographical organizational problem

20

End June 6

Bibliographic description

10

End June 7

Subject headings, thesauri, indexes

20

End June 8

Classification

10

End June 9

User perspectives and searching

20

Beg. June 10

Final project and debriefing

20

See Below

 

PROJECTS WILL BE MAILED TO DR. K’S POST OFFICE BOX.

Include sufficient postage for the return of your project.

Project is detailed on a separate handout: Individual Project

 

Methodology:

This course will be conducted through lecture, class discussion, in-class exercises, an individual project, and online discussions. The instructor retains the option to examine on course content. Participation is required.

Grading Scale:

A

93+

B

86-92

C

78-85

D

70-77

F

69 AND BELOW

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Attendance is required in order to get an “A” in the class. Classes begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and ends promptly at 5:00 p.m.

Office hours are after class and by e-mail. Before class if time available.

 

Organization of Course Topics:

The course is divided into three sections. Read course materials PRIOR to the class session. Review the readings, class lecture and simulation exercises and APPLY the information to your individual project.

Section I:

Readings:

Borges “The Library of Babel”

Rowley pages 3-92

Borgman “Access to information”, p. 53-80

Svenonius “Information organization”, p. 1-14; “Bibliographic objectives”, p. 15-30

Rosenfeld “Organizing information”, p. 22-46

Class handouts (examples, exercises, discussion points)

 

Section II:

Readings:

Rowley pages 52-271

Borgman “Why are digital libraries hard to use”, p. 117-141 (instructor will bring to class)

Winchester “Roget and his brilliant unrivaled, maligh, and detestable thesaurus”, The Atlantic Monthly , May 2001 [Available through WWW, UMI Proquest]

Petroski “Order, order”, p. 233-252 in THE BOOK ON THE BOOKSHELF (New York: Knopf, 1999) [will bring to class]

Class handouts (examples, exercises, discussion points)

 

Section III:

Readings:

Rowley pages 275-391

Class handouts (examples, exercises, discussion points)

Students are invited to bring additional readings and examples from research projects.

 

BREEZE ONLINE DISCUSSIONS, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

(Instructor sets up the session for self-enrollment then, posts the URL on D2L Announcements)

 

Electronic Reserves under: IRLS 501

13 June: Ashley, Blazek (two articles), Bowler, Brown

20 June.: Day (two articles), Herron, Hurt

27 June: Katz, Lavely, Spanner

05 July: Stokes (two articles), Tibbo, Seggern; Debriefing

 

REMEMBER:

Individual Project guidelines are a separate document