Reference and Information Services
LSC 504
Fall, 2005
Dr. Donna L. Gilton
Course Time: Thursday 3:30-6:00
9 Rodman Hall
Office Hours: Thursday, 1:00-3:00
(401) 874-4630
E-mail: dgilton@uri.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
LSC 504 is designed to introduce students to information sources and services
and will concentrate on the following areas:
- print and electronic catalogs, bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts
-basic print and electronic reference sources, such as directories, encyclopedias,
ready-reference sources and biographical sources
-problems, issues, and challenges in current reference services.
EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS WHO TAKE LSC 504
Students who have taken LSC 504 should be able to demonstrate the following
GSLIS Educational Outcomes (which will be referenced to the Rhode Island Department
of Education (RIDE) Beginning Teachers Standards (BTS)):
1. Graduates of LSC 504 will be know of specific services and resources that
are provided by libraries and other information agencies to meet the educational,
recreational, developmental, and information needs of users (BTS 1, 1.1, 1.2,
3)
2. Graduates of LSC 504 should be guided by the American Library Association
(ALA) Bill of Rights and other ethical and professional guidelines and codes
published by the ALA, the Special Library Association, (SLA) the American Society
for Information Science (ASIS) and other related professional organizations,
especially as they pertain to reference and information services. (BTS 11)
3. Graduates of LSC 504 should understand issues and values relating to intellectual
freedom, intellectual property rights, equitable access to information, confidentiality,
and privacy rights, and other issues related to reference and information services.
BTS 11)
4. Graduates of LSC 504 should apply the principles and theories needed for
the selection, acquisition, preservation, organization, storage, retrieval,
dissemination, use, and evaluation of recorded information and ideas of society.
(BTS 2, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4)
5. Graduates of LSC 524 will demonstrate competence in using information technologies
to access information and provide patrons with access to information resources
in all formats. (BTS 2.4)
6. Graduates of LSC 504 will be aware of the field of information literacy,
including skills needed to locate, access, use, and evaluate information resources
in all formats. (BTS 2.2, 2.5, 2.6)
7. Graduates of LSC 504 should exhibit interpersonal skills and respect in the
treatment of colleagues and patrons. (BTS 6,7)
8. Graduates will identify and evaluate information needs of the community served,
and tailor information resources and services to them. (BTS 8)
9. Graduates of LSC 504 will demonstrate a commitment and ability to serve the
information needs of users and nonusers. (N/A to RIDE BTS)
10. Graduates of LSC 504 will recognize and respond proactively to the information
needs of individuals of diverse backgrounds, ages, developmental stages, learning
styles, and circumstances. (GSLIS Educational Outcome 11, BTS 3.1, 3.2, 3.3,
4)
11. Graduates of LSC 504 will be aware of managerial issues in the specific
field of reference and information services. (GSLIS Educational Outcome 12,
N/A to RIDE BTS)
12. Graduates of LSC 504 should understand the process of research in the field
of reference services and to apply this research and evaluation to the improvement
of these services. (GSLIS Educational Outcome 13, BTS 2.1, 9)
13. Graduates of LSC 504 should deal flexibly and strategically with change,
adapting new resources and technologies to the support of reference and information
services. (GSLIS Educational Outcome 15, N/A to RIDE BTS)
14. Graduates of LSC 504 should respect the importance of diversity in its broadest
sense in collections, services, programs, and staffing. (GSLIS Education Outcome
20, BTS 4)
15. The instructor of this course will monitor achievement of these outcomes
through examinations, class participation, readings, and other assignments.
RELEVANCE OF LSC 504 TO OTHER COURSES AND TO THE FIELD
1. It is both a required and an essential course
for all future librarians. The course will lay a basic foundation for most public
services librarians. It will also familiarize future technical services librarians
with reference needs and trends.
2. It is a "building block" course that
will prepare students for more specialized library literature courses, e.g.
government publications, literature of the social sciences, etc.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Bopp, Richard G. and Linda C. Smith (eds.) Reference and Information Services.
Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2001.
Thomsen, Elizabeth. Rethinking Reference. NY: Neal-Schuman, 1999
Exercises and a few articles will be assigned, as well.
