651, Spring ’10
Lopatovska
I. Course Information:
Introduction to Information Profession
LIS 651-03
Tuesday, 6:30-8:50 p.m.
r. 611
II. Instructor Information:
Irene Lopatovska
Email: ilopatov@pratt.edu
GA: Neal Profitt [sprofitt@pratt.edu]
Phone: (will be given in class)
Listserv:
III. Course Description:
Bulletin Description: Introduces the fields of librarianship and information professions. Course
material covers the evolving role of libraries in society, the legal and ethical aspects of the
profession and the impact of rapidly changing information environments. Also included are the
principles of management, development of policies and procedures, effective communication
skills, types of libraries and information centers, and organizational and staffing structures. Three
hours of field observation is required.
Detailed Description: As suggested in the course description, 651 is one of the
foundational courses of the curriculum that develops awareness and general knowledge of the
major issues of the field of library and information science. The course explores a broad range of
issues and introduces students to library and information science concepts that they may choose
to subsequently specialize in during their further course of study. The course balances practical
skills and theoretical concepts and develops students’ abilities to apply both to the world of
changing technologies and services.
The course is designed to 1) provide basic understanding of major subjects in the area of library
and information science; 2) introduce students to profession and personal career development
activities; 3) help students to develop critical thinking, communication, presentation and other
skills required for successful completion of the program and the professional growth. The more
detailed description of the course’s goals and objectives follows.
Course Goals and Students’ Learning Objectives:
1. Students learn basic concepts, principles and practices of LIS that form the foundation of
their program of study. The students gain an understanding of:
1.1 the concept of information, and its definition in LIS and other areas (e.g., art, economics,
etc.);
1.2 similarities and differences between library and information sciences, relationships
between research and professional practice;
1.3 principles and key aspects of a) information organization and management; b) human
information behavior; c) information systems’ design; d) information institutions’
management; e) information policy issues; f) ethical and legal issues (e.g., democratic
and constitutional principles such as free speech and free press), and other issues
1.4 past, present and emerging library and information practices and settings
1.5 ethical and moral principles of the profession and the importance of balancing
professional, personal and cultural values
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1.6 diversity of information needs, uses, users, and sources, including international and
digital contexts
2. Students develop understanding of information profession and learn the importance of
professional development and social skills. The students should:
2.1 develop an understanding of career paths available in the library and information science
field
2.2 identify and internalize core professional values
2.3 become part of professional community(-ies)
2.4 become familiar with professional development and continuing education techniques
3. Students begin to develop their individual voice as information professionals as they acquire
skills needed to analyze and evaluate information, contextualized and express their views, and
present them in class project presentations as well as written reports.
Students should learn to:
3.1 critically examine information institutions, practices and services
3.2 critically examine library and information science literature
3.3 analyze and present their findings in a professional setting as both written reports as well
as oral presentations
Course Calendar/Schedule [subject to change]:
Week Date
1
Aug
31
Lectures & Practice
Assignments*
Introduction, Course Overview
Select topic for the library history
presentation
Information, Misinformation,
Disinformation, Propaganda
Think/find your examples of data,
information, misinformation and
disinformation
2
Sept 7 History of librarianship
Library history presentations
3
Sept
14
Professional development
Start working on Project I Select topic for
Project II
4
Sept
21
Assessment and Marketing in
libraries
Resume/list of resources due
5
Sept
28
Information and Information
Structures
----------------Library and information sciences:
Historical context
6
Oct 5
Human Information Behavior
7
Oct 12 Organization of Information
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8
Oct 19 Collection Development and
Resource Management
Collection development assignment due
9
Oct 26 no class – midterm break
10
Nov 2 Presentation of library
observation/interview findings
Presentations of library observations Project I paper due
11
Nov 9 Presentation of library
observation/interview findings
Presentation of library observation/interview
findings
12
Nov
16
Public/Academic/Special libraries
-----------------Information systems
13
Nov
23
Library Management
14
Nov
30
Information Policy Issues –
copyright, censorship, privacy
15
Dec 9
Emerging trends in Library and
Information Field
Project II Presentations
Project II papers due
16
Dec
16
Ethical Considerations;
Research Literature and Methods
IV. Course Requirements
Textbook:
Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of Library and Information Science. New York: Neal-Schuman.
