University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee
School of Information Studies
Introduction to Reference Services and Resources
Course Number: L&ISci 510-212, 3 credits
Summer 2009, May 26 – July 4
Online via D2L
Instructor: Thomas D. Walker, Ph.D., SOIS Associate Professor
414-229-4707 (w), twalker@uwm.edu (best)
Office: Bolton 648; Office hours:
Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 and by appointment.
DESCRIPTION: An investigation into reference services, reference interviews,
and organizations, including critical examination of basic reference sources.
CONTENT: This course introduces fundamentals of reference services and
resources. Consisting of practical experience, discussions, and research using
secondary resources, the experiences in this course provide students with a
general background in reference and prepares students for entry-level
professional experience (and internship, practicum, or beginning-level
professional placement) or more advanced reference/research courses.
OBJECTIVES: The following student competencies are the expected outcomes
for this course. Students will:




Be able to identify, select, use, and evaluate research resources;
Develop a working knowledge of basic (i.e., not specialized) information
resources;
Acquire a familiarity of communication skills present in seeking and
providing information, including the reference interview; and
Acquire an understanding of specialized reference services, including
services to specialized groups and instruction.
PREREQUISITES: Junior standing.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: Online (supported by a D2L site). The course
requires heavy use of library facilities and the Internet. Access to course
materials on D2L and research materials on the Internet requires students to
have regular access to the Internet. There are two major ways in which material
is covered in this class: readings in the text (with some supplemental readings as
assigned) and weekly class discussions. Mastery of the content of the text is
L&I SCI 510 – Syllabus – page 15
evaluated through class discussions. More specialized performance is expected in
the form of regular assignments, which are discussed in class and on the course
website.
TEXT:
Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction,
by Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2006.
SCHEDULE
The six weeks of this course have been subdivided into two units each, one
starting each Tuesday and the other Friday. The work for a unit should be
completed within a week. This leads to overlapping units, but allows you to visit
a research library (for instance) over a weekend or for a couple of days during
the week without missing a chance to work on a unit. The last week's
assignments may be turned in up through July 10 (the class officially ends on the
4th of July!).
Feel free to post to the relevant discussion sections at any time. I'd encourage
participation at all stages of the week to ensure maximal interaction.
Week
Date
Topics
Assignments
Fundamental Concepts
1a
5/26
1. Reference and information
Services; Question determination
Cassell, Chapters 1 and 2
1b
5/29
2. Basic search techniques; The
Internet as resource
Cassell, Chapters 3 and 13
Major Reference Sources
2a
6/2
3. Bibliographic resources;
Encyclopedias
Cassell, Chapters 4 and 5
2b
6/5
4. Wikipedia
Wikipedia Documentation
Assignment; discussion
continues through remainder
of term; complete by end of
term.
3a
6/9
5. Ready reference; Dictionaries
Cassell, Chapters 6 and 7
L&I SCI 510 – Syllabus – page 25
3b
6/12
6. Indexes; Health, Law, and
Business
Cassell, Chapters 8 and 9
4a
6/16
7. Geography
Cassell, Chapter 10
b
6/19
8. Biography
Cassell, Chapter 11
5a
6/23
9. Government information
Cassell, Chapters 12
Specialized services
5b
6/26
10. Reader’s advisory; Services
for children and young adults; and
User instruction
Cassell, Chapters 14, 15, and
16
Managing Reference Collections and Services
6a
6/30
6b
7/3
11. Selecting and evaluating
materials; Managing reference
departments;
Cassell, Chapters 17 and 18
12. Assessing services; The future
of information services
Cassell, Chapters 19 and 20
Practice Problem Sets
These sets of problems provides students with opportunities to explore different
categories of research material. They do not replicate reference interactions
(they do not allow for question negotiation, for instance), but do allow students
to become familiar with a wide range of resources. The primary benefit from
them and the primary feedback will be in online discussions about the problems.
They will be graded U, S, E (unsatisfactory, satisfactory, and excellent), with
100% E’s gaining the student the maximum credit for this portion of the class.
They will be submitted to the course drop box.
Resource Reviews (graduate students only)
Reviews of resources will be required of graduate students only and will be
critical evaluations of reference works. [Details to follow.]
Wikipedia Documentation Assignment
This assignment requires that you identify a Wikipedia article that is completely
or mostly undocumented and find ways to supply valid support for its content.
[Details to follow.]
Participation in class
It is expected from students to interact with one another during the course.
Participation counts significantly toward the final grade and is expected.
L&I SCI 510 – Syllabus – page 35
Students may consult with one another for practice problems if they disclose such
cooperation.
EVALUATION:
Assignments
Practice problems
Resource Review (grads only)
Wikipedia Documentation Assignment
Participation in class
Undergraduates
60%
NA
25%
15%
Graduates
40%
25%
20%
15%
GRADING SCALE:
96-100
91-95.99
87-90.99
84-86.99
80-83.99
77-79.99
A
AB+
B
BC+
Grading Scale
74-76.99
70-73.99
67-69.99
64-66.99
60-63.99
Below 60
C
CD+
D
DF
GRADE REQUIREMENT FOR MLIS STUDENTS:
If you are pursuing an MLIS degree, you need to earn at least a B to pass the
course. See the policy at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SLIS/academics/MLIS/mlisrequirements.htm
COURSE POLICIES:
If you are a student with any special needs, please discuss them with the
instructor as soon as possible. If any student cannot meet a deadline, let the
instructor know before the due date.
Submit all your assignments on time. Late submission will not be accepted unless
an emergency is involved. In the event of an emergency, the student must
contact the instructor as soon as possible.
The instructor will provide any assistance upon the students’ inquiry. However,
the student is responsible for his/her own effort to complete the assignments.
For other academic policies, see the See UWM SOIS Academic Policy Statement
(http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/resources/academic_policy.html ).
L&I SCI 510 – Syllabus – page 45
L&I SCI 510 – Syllabus – page 55