ELECTRONIC TEXTS
Links to Tutorials
1.Library Instruction Round Table. (LIRT)
http://www3.baylor.edu/LIRT/
2.LOEX Clearinghouse for Library Instruction.
http://www.emich.edu/public/loex/loex.html
Look under Instruction Links – Tutorials
3.New England Library Instruction Group (NELIG). Library Instruction Resources
on the Web.
http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/nelig/
Look under New England Library Instruction Programs
4.The Teaching Library: Bibliographic -Instruction Resources on the Internet.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/BIResources.html
Look under Library Research Tutorials
5.Vanguard University. WWW Tutorials and Library Instruction Tutorials.
http://vanguard.edu/library/general.cfm?doc_id=340
Sites for Computer Basics and information Literacy
1.Chapman University. Thurman Clark Memorial Library. Instruction/Tutorial.
http://www.chapman.edu/library/instruction
2.Intemet Navigator Home Page.
http://medstat.med.utah.edu/navigator
3. Maricopa Community Colleges. Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
Webhound.
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/webhound/index.html
4.Ohio State University Libraries. net.TUTOR
http://liblearn.osu.edu/tutor/
5.SUNY Albany. U. at Albany Libraries. Internet Tutorials.
http://library.albany.edu/internet/
Sites for Computer Basics, Only
1.University of Rhode Island
a. short courses
(1).schedule - http://www.uri.edu/ois/iits/education/course.schedule.html
(2).course descriptions
- http://www.uri.edu/ois/iits/education/coursedescription.html
b. self-paced training on video-tape
http://www.uri.edu/ois/iits/education/selfpacedtraining.html
2.Value Click http://www.december.com/web/text/
Sites for Information Literacy, Only
1.Cybertours. http://www.infosearcher.com/
2. U. of Massachusetts, Amherst. Merlin.
http://www.library.umass.edu/merlin/directory.html
Reference on the Internet
1.Digital Librarian.
http://www.digital-librarian.com
2.Internet Library For Librarians.
http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/
3.Intemet Public Library. IPL Ready Reference Collection.
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref00.00.00
4.Librarians' Bookmarks.
http://www.ouc.bc.ca/libr/ross.html
5.Librarians' Index to the Internet.
http://lii.org/
6.LibrarySpot
http://www.libraryspot.com/
The Virtual Reference Desk
1.Library of Congress. Global Reference Network.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/
2. 24/7 Ref. http://www.247ref.org/
3.The Virtual Reference Desk
http://www.vrd.org
Evaluating the Web
1.Thinking Critically About World Wide Web Resources.
http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm
2. Widener University. Wolfgram Memorial Library. Evaluating Web Resources.
http://www.widener.edu/Tools_Resources/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/Evaluate_Web_Pages/659
More Internet Sources for Librarians
1.Internet Library For Librarians
http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/
Look under Internet Tools for Library Staff
Some Examples of Good Library Home Pages
Special and University Libraries
1.Library of Congress Home Page
http://lcweb.loc.gov/
2.Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
http://www.sil.si.edu/
3.UMass, Boston. Healey Library.
http://www.lib.umb.edu/
4.URI Libraries
http://www.uri.edu/library/
Public Libraries
1.Boston Public Library
http://www.bpl.org/
2.Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/
3.New York Public Library
http://www.nypl.org/
4.Worcester Public Library
http://www.worcpublib.org/
School Libraries and Media Centers
1.Beverly High School Library Media Center (MA)
http://www.bhsonline.org/library/index.htm
2.Cole Junior High Library. (East Greenwich, RI). Information Place.
http://www.ri.net/schools/East_Greenwich/Cole/library.html
3.Taunton Public Schools (MA). Libraries K-12.
http://www.tauntonschools.org:16080/library/library/
ASSIGNMENTS
1.Reading and Exercises (Learn the sources!!!)
- This cannot be stressed enough! Sixty percent of your course grade will depend
on how well you do this. Also, as public service librarians (if you go in that
direction), you will need to be intimately familiar with most of the sources
on your list.
2. Quizzes (20% each) 60%
- There will be three of them. They will consist mainly of questions likely
to be asked at a reference desk (for the most part), and you will be required
to state where and how you can find the information to answer the question.
For the third exam, you will probably be required to answer questions in the
Reference Room of the library, just as if you were working there.
3. Electronic Search 10%
4. Tracer Bullet or Pathfinder 10%
5. Final Paper on a Topic Related to Reference Services 20%
- Ten to twenty pages. This can take the form of either a position paper or
a review of the research literature (more information on the next few pages)
THE ELECTRONIC SEARCH: SOME TIPS AND GUIDELINES
Purposes of the Electronic
Search
- To introduce students to electronic literature
searching
- To enable students to determine their own information
needs and to describe them to another
- To enable students to practice a form of the
reference interview with another student
- To enable students to obtain preliminary information
for their final papers
How to Do the Electronic
Search
1.Choose a topic for your final paper within the next week or two.
2.You will be required to interview a classmate in class to ascertain information
needs for her or his final paper. You will then do an electronic search for
your partner (who will do the same for you.)
