Foundations of Library and Information Services
IRLS 504

Revised June 1, 2006
(You should periodically check for updates before June 4)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

"Elements of librarianship, historical backgrounds, types of libraries, the role of the library in American life, current issues."

COURSE DATES AND TIMES

IRLS 504 is the first course students take when they enter the Master of Arts program at SIRLS. The course is a hybrid course, with both on-campus and distance learning components.

Reading Period: May 15 - June 3, 2006

Students begin the class in distance learning mode from their homes by doing assigned reading in preparation for the on-campus residency

Tucson Residency: June 4 - 10, 2006

Students participate in an on-campus residency in Tucson. Please note that attendance is required during the entire residency in order to receive credit for IRLS 504. 

Sunday, June 4:
Registration will be 10:00AM to 12:00PM at SIRLS, 1515 East First Street. You will be given some last minute hard copy information and may ask questions. You MUST come to SIRLS between 10:00AM and noon.
Class will be 1:00-5:30PM in the Integrated Learning Center (ILC), Room TBA

Monday, June 5:
Class will begin, promptly, at 8:00 AM, in the Main Library, Room 314.
There will be a one hour lunch break.
Class will break for an in-house dinner, 5:30 - 6:30PM.
Class will conclude at 8:30PM.

Tuesday, June 6 through Saturday, June 10:
Class will begin daily at 8:00AM and conclude at 5:30PM, in the Main Library, Room 314.
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Online Participation: June 11-14, 2006

Students continue the class in distance learning mode from their homes by participating online using Desire 2 Learn (d2l), the university's online course environment. The main form of participation will be depositing the issues paper in the electronic dropbox within the course space on d2l. But an electronic discussion forum for student questions and comments as you prepare your final papers and d2l email for contacting the instructors will also be available.

The class ends on June 14 when final papers and ePortfolios are due.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

Foundations of Library and Information Science, Richard E. Rubin, 2nd edition, Neal-Schuman, 2004.
ISBN 1-55570-518-9

Complete your reading of the Rubin textbook before our face-to-face session begins on June 4.
Available from the campus bookstore by visiting in person; ordering by phone at 1-800-YES-UOFA; or shopping online at UofABookstores.com, http://www.uofabookstores.com/uaz/ .
You may also order from your favorite online book dealer.

ODLIS Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science, Joan M. Reitz.

At http://lu.com/ODLIS/index.cfm or purchase a print copy following directions at this link.

PHILOSOPHY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

The purpose of this class is for you to learn. Research shows that students learn best when they are actively engaged with the material. Students in this class are expected to be active learners. The class is structured to encourage you to be involved in all learning situations, from homework preparation to in-class experiences. The instructors have a  responsibility to organize the class to help you engage with the material, be an active learner, and be an active partner in assessing and improving your own learning. As a student, it is your responsibility to engage with the material and learn. For all the graduate courses you take at SIRLS, including this one, you should expect to do at least 3 hours of work outside class time per credit hour.  In other words, a 3-credit graduate course includes the equivalent of 45 hours of class time, and the reading, studying, and completion of assignments for that course can be expected to add at least another 135 hours of work.

The instructors' approach to teaching a foundations course for an LIS program is also part of the philosophy of this course. This course introduces you to a spectrum of what you will need to succeed in the program, including basic concepts, principles, and practices of the library and information fields. Through the course you will be asked to learn (and be expected to know) terms, principles and concepts and be able to give concrete examples from the library and information fields. Additionally, you will be asked to apply what you have learned to specific areas of your career interest. And finally, you will be asked to apply critical thinking to what you have learned. Critical thinking can take many forms, including analyzing issues, reasoning from a concept to its application in practice situations, reaching your own conclusions about issues, and most important, continually reflecting on your own learning.

The course also provides a field in which to practice various activities that will be expected of you throughout the program, including but not limited to

• identifying, locating, and evaluating information;
• developing and formatting lists of resources;
• writing academic papers;
• creating and publishing simple Web sites;
• working in groups and doing group projects;
• interacting with your peers in a virtual learning environment;
• giving a short class presentation with visual aids;
• preparing and presenting your work in a poster session;
• establishing the basis for your ePortfolio;
• and getting the most out of professional development activities.

EXPECTED OVERALL LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the completion of the course, students will be able to

1. Demonstrate knowledge of basic concepts and terminology in foundational content areas;
2. Give examples of how basic concepts and principles apply in the real world of library and information services;
3. Show evidence of critical thinking in applying concepts, principles, theories, and research to contemporary library and information settings and issues.

