LIBR 531: Client-Centred Services for Adults – Course Syllabus (3)

Course Goal: A basic precept of library service is that it be designed to serve the particular interests and needs of the community, institution or organization that created it. This course concentrates on how the interests and needs of particular adult client groups or potential client groups within a community, can be identified and integrated into the ongoing operations of the public, university, college or special library.

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students will have:

• The ability to identify and assess the diverse needs of identifiable client groups served by a library, in order to determine appropriate library services and collections
• An awareness of and sensitivity to the special circumstances of particular client groups which make them either disadvantaged in our society, or create for them special needs and problems in accessing information and making full use of the library
• the ability to plan services on a priority basis, and to evaluate them for their effectiveness in meeting the identified needs of client groups
• The knowledge and ability to discuss the philosophical, professional, and practical issues related to serving specific client groups, and the role of the library in furthering societal goals, and empowering individuals and groups within the community
• An understanding of the steps involved in program planning and presentation, and in marketing and evaluating programs
• The ability to tailor a library's collection to the specific needs of an identifiable group or community of users

Course Topics:

• Defining adult services: its history, current practice, special issues
• The planning process in library services
• Assessing clients’ needs and determining priorities
• Planning, promoting, financing, implementing and evaluating programming in public libraries
• Serving recent immigrants, international students and ethnic communities
• Cross-cultural communication
• Information needs of First Nations communities and individuals
• The role of libraries in promoting literacy
• Serving people with disabilities
• Reaching the poor and homeless
• Libraries and community development
• Library Services for older adults
• Serving the homebound and institutionalized
• Library services and collections for the gay and lesbian community

Prerequisites: LIBR 500, 501, 503. Limited to students in the MLIS and MAS programmes unless permission granted by SLAIS Graduate Advisor

Format of the course: There will be one three-hour meeting each week. A number of formats will be used in classes, including some informal lectures (seminar-style), oral presentations by students, guest speakers, debate and discussion of issues, library visits, and video presentations.

Required and Recommended Reading:

Required:

• [The Working Together Project. (Vancouver, BC)] Community-Led Libraries Toolkit. [2008.]) accessed at http://tinyurl.com/n4pw6r .

VPL: 021.2 C73w

• Readings for class discussion will also be assigned.

Recommended:

• There is background reading on class topics.
• Course Reserve Materials will be selected and made available in the Koerner Library.

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

Course Schedule:

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.”

Because much of the content of this course in covered in class periods, and students are expected to take part in discussions, regular on-time attendance is expected.

Sudden unexpected problems can arise at any time for anyone (including the instructors). Repeated absences or tardiness will result in a lower course mark; the extent of the reduction is at the instructors’ discretion. Missing more than 2 classes will likely result in course failure. If you know ahead of time that you will be coming in late, please let the respective instructor know. If you are late for class, come in when you arrive with minimal disruption to the proceedings.

Evaluation: Assignments will not be accepted late unless prior arrangements are made with the instructors. Consideration will be given to legitimate emergencies. If an extension is granted, a late penalty may be imposed at the instructors’ discretion; this will be discussed when you request an extension

All assignments will be marked using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site.

You will have a formal opportunity to evaluate this course and its instructors at the end of the term. You may submit informal comments (always welcome and appreciated) at any time

Written & Spoken English Requirement: Written and spoken work may receive a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructors, deficient in English. Students are expected to follow Turabian when citing paper or electronic documents  

Disability Accommodation: The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre [http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm]. You must register with the Disability Resource Centre to be granted special accommodations for any on-going conditions.

Religious Accommodation: The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the course drop date. UBC policy on Religious Holidays: http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policy65.pdf

Academic Dishonesty: Please review the UBC Calendar Academic regulations for the University policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty: http://www.students.ubc.ca/calendar/index.cfm?tree=3,54,111,959. Also visit and review the contents of these two resources: Plagiarism Resource Centre: For Students: http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/plagiarism/welcome.html and Plagiarism Avoided: Taking Responsibility For Your Work: http://www.arts.ubc.ca/Plagiarism_Avoided.373.0.html for useful information on avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation practice. Students are held responsible for knowing and following all University regulations regarding academic dishonesty. If a student does not know how to properly cite a source or what constitutes proper use of a source it is the student's personal responsibility to obtain the needed information and to apply it within University guidelines and policies. If evidence of academic dishonesty is found in a course assignment, previously submitted work in this course may be reviewed for possible academic dishonesty and grades modified as appropriate. University policy requires that all incidents of academic dishonesty must be forwarded to the Dean’s office for review and possible action

Eating and Drinking: Eating and drinking in class is fine as long as it doesn't interfere with the classroom dynamic.

Personal Technology in the Classroom: Please turn off cell phones and pagers, or put them on vibrate, when you are in the classroom. Please step outside if you must take a call or a page. You are welcome to bring your computer to lectures, but, while in the class, please use your computer only for purposes related to this course. It is easy for your computer to become a distraction to you and to those around you (including the instructors). Inappropriate uses will be noted and may affect your final grade.

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The instructors assume that students have subscribed to the course internet discussion list, for purposes of announcements and additional comments regarding assignments, class meeting times and locations, etc. You are also welcome to post comments/questions to the list if relevant to other students. For particular problems or questions, you should e-mail me directly at thomquislais@yahoo.ca, Fernando Este at Pandafe476@aol.com , see us on Monday before class, or telephone us respectively.

To sign up for the course internet discussion list, send the following (leave the subject line blank) to: majordomo@interchange.ubc.ca
In the body of the message write: subscribe l-531
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