3.Keep a log of your search strategies and results.
4.You will check back with your partner to see if she or he is satisfied with
the results. If not, revise the search and try again, continuing to keep a log
of your strategies and results.
5.Present your search results to your partner, again.
6.Write a brief evaluation (one paragraph) of the search that your partner has
done for you and return a copy to your partner.
7. Submit a summary of your search logs, interviews, and evaluation by your
partner of the search that you did for her or him.
DUE: OCTOBER 27, 2005
TRACER BULLET OR PATHFINDER: SOME TIPS AND GUIDELINES
This will be a brief document designed to help
your library find information on a popular subject. Choose an academic, research,
or life-related topic that you care about passionately. Clear your topic with
the professor, as soon as you can. As you learn about reference sources in this
class, find the following that will give you good information on your topic:
General Books for
Background Information
Bibliographies
Related Periodicals
Related Periodical
Indexes or Abstracts
Reviews (Where relevant)
Web Sites
Specialized Encyclopedias
and Dictionaries (Where applicable)
Handbooks and Guides
(Where applicable)
Directories (Where
applicable)
Organizations
Libraries (Any with
strong collections on your topic?)
Government Agencies
(Where applicable)
Other Types of Information
(Where applicable)
One to three examples per category should usually
be sufficient, but look for the best sources of information on your topic. Think
also of the search strategy or strategies that you would advise people to take
as they research your topic. It is often wise to start with encyclopedias, dictionaries,
or handbooks for an overview, some definitions, and a few important citations,
and then go to bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, search engines, and webliographies
to do a more thorough literature search, but other search strategies may be
advisable, depending upon your topic. Use the pathfinders at the URI Libraries
as one general set of examples and for ideas (but be sure to do your own original
work)
DUE: DECEMBER 1, 2005
POSITION PAPER: SOME TIPS AND GUIDELINES
Write a position paper on an issue or problem
affecting reference services, that can be submitted to a general library magazine,
such as LJ or American Libraries. A few general guidelines are listed below:
1. Use a term paper
manual (such as Turabian, MLA or APA) from the beginning. When you find relevant
sources, be sure to write them down in the way suggested by your manual. Follow
their rules for writing and citation, throughout.
2. State your problem,
give some background on it, describe your opinions on it.
3. Explain why you
are taking the position that you have stated.
4. Be sure to state
arguments supporting your position. Also, be sure to consider and refute arguments
opposing your position.
5. If you mention
yourself, be sure to refer to yourself in the third person.
6. When citing other
people in the body of your work, use the last name, only.
ON ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Original research (such as interviews, questionnaires,
and the like) will not be required for this paper, but I expect you to do some
good secondary research. However, for those of you who pursue any original research
for this project, here are some points to keep in mind:
1. State what population or sample you studied and why you chose that particular
population or sample.
2. Describe the precise methodology you used. In other words, if you interviewed
people how did you approach them and what did you ask?
3. Include any research instrument that you used (such as questionnaires).
4. Keep individual subjects anonymous.
OUTLINE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE: NOVEMBER 17, 2005
POSITION PAPER DUE: DECEMBER 15, 2005
RESEARCH LITERATURE REVIEW: SOME TIPS AND GUIDELINES
Choose a subject that is a problem, an issue or challenge to reference services.
Look at both general literature and research literature on the issue, but focus
on the RESEARCH literature. Analyze the materials you find by answering these
questions:
1.Has any research been done on this problem?
2.What methodologies were used to do this research?
3.What were the results?
4.Are these results valid?
a. Does the research really study what it meant to study?
b. Do the methodologies chosen and the questions asked correspond to the goals
and purposes of the research? Could other methodologies be used to study this
problem?
c. How well constructed was the methodology used (whether interview, questionnaire,
observation, experiment, etc. )
d. Is the research free from bias?
e. If the research stated that something was caused by something else, was this
really true, or could the phenomena have been caused by something altogether
different?
f. Was the population chosen the best one for this particular research? Was
a large sample chosen? Was there random sampling?
g. Can this research be replicated (or done again by somebody else)? Was it
described clearly enough? Were the circumstances universal enough so that results
of a similar experiment would be similar?
h. Can the results of the research be generalized? How representative of the
target population was the sample chosen?'(See question 4f )
5. What kind of research can be done as a follow-up to these studies, according
to the researchers? What kind of research do you think can be done?
6. Is there anything in any of the studies that you could use on Monday morning
in a library? (Are there any applications of the study?) If so, what is it,
or are they?
