Essay on Public Library Philosophy
(ungraded;
due at second meeting)
What is the role of the public library in 21st-century
life? What are the biggest challenges facing public librarians if we are to play
our role to the fullest? What are the most important contributions we can make
to our communities? Write a short (two- or three-page) essay outlining your
philosophy of public library service.
The instructor will respond to your essay without grading
it; your final draft of it will be part of your course portfolio, which will be
graded as a whole. This first draft is to help me get to know you (and maybe
vice versa).
Portfolio (40%
course grade, or 40 points)
This
assignment is intended to be flexible and allow you the opportunity for
reflection, creativity, and investigation into areas of special interest to you.
Select any combination of items that adds up to 40 points (that will be 40% of
the course grade). If you have another idea that makes sense in this context,
please let me know about it early in the semester. You may choose a theme to
unify your insights: ethics, or technology, or a major issue like funding—if
you pick a theme, pick one that helps you link the areas you want to work on.
Essay
on Public Library Philosophy: 15 points
You
may rewrite your essay from the first week, expanding it or amending it in light
of your thinking over the course of the semester. You may write it either as a
conventional essay, complete in itself, or as the framework for your portfolio,
making an introduction, possibly inserting explanatory notes before other items
to show how they fit in, and rounding out the portfolio with a conclusion.
Critiques
of published research: up to 5 points per
item; up to 20 points total
Select
up to four journal articles on topics relevant to the course. You may choose to
read articles that will support class discussion, and post to the class bulletin
board or discuss the article in class on the day of the relevant discussion; or
you may use this assignment to do a mini-literature review on an issue of
concern, like problem patrons or library litigation. You may select articles
from the reading list or find your own. Each article critique should be about
250 to 500 words long, and should include both a summary of the article and your
thoughtful evaluation of it.
How
many points per item? 1 point for a short editorial; 2 or 3 points for a short
“how we do it good at our library” or opinion piece; 4 or 5 points for a
substantial position paper or literature review or book chapter; 5 points for a
serious research article or book. Things that will weigh positively in grading:
articles taken from variety of journals (like Public
Libraries, Library Trends, or Library
and Information Science Research) rather than just a couple of trade
magazines that are easily available in your library (like Library
Journal); articles clearly summarized; evaluations thoughtful, considering
things like author’s point of view, professional value of article and
implications for service (if you have had LSC 557, apply what you know about
reliability, validity, transferrability and generalizability); and good form
(clarity of writing, correctness of citations, etc.).
Develop
or revise a library policy:
20 points
Over
the past decade, many public libraries developed Internet Use Policies—many of
which stated that the library did not use filters on any of its public access
computers. Will CIPA require the rewriting of these policies? Your library may
or may not have policies in place for the placement of signs, the handling of
difficult patrons, or what to do in case of disaster. Since library planning is
an ongoing business and your library’s mission, goals and objectives are
regularly revised, it is useful to review your policies on a regular basis, too,
and make sure they are working to advance your mission and goals, not impede
them. (Can library policies impede library goals? Back in the 1960s, many PLs
established policies to limit teen use of libraries for homework—such as, no
textbooks could be brought into the library and no ILL requests could be
processed for students—and a few years later, they wondered where all the YAs
had gone.) If you choose this option, include 1) the original policy (if
you’re revising an existing one) or an example of an existing one from another
library; 2) your policy; and 3) a short essay explaining why you chose to work
on this, how you went about it, what the main issues were, and how your new or
revised policy will help your library fulfill its goals or service responses.
Research
local and state laws that affect your library:
10 to 20 points, depending on approach
All
over
New England, the laws are different. Tax codes, building codes,
and more—what would the director of your local public library need to know?
Research it, and describe your findings. The number of points for this will
vary, depending on your approach. Obviously, a short, perfunctory description
of local tax codes or the state confidentiality law would be worth fewer
points than a longer evaluation of how tax codes or confidentiality law can
affect the library's ability to serve the public.
Analyze
current communications on a public library listserv or blog: 15 points
PUBLIB
(http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/2005-August/thread.html)
had over 400 posts in August, and even without subscribing to the list, you
can view the archive. Check it out.
Alternative?:
to be negotiated—Let me know if you have another idea you’d like to include
in your portfolio.
Points
awarded for form:
Good
grammar and spelling, tidiness, correct citations, and a clear table of contents
are the basics for a B; even if content merits better, a portfolio may be graded
down if these standards are not met. On the other hand, a thoughtful and
imaginative organization can increase the overall value of your portfolio: a
good introduction, for instance; or, insightful transition passages that point
out unexpected relationships between separate items; or, a conclusion (possibly
your rewritten philosophy essay) that pulls them all together. It's hard to
achieve that kind of elegance without careful thought about your content!
Grading
will be for the portfolio as a whole, and criteria will vary with the content of
individual portfolios. Guiding principles:
