LIBR 540: Foundations of reference & information services - COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Program: Master of Library and Information Studies
Year: Winter Session 2005-2006, term 2
Course Schedule: Wednesdays, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: Koerner Library, Room 216
Instructor: Dr. Martin R. Dowding
Office location: TEF, Room 336
Office phone: 604-822-2704
Office hours: Drop in or by appointment
E-mail address: dowdingm@interchange.ubc.ca

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Course Goals: This course focuses on the knowledge and expertise needed for the provision of basic reference and information services.

Course Objectives:

At the completion of this course students will have:

• An understanding of the components of the reference process, and the interpersonal and communication skills needed for effective reference assistance.
• The ability to analyze reference and research enquiries in order to assess user information needs.
• The ability to formulate search strategies that will efficiently identify and locate relevant information .
• A familiarity with the selection, evaluation, and use of the main types/categories of information sources.
• An understanding of the basic principles and practices for teaching bibliographic research skills and for providing readers’ advisory services.
• A familiarity with the major trends and the professional literature in reference services.
• The ability to clearly annotate selective items from the literature.

Course Topics:

• The history of reference services; current trends; the changing role of the reference librarian
• The reference process: the reference interview, question analysis, formulating search strategies, access, providing instruction, evaluation
• Theories of information-seeking and communication
• Basic reference sources: the Internet; directories; bibliographic sources; almanacs; indexes; biographical sources; encyclopedias; dictionaries; geographical sources; government documents
• Providing and managing reference services; ethical issues; service to specific populations
• The reference literature of Library and Information Studies

Prerequisites and/or Course Restrictions: LIBR 500 & LIBR 560 required as co- or prerequisite; LIBR 510 preferred as co-requisite. LIBR 540 is limited to students in the MLIS or Joint Degree Program, to students admitted to the MAS program and taking the First Nations Curriculum Concentration, or to education students in the MEd in teacher-librarianship program. Other students may be admitted to LIBR 540 with the approval of the SLAIS Graduate Advisor.

Format of the course: Multiple formats will be used including; lectures (50%), demonstrations, discussions, and small group work (50%). There will be guest speakers for certain topics (100% when that occurs).

Required and Recommended Reading:

The required text is:

• Bopp, R.E., & Smith, L.C. (Eds.). (2001). Reference and Information Services: An Introduction (3 rd ed.). Englewood , CO : Libraries Unlimited.

Course Assignments, Due dates and Weight in relation to final course mark:

• Reference Question Sets
  Due as assigned: 50%
• Group Project: 40%
• Class Participation: 10%

Course Schedule:

DATE	TOPICS	READING
Week #1 January 4	Introduction to the course; Reference services past and present Film: The Mind’s Treasure Chest
Week #2 January 11	Electronic information systems for reference; Search engines	Ch. 5 Bopp and Smith “Electronic Resources for Reference”
Week #3 January 18	The reference interview; Directories	Ch. 3 Bopp and Smith “The Reference Interview”
Week #4 January 25	Electronic resources for reference; Bibliographic sources	Ch. 5 Bopp and Smith “Electronic Resources for Reference” & Ch. 20 Bopp and Smith “Bibliographic Sources”
Week #5 February 1	Search strategies; Instruction; Almanacs, yearbooks & handbooks	Bopp and Smith: See Subject Index under: “Search Strategies” & Bopp and Smith: See: Subject Index under: “Almanacs; Yearbooks; Handbooks”
Week #6 February 8	Access; Information Retrieval: Guest Speaker Dr. Stephenson (Dialog) Indexes & abstracts	DIALOG materials distributed Please Read: Ch. 21 Bopp and Smith: “Indexes and Abstracts”
Week #7 February 15	No Class: Reading Break
Week #8 February 22	Manangement of reference services; Dictionaries; Biographical sources	Ch. 17 Bopp and Smith "Dictionaries" & Ch. 16 Bopp and Smith Biographical Sources
Week #9 March 1	Services for specific populations; Encyclopedias	Ch. 12 Bopp and Smith "Reference Services for Specific Populations" & Ch. 18 Bopp and Smith "Encyclopedias"
Week #10 March 8	Evaluation of reference services; Geographical sources	Ch. 10 Bopp and Smith "Evaluation of Reference Services" & Ch. 19 Bopp and Smith
Week #11 March 15	Reference service improvement; Government documents & statistical sources	Ch. 9 Bopp and Smith "Reference Service Improvement" & Ch. 22
Week #12 March 22	Ethical aspects of reference service; Miscellaneous & unusual sources	Ch. 2 Bopp and Smith
Week #13 March 29	Reference Review	Distribution of: “Imagining Information Retrieval in the Library: Desk Set in Historical Context”
Week #14	Group projects due; Conclusion to the course	Film: “Desk Set”

Attendance : The calendar states: “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.”

For this class, regular on-time class attendance is expected. If you know in advance that you will miss or be late for a class, please inform the instructor by email, or contact the SLAIS Main Office by fax, email or telephone. There will be no final examination for this class, so absence or tardiness from two or more class sessions may result in failure, or a lower course grade.

Class participation will count for 10% of the total grade and is an important grading component. Participation will be mainly based on preparation of assigned readings and discussion of assigned reference question sets, although class attendance will be considered (since if one does not attend class, one cannot participate in discussion). Open discussion and critical analysis of various information sources will help students in understanding several of the important issues and tools for reference and information services. As such, it is important that you attend class prepared to discuss the day’s topic and contribute regularly to class discussion.

Evaluation: Will be based on responses prepared for sets of ready reference questions, participation in discussion, participation in the eHelp Term Paper Clinic consultation assignment, and a group project. The eHelp Term Paper Clinic consultation will receive an automatic grade of 10% of your final grade upon completion of the assignment.

At the discretion of the instructor, any assignment that is handed in containing plagiarized material, or other academic dishonesty may receive a grade of F. Please do not be late with class assignments. Late assignments are unacceptable unless arrangements are made with the instructor at least 24 hours prior to their deadline. Incomplete assignments will result in a lower grade for the assignment.

All assignments will be awarded number grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site.

Other Course Policiest: Please be sure to sign up for the class discussion list for announcements and additional comments regarding assignments and class meetings.

To sign up for class discussion list send an email message to: majordomo@interchange.ubc.ca

In the body of the message write: subscribe l-503

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Written & Spoken English Requirement: Written and spoken work may receive a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English.