For more information on how to evaluate specific types of research, see this
and similar books on library research:
Busha, Charles H. and Stephen P. Harter. Research Methods in Librarianship:
Techniques and Interpretation. NY: Academic Press, 1980.
OUTLINE AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE: NOVEMBER 17, 2005
RESEARCH LITERATURE REVIEW DUE: DECEMBER 15, 2005
COURSE OUTLINE
Reference and Information Services
Sept. 8-15 - From Print to Electronic: The Evolution of Reference Services
Required Readings For Sept. 15
An Introduction to Reference Information Services
Bopp and Smith - Chaps. 1 pp. 3-27
Thomsen - Chaps. 1-2, 5 pp. 1-46, 111-136
Some Ethical and Philosophical Issues
Bopp and Smith - Chap. 2 pp. 28-46
Baker, Betsy. "Can Libraries Survive in a Sea of Change?" American
Libraries. April, 2000 pp. 47-49.
Virtual Reference Services
1.Library of Congress. Global Reference Network.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/digiref/
2. 24/7 Ref. http://www.247ref.org/
3.The Virtual Reference Desk
http://www.vrd.org
4. The Virtual Reference Desk. Digital Reference Education Initiative. http://drei.syr.edu/
5. Question Point: Cooperative Virtual Reference. http://www.questionpoint.org/
Building the Reference Collection
Bopp and Smith. Chapter 13 pp. 309-330
Thomsen. Chapter 4 pp. 77-110
Diaz, Karen R. "The Best of the Best: Ranking and Rating Digital Reference
Resources.”
Reference and
User Services Quarterly. v. 39 no. 1 Fall, 1999 pp. 17-21.
Kovacs, Diane K. "Building a Core Internet
Reference Collection. "
Reference and User Services Quarterly.
v. 39 no. 3 Spring, 2000 pp. 233-239.
Fenske, Rachel E. "Transitioning from Print
to Web: A Publisher's Perspective."
Reference and
User Services Quarterly. v. 39 no. 4 Summer, 2000 pp. 342-345.
Winter, Ken. "From Wood Pulp to the Web:
the Online Evolution."
American Libraries.
May, 2000 pp. 70-74.
Jackson, Mary E. " Who Get to Use What (And
How All That is Changing)."
American Libraries.
April, 2000 pp. 42-43.
Sept. 22 - National Library Catalogs and Trade Bibliographies
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chap. 20 pp. 480-508
Assigned exercises
Sept. 29 - Serials, Indexes, Abstracts
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chap. 21; pp. 509-536
Assigned exercises
Supplementary Readings
“Search Like the Pros". http://cms.longbeach.gov/search/booleansearch.htm
Oct. 6 - On-line Reference Services and Search Basics
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chaps. 5-7 pp. 97-176
Oct. 13 - Reference Interviews and Search Strategies
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chaps. 34; pp. 47-96
Thomsen. Chaps. 3, 6; pp. 49-76, 137-169
Eckwright, Gail Z., Tom Hoskisson, and Mike Pollastro. “Reference Etiquette:
A Guide
to Excruciatingly
Correct Behavior.” American Libraries. May, 1998 pp. 42-45
RASD Ad Hoc Committee on Behavioral Guidelines
for Reference and Information Services.
Reference Guidelines.
http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/referenceguide/Default2277.htm
_____. Guidelines for Behavioral Performance
of Reference and Information Service
Providers.
http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/referenceguide/guidelinesbehavioral.htm
Straw, Joseph E. " Virtual Understanding: The Reference Interview and Question
Negotiation in The Digital Age.” Reference and User Services Quarterly.
V. 38, no. 2 Winter, 1998 pp. 151-163
Ross, Catherine Sheldrick and Patricia Dewdney.
"Negative Closure: Strategies and Counter-Strategies in the Reference Transaction.”
Reference and User Services
Quarterly v. 38 no. 2 Winter, 1998 pp. 151-163
Watson, Dana and RUSA CODES Readers’ Advisory
Committee. “Time to Turn the Page: Library
Education for Reader’s Advisory Services.” Reference and User Services Quarterly.
v. 40 no. 2 Winter, 2000 pp. 143-146
“The Reference Interview: Connecting in Person
and in Cyberspace.” Reference and User Services
Quarterly. V. 43 no. 1 Fall, 2003 pp. 37-41
Assignment: Online searches on your paper topics
Oct. 20 - Language Sources
Examination I
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith. Chap. 17; pp. 409-432
Parshall, Gerald. “A ‘Glorious Mongrel’: A Language That Some Americans Want
to
Defend Against Foreign Invasion is Itself a Multicultural Smorgasbord of Borrowed
Words.” U.S.
