IRLS 504 - Foundations of Library and Information Services

Pre-Session, Summer 2007

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
     a)      Overview
     b)      Course Dates And Times
2.     REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS
3.     PHILOSOPHY OF LEARNING AND TEACHING
4.     EXPECTED OVERALL LEARNING OUTCOMES
5.     COURSE POLICIES
     a)      Attendance Policy
     b)      Technology Requirements
     c)      Academic Integrity
     d)      Accommodating Disabilities
     e)      Assignment Policies
     f)       Writing Competence
     g)      Incompletes
6.     ASSIGNMENTS
     a)      Independent Study Period Assignments
     b)      On-site Assignments in Tucson
          i)       Type-of-Library Presentation (10 % of Final Grade)
         ii)      Class Participation  (10% of final grade)
         iii)     Final Terminology Exam (15% of final grade)
         iv)     Final Essay Exam (10% of final grade)
         v)      Rough Draft of Issues Paper
     c)      Assignments after the On-Site Portion of the Class.
         i)       Student Web Page:  (10% of final grade)
         ii)      Issues Paper  (25% of final grade)
         iii)     ePortfolio Assignment (10% of final grade)
     d)      Performance Evaluation
     e)      Final Grade Calculation
     f)       Pass/Fail Assessment.
7.     CONTACT INFORMATION
     a)      Instructors
     b)      Discussion Leader and Presenter
     c)      Orientation Leaders
     d)      Graduate Assistant

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Overview

As the first course a SIRLS master’s student takes, IRLS 504 provides an introduction to the library and information professions, to the SIRLS graduate program, and to roles and current issues in library and information services for the 21st Century.

IRLS 504 is the foundation for the SIRLS MA degree program.  It introduces the basic concepts, terminology, literature and issues related to the organization, management, access and use of knowledge and information resources 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.

Course Dates And Times

IRLS 504 is a hybrid course, with both on-campus and independent learning components. Student activity in the course is expected from April 22, 2007, through June 2, 2007.

Independent Study Period: April 22, 2007 – May 19, 2007
Students begin the class in independent learning mode from their homes by doing assigned reading and completing other assignments in preparation for the on-campus portion of the class. See the Independent Study Period Assignments page for details.

Tucson Portion of the Class: May 20 - 26, 2007
Students must participate in the on-campus portion of the class in Tucson. Please note that attendance is required during the entire duration of the onsite portion in order to receive credit for IRLS 504. An abbreviated schedule is described below. Further details will be available on the first day of class. Students should assume that class will run from 8 am to 5:30 or 6 pm daily during the Tucson portion of the course. On most days, there will be a 2-3 hour break for lunch, group work and individual study mid-day.

Course Completion: May 27 – June 2, 2007
Responsibilities after the Tucson portion of the class, May 27 – June 2, 2007 include:

• Completion of issues paper
• Completion of individual website
• Completion of ePortfolio assignment

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

1. Rubin's Foundations of Library and Information Science, 2nd ed.
ISBN (1555705189), and

2. G. Kim Dority's Rethinking Information Work
ISBN (159158180X)

Texts are 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.

Other readings
Additional readings required during the study period will be posted on the course website before the study period begins. All the additional readings will be available electronically through the University of Arizona Library e-Reserves Course Web Page and will not require advance purchase. E-Reserves for IRLS504 require a password that will be emailed to registered students at the start of the independent study period.

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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 for each class time 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;
• establishing the basis for your ePortfolio;
• and getting the most out of professional development activities.

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EXPECTED OVERALL LEARNING OUTCOMES

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

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

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COURSE POLICIES

Attendance Policy

IRLS 504 is the required first course to start the SIRLS program. It consists of a study period, mandatory SEVEN-day attendance in Tucson, and a short period of electronic participation following the Tucson portion of the class.

To receive credit for the mandatory Tucson portion, and thus for IRLS 504, you must attend all class sessions, with no exceptions. Required activities are scheduled solidly every day until 6:00 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 6:00 p.m., and also to have about 2-2½ hours of homework each night.

This course is an intensive experience requiring your complete attention, but it completes your on-site class requirement for SIRLS and gives you a sound basis for your subsequent program of study.

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
• 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/
• Chuck Guilford, Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: http://www.powa.org/

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. In general, any incomplete in 504 must be removed before the student continues in the program.

Incompletes for 504 are discouraged, primarily because no further SIRLS courses can be taken until 504 is successfully completed. However, if you wish to request an incomplete, please do so in writing to Karen Bell (khbell@email.arizona.edu, NOT D2L email) by 5 pm June 2, 2007. See the Graduate College website for the official University Policy on Incompletes. Review SIRLS' Course Policies for additional information.
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ASSIGNMENTS

Additional detailed instructions and information will be available in the D2L course space.

