Foundations of Library and Information Services
IRLS 504
Revised January 3, 2006
The course is the foundation for the SIRLS MA degree program and the first course that master??s students take. It introduces the basic concepts, terminology, literature and issues related to the organization, management, access and use of knowledge and information resourses and the provision of library and information services. The course also orients students to basic information about the SIRLS program and provides practice in the activities that will lead to success in graduate school."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??s program at SIRLS. The course is a hybrid course, which means that it has both on-campus and distance learning components. The course runs throughout the winter session. Limited online participation and project work continue throughout January. The course schedule is as follows:
Reading Period: December 19, 2005 ?? January 2, 2006
Students begin the class in distance learning mode from their homes by doing reading and other assignments at home in preparation for the on-campus residency
Tucson Residency: January 3, 2006 ?? January 9, 2006
Students participate in an on-campus residency in Tucson. The class residency schedule is:
Tuesday, Jan 3: 9 am to noon: Technology Readiness Workshop (optional)
1 pm -5 pm: Class meets
6 pm ?? 8:30 pm: Kick-off dinner and group advising:Wednesday, Jan 4 ?? Jan 9: 8 am to 5 pm: Class meets
Evening: homework
Please note that attendance is required during the entire residency in order to receive credit for IRLS 504.
Online Participation: January 11, 2006 ?? January 27, 2006 PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HAS CHANGED. DETAILS PROVIDED IN CLASS.
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. Students are expected to log into D2L two times a week during this period.
Class Projects and ePortfolio Due: January 31, 2006. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HAS CHANGED. DETAILS TO BE PROVIDED IN CLASS.
The class ends on January 31 when class projects are due.
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. As an instructor, I feel it is my 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. There will be numerous opportunities throughout the class for you to tell us, the instructors, how things are going.
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 searching for information, developing lists of resources, writing academic papers, developing simple web sites, working in groups and doing group projects, interacting with your peers in a virtual learning environment, give a simple class presentation using PowerPoint presentation software, and getting the most out of professional development activities.
Students will:
1. Develop the foundations of an informed (knowledgeable) perspective in major content areas relevant to the library and information professions;
2. Know basic concepts and terminology in foundational content areas and be able to give examples of their application in the real world of library and information services;
3. Apply foundational concepts and understandings to an area of their career interest.
4. Show evidence of critical thinking in applying concepts, principles, theories, research to contemporary library and information settings and issues.
Students are expected to meet the technology requirements for entry into the SIRLS program, described on the website.
Students will need to have access to the following resources by the start of the reading period on December 19, 2005.
1. Foundations of Library and Information Science, Richard E. Rubin, 2nd edition, 2004.
This is the basic text for the course. Reading in this text should be done during the reading period. Reading assignments will be available on the course website by mid-December. Copies of this text are available from the campus bookstore. For those of you who cannot visit the bookstore in person, ordering online through Amazon or other online book sources is your best approach. If you buy a used version, be sure to get the SECOND edition.
2. ODLIS Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science, Joan M. Reitz.
Students may use the online version at http://lu.com/ODLIS/index.cfm or purchase a print copy following directions at this link.
Course dates and participations and attendance requirements are detailed at the beginning of this syllabus. More instructions on the assignments is available on D2L under "Instructions" and in content for the relevant modules.
1. Reading Assignments
Reading is required during the reading period from December 19, 2005 to January 2, 2006. The reading load here is reasonably heavy and students are advised to work on it consistently, especially because this course runs through the holiday period. Reading reports on the reading assignments will be due the first day of class. Late reports will not be accepted because class and homework time will be filled with additional assignments.
Reading assignments and instructions are available on the website by mid-December. Reading reports are graded as Satisfactory, Marginal, or Unsatisfactory. Reading assignments are 10% of the final grade.
2. Class Participation Assignments
There will be numerous small assignments throughout the residency on campus. These will be of many types, both done individually and by groups. Assignments and instructions (including grading criteria) for the reading reports will distributed in class. Participation assignments are graded as Satisfactory, Marginal, or Unsatisfactory. Class participation assignments, taken together, are 20% of the final grade.
3. Professional Development Reflections
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.
Instructions and grading criteria will be available at the residency. Professional development reflections will be graded as Satisfactory, Marginal or Unsatisfactory. Professional development reflections are 10% of the final grade.
4. Issues Paper
A short paper, not to
exceed 500 words, on an issue relevant to library and information
professionals is required. More information is available on D2L. The
issues paper will be 20% of the final grade.
5. Annotated List of Resources
An annotated list of resources on the same topic as your issues
paper is required. More information is available on D2L. The resource
list will be 20% of the final grade.
6. Final Exam
A
final exam will be given on the last day of the residency, January 9.
The exam will be taken on computer in D2L unless the student makes
other arrangements in advance. More information on the final exam is
available on D2L. The final exam will be 20% of the final grade.
LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
A major purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various technologies and technical skills that will be essential to their success in SIRLS and as library and information professionals. Basic instructions and lists of resources will be distributed. The course GAT, Beth Hoffman (ehoffman@email.arizona.edu) will be available via email to answer questions. An introduction to Desire to Learn will be given early on in the residency.
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. More information on academic integrity will be presented on the first day of class.
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 me 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 me to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to participate fully.
Assignment Policies:
All assignments are due on the day indicated. Late assignments will not be accepted unless arrangements have been made with the instructors BEFORE class; no approvals will be given for late assignments unless the student attends class the day the assignment is due; approval for late assignments is given only for major circumstances outside 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 instructor 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/. Enlisting the help of others in proofing and editing work is also a useful tool for identifying weaknesses in writing.
Incompletes:
Incompletes are given in this course only when circumstances beyond the student??s control prevent the student from completing the final paper by the deadline. All other course requirements, including the course exam, must be satisfied. Students MUST INITIATE the request for an incomplete before the semester ends. If the request for an incomplete is granted, a new deadline date for the paper will be assigned, usually before the start of the next semester. All arrangements for an incomplete must be in writing (usually email), and the student is expected to keep a copy of the agreement.
This course is the foundation for success in the program. It is in your best interest to complete the course on schedule.
GRADING: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
All graded work with letter or numerical grades is judged on the following criteria.
1. Response to the assignment:
2. Use of information resources: readings, class material, outside resources
3. Critical Thinking
4. Professional presentation
The course master schedule is available in D2L.