Secondary text:
Haycock, K., & Sheldon, B. (2008). The portable MLIS. Insights from the experts. Westport, CT:
Libraries Unlimited.
Readings:
Arizona Collection Development Training Site (All sections). Available at:
http://www.lib.az.us/cdt/intro.htm
Auster, E., & Chan, D. C. (2004). Reference librarians and keeping up-to-date: A question of
priorities. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 44(1), 57-66.
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Baeza-Yates, R., & Ribiero-Neto, B. (1999). Modern information retrieval. New York, ACM Press.
Chapter 1: Introduction. (pp 1-17).
Bates, M. (1999). The invisible substrate of information science. Journal of the American Society
for Information Science, 50(12), 1043-1050.
Beghtol, C. (2005). Ethical decision-making for knowledge representation and organization
systems for global use. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,
56 (9), 903-912.
Branin, J., Groen, F., & Thorin, S. (2000). The Changing Nature of Collection Management in
Research Libraries. Association of Research Libraries. Library Resources & Technical Services,
44 (1), 23-32.
Brown, M. (1997). The Field of Information Policy: 1. Fundamental Concepts. Journal of
Information Science. 23(4), 261-275.
Buckland, M. (1996). Documentation, Information Science, and Library Science in the USA.
Information Processing and Management 32: 63-76.
Collection Development and the Internet, available at:
http://www.loc.gov/acq/colldev/handbook.html
Deane. G. (2003). Bridging the value gap: getting past professional values to customer value in
the public library. Public Libraries 42(5). 315-319.
Fallis, D. (2007). Information ethics for twenty-first century library professionals. Library Hi Tech,
25(1), 23-36.
Frank, F. D. & Taylor, C. R. (2004). Talent management: Trends that will shape the future.
Human Resource Planning, 27(1), 33-41.
Gordon, R. S. (2005). How To Become a Librarian, Library Journal. Available at:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA605244.html
Hawks, Carol Pitts. "Building and Managing an Acquisitions Program." Library Acquisitions:
Practice & Theory, 18 (1994): 297-308.
Harrison, M. M. (1997). Five-Point Plan for Local Support and Funding for Libraries. An Interview
with William R. Gordon. Library Administration and Management, 11, 4-8.
Holcomb, J. M. (2007). Moving into Management: Strategies to Take the Pinch Out of Stepping
into New Shoes. Law Library Journal, 99(1),167-73.
Iacovino, L. (2002). Ethical principles and information professionals: theory, practice and
education. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 33 (2), 57-74.
Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user’s
perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42 (5), 361–371.
Lester, J. and Koehler, W. C. (2003) Fundamentals of information studies : understanding
information and its environment. New York . Neal-Schuman Publishers. Chapter 11, pp 221-258
Liddy, E. D. (2002). How a search engine works. Chapter 10 in: Mintz. A. P. (ed.) Web of
deception. Misinformation on the Internet. Medford, NJ Information Today. (pp. 197-208).
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McClure, C. R. & Hernon, P. (1991). Library and Information Science Research: Perspectives and
Strategies for Improvement. Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
McMenemy, D. (2007). Librarians and ethics neutrality: revisiting the creed of a librarian. Library
Review, 56(3), 177-181.
Miller, M. (2000). As school libraries race forward, it’s time to dispel some myths. American
Libraries, 47(10), 42-43.
Milton, S. (2008). Back to Basics: Reviving Ethical Practice in Library Management. Electronic
Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship, 9(1). Available at
http://southernlibrarianship.icaap.org/content/v09n01/milton_s01.html
Ross, C. S. (2003). The reference interview: why it needs to be used in every (well, almost every)
reference transaction. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 43 (1), 38-41
Saracevic, T. (1999). Information Science. Journal of the American Society for Information
Science, 50(9), 1051-1063.