Independent Study Period Assignments

Many of the assignments that will be completed during or after the Tucson portion of the class require some pre-planning during the Independent Study Period. There are also additional assignments that must be completed before the Tucson portion of the class begins.

Review the Independent Study Period Assignments page for details.

The following assignment is to be completed in its entirety during the Independent Study Period: Students will arrange, conduct and write a report on a short interview with a librarian or information professional of their choice. The report is due on the first day of class in Tucson.

Students should bring both a printed copy and an electronic copy on a disc, CD or USB drive. The Interview assignment counts for 10% of the final grade. For complete details, download and read the assignment instructions.

On-site Assignments in Tucson

Type-of-Library 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. Information environments include libraries of all types, enterprises in the information industry, and other information-intensive environments.
Instructions:   .PDF

Class Participation  (10% of final grade)

Participation will be graded based on punctual attendance, participation in class and numerous small assignments throughout the campus portion of the course. Participation assignments are graded as Satisfactory, Marginal, or Unsatisfactory. Download Class Participation Instructions:   .PDF  

Final Terminology Exam (15% of final grade)

A final exam will be given on the last day of the Tucson portion of the class, May 26, 2007. The exam will be conducted in d2l and will be short answer questions; similar questions will be available during the week in practice quizzes. Download Final Exam Instructions: .PDF

Final Essay Exam (10% of final grade)

After the terminology exam, students will take the final essay exam, also in D2L. This essay exam is closed-book, i.e., students are not permitted to use any sources or resources for the exam. The exact wording of the question will be available on the first day of the onsite portion of the class, but in general, students should expect that the essay question will ask your vision of the libraries of the future, shaped as you progress through the class. This essay portion of the exam is worth 10% of the exam grade. Download Final Exam Instructions: .PDF

Rough Draft of Issues Paper

A bibliography, outline and rough draft of introduction for issues paper—Due May 25, 2007. For more information on the issues paper, see below.

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Assignments after the On-Site Portion of the Class

Student Web Page:  (10% of final grade)

Each student will be asked to produce a simple web page with standard components. This will be due June 2, by 11:30 pm. More information will be available during the on-site portion of the class. Download Student Web Page Assignment: .PDF

Issues Paper  (25% of final grade)

The issues paper is a fully documented paper of 1,200-1,500 words on an issue relevant to library and information professions and services. The assignment has three parts:

• Selecting and researching an issue.
• Submission of a list of works consulted, an outline, and a final-draft version of your introduction, in the D2L drop box by 8:00 am, May 25.
• Submission of the final paper by 11:30 pm, June 2.

Download and review the complete assignment for details including portions of the Issues Paper assignment that should be completed during the independent Study Period.
Download Issues Paper Assignment:    .PDF

ePortfolio Assignment (10% of final grade)

The ePortfolio assignment introduces students to the ePortfolio website and to the process of collecting artifacts and writing reflections. The ePortfolio assignment will be assessed as Satisfactory, Revision Needed, or Unsatisfactory. Students who receive an assessment of “Revision Needed” will have receive a Marginal Grade for this 504 assignment. The reflection will need to be resubmitted and receive a grade of Satisfactory in order to count as part of the student’s on-going ePortfolio.
Download ePortfolio Assignment:     .PDF   

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Performance Evaluation

All graded work is judged on the following general criteria:
Response to the assignment

• All directions followed; all points of assignment covered
• Main points of argument clear, logical and relevant
• Main points supported with relevant supporting detail

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

• Use of information resources 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
• Compliance with guidelines for academic integrity

Critical Thinking

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

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

Final Grade Calculation

Graded assignments will use the following grading and numerical scale.

Note that although grades with pluses and minuses are assigned by the instructor as an indicator to the student of where his/her work falls, final grades at the University of Arizona do not contain a plus or a minus.

Pass/Fail Assessment.

Some assignments in 504 will be assessed as Pass/Marginal/Fail. Students should consider that Pass encompasses the A/B range above; Marginal encompasses the C and D range; Fail is the E-range, or work not acceptable for credit.

The percent of the final grade represented by each assignment is summarized below. Assignments that will be assigned letter grades are marked with an asterisk. All others receive P/M/F grades.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructors

Karen Bell, khbell@email.arizona.edu
Sandy Kramer, skramer@ahsl.arizona.edu

Technology Coordinator and Presenter

Bruce Fulton, bfulton@email.arizona.edu

Orientation Leader

Leslie Kent Kunkel, lkunkel@email.arizona.edu

Graduate Assistant

Erin Schuler. eks1@email.arizona.edu

SIRLS Program Coordinator

Polly Mitchell,  plmitch@u.arizona.edu

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