LIBR 503: Foundations of reference & information services - Course Syllabus
Program: Master
of Library and Information Studies
Year: Winter
Session 2006-2007, term 1
Course Schedule: Tuesdays
1:30-4:30
Location: Koerner
Library, Room 216
Instructor: Jennifer
Campbell-Meier
Office location: TEF,
Room 345
Office phone:
Office
hours: Drop in or by appointment
Tuesday 10am-12:30pm
E-mail address:
Course Goal: 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: LIBR 500 & LIBR 560 required as co- or prerequisite; LIBR 510 preferred as co-requisite. LIBR 503 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 503 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.
Required and Recommended Reading :
Required:
- 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 |
35% |
Group Project |
November 28 |
20% |
Pathfinder Project |
October 17 |
15% |
Reference Observation |
November 28 |
10% |
Selecting Reference Sources |
November 7 |
10% |
Class Participation |
|
10% |
Course Schedule [week-by-week]:
DATE |
TOPICS |
READING |
Week #1 |
Introduction to the course |
|
Week #2 |
Electronic information systems
for reference; |
Ch. 5 Bopp and Smith “Electronic Resources for Reference” |
Week #3 |
The reference interview; |
Ch. 3 Bopp and Smith “The Reference Interview” |
Week #4 |
Electronic resources for reference; |
Ch. 5 Bopp and Smith “Electronic
Resources for Reference” |
Week #5 |
Search strategies; |
Bopp and Smith: See Subject
Index under: “Search Strategies” |
Week #6 |
Access; Information Retrieval Indexes & abstracts |
Read: Ch. 21 Bopp and Smith: “Indexes and Abstracts” |
Week #7 |
Information literacy; Virtual Reference |
|
Week #8 |
Manangement of reference services; |
Ch. 17 Bopp and Smith "Dictionaries" |
Week #9 |
Services for specific populations; |
Ch. 12 Bopp and Smith |
Week #10 |
Evaluation of reference services; |
Ch. 10 Bopp and Smith |
Week #11 |
Reference service improvement; |
Ch. 9 Bopp and Smith |
Week #12 |
Ethical aspects of reference
service; |
Ch. 2 Bopp and Smith |
Week #13 |
Reference Review Group projects due; |
|
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.”
Evaluation: All assignments will be awarded letter grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site.
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.