Schamber, L. (1996). What Is a Document? Rethinking the Concept in Uneasy Times? Journal of
the American Society for Information Science, 47(9), 669-671.
Schwartz, C. (2000). Digital libraries: an overview. The Journal of Academic Librarianship,
26(6), 385-393.
Shera, J. H. and Egan, M.E. (1953). A review of the present state of librarianship and
documentation. In S.C. Bradford (ed.) Documentation. 2nd ed. London: Crosby pp. 1145.
Symons, A. K. & Stoffle, C. (1998). When Values Conflict. American Libraries 29(5), 56-58.
Svenonius, E. (2000). Information Organization; Bibliographic Objectives; Bibliographic Entities.
In The Intellectual Foundation of Information Organization, 1-14. Cambridge: MIT Press. Read
Introduction and Bibliographic objectives chapters.
Vakkari, P. (1994). Library and information science: its content and scope. In I. P. Godden (ed.),
Advances in librarianship. San Diego: Academic Press. Pp. 1-55.
Vellucci, S. L. (Forthcoming 2007). Knowledge Organization. In M. Radford and P. Snelson
(eds.), Academic Libraries: Research Perspectives. Chicago: American Library Association.
Vellucci, S. L. (1997). Bibliographic Relationships. In J. Weihs (ed.), The Principles and Future of
AACR: Proceedings of the International Conference on the Principles and Future Development of
AACR, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 23-25, 1997. Ottawa: Canadian Library Association;
Chicago: American Library Association, 1998, pp. 105-146. Article available: http://epe.lacbac.gc.ca/100/200/300/jsc_aacr/bib_rel/r-bibrel.pdf Bibliography available: http://epe.lacbac.gc.ca/100/200/300/jsc_aacr/bib_rel2/r-bib.pdf
Walker, G., & Janes, J. (1999). Online retrieval: A dialogue of theory and practice. 2nd ed.
Littleton, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. Chapter 9: Additional search features. (pp. 177-204) &
Chapter 10: Beyond the basic search. (pp. 205-226).
Wilson, P. (1968). Subjects and the Sense of Position. In Two Kinds of Power; An Essay on
Bibliographic Control. Berkeley: University of California Press, 69-92.
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Wilson, T. D. (2000) Human Information Behavior. Informing Science, 3(2). Available at:
http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol3/v3n2p49-56.pdf
Williams, C. R. & Walters, T. O. (2003). Reference and instruction services go virtual as a form of
outreach: case studies from academic libraries: the new virtual environment. Information Outlook.
Available at: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FWE/is_8_7/ai_106863492
Ethics Readings
Core Values of Librarianship
Adopted June 29, 2004, by the ALA Council
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/corevaluesstatement/corevalues.cfm
Code of Ethics of the American Library Association
Adopted June 28, 1997, by the ALA Council; amended January 22, 2008 (latest)
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.cfm
Library Bill of Rights
Adopted June 18, 1948, by the ALA Council; amended February 2, 1961; amended June 28,
1967; amended January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 24, 1996.
http://staging.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm
The Freedom to Read Statement
Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended
January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement.cfm
Student’s Bill of Information Rights
Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada, 1995
http://www.cla.ca/content/navigationMenu/CLAatWork/Divisions/CASL/Business/publications/S
tudentsBillEnglish.pdf
Libraries: An American Value
Adopted February 3, 1999, by the Council of the American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/americanvalue/librariesamerican.cfm
Sample ALA Policy: National information Services and Responsibilities
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/governance/policymanual/nationalinformation.cfm
Resolution on the Retention of Library Usage Records
Adopted by the Council of the American Library Association
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
New
Orleans, Louisiana
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/ifresolutions/libraryusagerecords.cfm
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ALA Position Statements (various)
Last Revised: October 29, 2008
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslposition.cfm
Additional Position statements in book list (pg 239) not included on website main page:
Position Statement on the Value of Library Media Programs in Education
Last revised: September, 27 2006
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslpositionstatementval
ue.cfm
Position Statement on the Role of the School Library Media Specialist in Site-Based
Management
Last revised: December 9, 2008
http://www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=Position_Statements&template=/ContentManage
ment/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=15846
Position Statement on the Role of the Library Media Specialist in Outcomes-Based
Education Scenarios adopted June, 1994
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/positionstatements/aaslpositionstatementrole
library.cfm
Competencies for Special Librarians of the 21st Century
Revised edition, June 2003
http://www.sla.org/content/learn/comp2003/index.cfm
Students' Information Literacy Needs in the 21st Century: Competencies for
Teacher-Librarians
Prepared by the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada (ATLC) and the Canadian
School Library Association (CSLA), November 1997.