Residency Attendance Policy:
IRLS 504 is the required first course to start the SIRLS program. It consists of a reading period, a mandatory SEVEN day residency, and a short period of electronic participation following the residency.

To receive credit for the mandatory residency, and thus for IRLS 504, you must attend all class sessions, with no exceptions. Required activities are scheduled solidly every day until 5:30 p.m. the last day of class. Full attendance is required at all sessions in order to receive credit and you should expect to be occupied in class work from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and also to have about 2-2½ hours of homework each night.

Technology Requirements:
Students are expected to meet the technology requirements for entry into the SIRLS program, described at http://www.sir.arizona.edu/program/masters/computerAccess.htm
and http://www.sir.arizona.edu/resources/computing.html.

Academic Integrity:
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own or contain clear indications of the source following accepted conventions of source citation.

Accommodating Disabilities:
The University has a Disability Resource Center (DRC). If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you will need to register with the DRC and provide the instructors with the official request for accommodation as early in the semester as possible. All students who anticipate that they might need accommodations should make an appointment with the instructors  to discuss accommodations and how the course requirements and activities may affect your ability to participate fully.

Assignment Policies:
All assignments are due on the day indicated. Late assignments will not be accepted except in documented extreme cases involving circumstances beyond the student's control.

Writing Competence
Norms of graduate level writing, including appropriate organization, level of expression, use of standard grammar and spelling, and citation of resources, are expected in this class. All graded assignments include criteria relating to organization, logic, expression, use of standard grammar and spelling, and appropriate citation of resources. The existence of these problems will be indicated, but the instructors will not edit the student's work. Students wanting more detail about the kinds of errors they are making should make an appointment to consult the instructor. Help in improving writing is available through the Writing Center http://web.arizona.edu/~uawc/.  The following Web sites offer excellent advice as well.

The OWL at Purdue University
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Incompletes
This course is the foundation for success in the program. It is in your best interest to complete the course on schedule.
Incompletes will not be given except in documented extreme cases involving circumstances beyond the student's control.

ASSIGNMENTS

Performance Evaluation

All graded work is judged on the following general criteria.

1. Response to the assignment:

• All directions followed; all points of assignment covered
• Unifying concept, theme or main point relevant to assignment
• Main points of argument clear, logical and relevant
• Main points supported with relevant supporting detail

2. Use of information resources: readings, class material, outside resources

• Use responds to directions in assignments
• Accurate use of resources; concise summary of resource; relevance to argument
• Accurate citations according to APA or other identified style format

3. Critical Thinking

• Presence of student's own ideas
• Analysis as specified in assignment
• Student viewpoints supported by details, examples or resources

4. Professional presentation

• Assignment is appropriately organized; organization is clear
• Reader's understanding is not impeded by vague, abstract, or imprecise phrasing or expression
• Reader's understanding is not impeded by errors in language mechanics or grammatical usage, non-standard spelling and punctuation, or inadequate proofreading or editing

Assignment Descriptions (Additional information will be available in the d2l course space.)

1. Type-of-Information-Environment Presentation (10 % of Final Grade)
Working in small groups, students will research a type of information
environment of their choosing and make a formal class presentation including visual aids and handouts.

2. Class Participation  (20% of final grade)
There will be numerous small assignments throughout the residency on campus. These will be of many types, done individually and by groups. Participation assignments are graded as Satisfactory, Marginal, or Unsatisfactory.

3. Professional Development Reflections (10% of final grade)
During the Tucson residency, students will hear speakers from different types of library and information settings. Professional development reflections, summarizing these experiences and your learning from them, will be required to be posted to your ePortfolio. Professional development reflections will be graded as Satisfactory, Marginal or Unsatisfactory.

4. Final Exam (20% of final grade) ~ June 10
A final exam will be given on the morning of the last day of the residency. The exam will be conducted in d2l.

5. Poster Session (10% of final grade) ~ June 10
A poster on a library and information science topic of the student's choice will be prepared and the student will present it at the concluding session of the Tucson residency.

6. Issues Paper  (30% of final grade) ~ due June 14
A fully documented paper of 1,200-1,500 words on an issue relevant to library and information professions and services is required. The assignment has 3 parts: the submission of a draft and bibliography for peer evaluation by another student; your peer evaluation of another student's draft; and the final paper.