News and World Report. Sept. 25, 1995
Kister, Ken. “Dictionaries Defined: Buying Guidelines and Language Notes From
a
Reference Expert.”
Library Journal. Jan. 15, 1992
_____. “Buying and Selling Words: What Every Good Librarian Should Know About
the Dictionary Business.”
Wilson Library Bulletin. Jan. 1993 pp. 35-38.
Updike, John. “Fine Points: Why We Should Still Care For Fowler Seventy Years
On.”
The New Yorker.
Dec. 23 and 30, 1996 pp. 142-149.
Yue, Joseph. “How Familiar is It Anymore?: Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations Goes
Digital.” Reference
and User Services Quarterly. V. 42 no. 1 Fall, 2002 pp. 26-29.
Assigned exercises
Oct. 27 – Encyclopedias
Electronic Search Due
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith – Chap. 18; pp. 433-459
Kister, Ken. “Encyclopedists Head For Cyberspace.”
Library Journal.
Nov. 15, 1998 pp. 53-58
Rettig, James. “Encyclopedias and the Cult of
Entertainment.” Reference and User
Services Quarterly.
V. 38 no. 2 Winter, 1998 pp. 133-138
Assigned exercises
Nov. 3 – Ready Reference Sources: Almanacs, Yearbooks, Handbooks, Directories
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith – Chaps. 15, 14; pp. 357-380, 331-356
Arant, Wendi and Brian Carpenter. “Where is the Line?: Legal Reference Service
And the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) – Some Guides That Might Help.”
Reference and
Users’ Services Quarterly. V. 38 no. 3 Spring, 1999 pp. 235-239.
Assigned exercises
Nov. 10 - Biographical Sources
Examination II
Required Readings
Bopp and Smith – Chap. 16 pp. 381-408
Assigned exercises
Nov. 17 - Geographical Sources, Government Publications, and Statistics
Outline and Bibliography of Final Paper Due
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chaps. 19,22; pp. 460-479,537-593
Assigned exercises.
Dec. 1 - Information and the Community: Reference Services to a Diverse Population
Tracer Bullet or Pathfinder Due
Required Readings:
Bopp and Smith - Chap. 12 pp. 279-306
Gilton, Donna. "A World of Difference: Preparing for Information Literacy
Instruction for
Diverse Groups.” MultiCultural Review. Vol. 3 September, 1994 pp. 54-62
Liu, Ziming. "Difficulties and Characteristics of Students from Developing
Countries in Using
American Libraries.” College and Research Libraries. Vol. 54 January,
1993 pp. 25-31
Chao, Sheau-yueh J. "The New Americans Program: Queens Borough Public Library's
Service to
Multilingual/Multicultural Communities.” Public Libraries. Vol. 32
November-December, 1993 pp. 319-322
Craver, Kathleen W. "Bridging the Gap: Library Services for Immigrant Populations."
Journal of Youth Services in Libraries. Vol. 4 Winter, 1991 pp. 123-130
Villagran, M. “Community Building and Latino Families.” Reference and User
Services
Quarterly. V. 40, no. 3 Spring, 2001 pp. 224-7.
Dixon, Judith. “Are We Childproofing Our Public Libraries? Identifying the Barriers
That Limit
Library Use By Children.” Public Libraries. January/February, 1996
Holt, Cynthia. "Assessing the Needs of Library Users With Disabilities."
Public Libraries.
March/April, 1995 pp. 90-93.
Norlin, Dennis. A. "We're Not Stupid You Know: Library Services for
Adults with Mental Retardation." Research Strategies. (Spring,
1992): 56-68.
Kleiman, Allan. "The Aging Agenda: Redefining Library Services for
a Graying Population." Library Journal (April 15, 1995): 32-34.
Dec. 8 - Information Literacy
Administration and Evaluation of Reference Services
Examination III
Required Readings
Bopp and Smith - Chaps. 8 - 11 pp. 177-278
Thomsen. Chaps. 7-8 pp. 171-223
Diaz, Karen. "The Role of the Library Web Site: A Step beyond Deli Sandwiches."
Reference and
User Services Quarterly. Vol. 38, no. 1 Fall, 1998 pp. 41-43.
Sloan, Bernie. "Electronic Reference Sources:
Some Suggested Guidelines." Reference
and User Services
Quarterly. v. 38 no. 1 Fall, 1998 pp. 77-81
Kasowitz, Abby, Blythe Bemett, and R. David Lankes. "Quality Standards
for Digital Reference Consortia.”
Reference and
User Services Quarterly. v.39 no. 4 Summer, 2000 pp. 355-363
All Papers Due December 15th!