http://www.cla.ca/casl/literacyneeds.html
Assignments
Student conduct and grading
All assignments must be completed to receive a passing grade in the course.
Assignments must be submitted on time, so that they can be graded consistently and discussed
in the class session following the due date. Put the date of submission on the cover page as well
as your name, the course number, and the title of the assignment.
Except for documented medical and family emergencies, assignments submitted late will receive
a lower grade for the following reasons:
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(a) students who take more time to prepare their assignments have an unfair advantage over
their classmates; (b) students who submit their assignments late often benefit from the review in
class of their colleagues' errors.
Late papers will receive a grade but no comments.
Participation
We will be discussing readings and assignments in class. You should be prepared to
discuss and/or ask and answer questions based on the readings or exercises. The
higher and more substantive participation the higher the grade!
Join professional mailing list
Each student will join a listserv that discusses issues related to one or more areas of library and
information science. When called upon, you will be expected to share with the class some
discussions or other postings to the listserv. For a good list of library-oriented listserv sites check
this Web site:
http://mingo.info-science.uiowa.edu/courses/adults/library_listservs.html
Missing classes
When you have to miss a class, please, notify the instructor and submit a 1 page
summary of an article/chapter that you have read for the missed class.
*Students with 3 absences (for any reason, including documented medical reasons) can not
expect to receive an A in the course
*Students with 4 absences or more will be asked to drop the course
Email communication
Please, include class number (LIS651) in all your class related correspondence. Try to be
courteous and professional and ALWAYS include your name in the body of the message.
Assignments: Papers and Presentations
Will be discussed in class.
ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA EMAIL
Format
It is important to follow consistent format for all your assignments. The suggested format
is APA [the course bibliography is an example of the APA style]:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). (5th ed.). Washington,
D.C: American Psychological Association.
All written assignments must have the following information in the top left corner of the front page:
student’s name,
course number,
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assignment or exercise number as listed in the Syllabus
If references to other works (articles, books...) are included in the summary, they must be
properly cited in the summary, e.g. Tenopir (2004).
All written assignments must double-spaced throughout.
Grading
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
F
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
0
For details on Pratt Institute grading system please refer to the Graduate Bulletin.
Grades for students’ work will be determined as follows:
Library history presentation:
5%
Project I/Library observation - Paper 1:
20%
Project I/Library observation Presentation 1:
10%
Project II - paper :
25%
Project II - presentation:
10%
Resume:
5%
Class Participation:
20%
Collection development policy
assignment
5%
V. Policies
Institute-wide policies listed in the “Community Standards” section of the bulletin.
Students must adhere to all Pratt Institute policies listed in the Pratt Student Handbook under
“Student Affairs,” which include policies on attendance, academic integrity, plagiarism, and
computer and network use. Full descriptions of these policies are available in the Online Student
Handbook at: http://www.pratt.edu/uploads/Online_Student_Handbook.pdf
Policy on students with disabilities:
Anyone requiring special accommodations for disabilities must obtain clearance from the Office of
Disability Services at the beginning of the semester. Contact Mai McDonald, Director of Disability
Services at: mcdonald@pratt.edu or by phone at (718) 636-3711.
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Complete documentation of office’s policies and services can be found in the Online Student
Handbook at: http://www.pratt.edu/uploads/Online_Student_Handbook.pdf and at:
http://www.pratt.edu/uploads/4506_AccomodationDisabilites.pdf
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