SYLLABUS  - ISP 605

INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

MONDAYS 4:15pm - 7:05pm


Instructor: Barbara Via
bv848@csc.albany.edu
(518) 442-3689


 

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of the course are to prepare students to understand and do reference and information work in libraries and other information arenas.  It includes:  basic reference sources, both print and electronic, history, philosophy, and practice of reference services.  By the end of the semester, students should be able to identify and evaluate information sources and be able to choose appropriate sources to answer reference questions; understand the process of reference including reference interviewing and search strategy; and discuss current issues in reference services including policy issues in different types of settings.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:
Your assignments (and grading weights) will include all of the following:
 

  1. Resource Evaluations:  From a list of sources of a given type, (e.g., encyclopedias, biographical sources, etc.) each student will choose one to look at in detail and provide a one page evaluation.  20%
  2. Mock reference questions:  For each class you will have a list of questions to answer using the sources covered in that week.  20%
  3. Mid-term take-home paper: A paper, 3-5 pages in length on reference sources and services.  20%
  4. Other assignments:  there will be a few brief written assignments (NOT term papers) (See Assignments, below). 20%
  5. Final paper:  A paper, 3-5 pages in length, on a policy issue facing reference and information services. 20%

    6.  
Assignements are due on the dates given in the syllabus.  You will lose credit for assignments and papers turned in late.

TEXTS:
I am not asking students to purchase the text because it is dated and a  new edition is forthcoming.  There is one copy of the text on Reserve.  Many academic libraries have a copy of the text, so you may find it available at another library.  There are a few copies of the text in the University Bookstore for those of you who want to buy it despite its publication date.

Katz, William A.  Introduction to Reference Work.  Vol. 1 and 2.  7th edition, 1997.
    On Reserve, Dewey Graduate Library
    Dewey REF Z 711 K32 1997 v. 1 and v. 2

All other readings are available through  Eres (Electronic Reserve)
    Web site address is http://eres.ulib.albany.edu/eres

ATTENDANCE:
I expect you to attend every class.  You will get the most out of the course if you attend every session and participate in discussions.
 

SYLLABUS ISP 605 /VIA/MONDAYS 4:15 - 7:05 P.M.

Date
Reference Sources
Reference Process
September 11 Overview of types of sources History of Reference/Roles and Responsibilities of Reference Providers
September 18 Bibliographies, National and Trade; Subject Bibliographies; Bibliographic Guides to Reference Sources; Serials Sources Environment for Reference
Service and Staffing
September 25 Ready Reference Sources: Almanacs, Yearbooks, Directories, etc. Selection and Evaluation of Reference Sources
October 2 Dictionaries and Encyclopedias The Reference Interview
October 9 NO CLASS
October 16 Biographical Sources.  Guest Speaker: Susan Flint, Law Librarian, Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna The Reference Interview, cont'd.
October 23 Midterm examination due
October 30 Statistical Sources, The Internet as an effective reference tool Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery
November 6 The Internet, cont'd.  Indexes/Abstracts Integrating New Technologies
November 13 Indexes/Abstracts, cont'd. Integrating New Technologies, cont'd.
Practice REF Interviewing
November 20 Government Information.  Guest Speaker, Catherine Dwyer, Government Documents Librarian, University Libraries Are Print Sources Necessary?
November 27 Geographical Sources Managing Reference Services
December 4 Miscellaneous sources Managing Reference Servcies, cont'd.

REQUIRED READINGS

To be read by:
Class 2-September 18 Katz, Vol.1
 

RUSA

 Chapter 3: Introduction to Bibliography/Chapter 4:  Bibliographies:National Library Catalogs and Trade Bibliographies

Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services
Class 3-September 25 Katz, Vol. 1
Nolan		 Chapter 8: Ready Reference Sources
Selection Principles
Class 4-October 2 Katz, Vol 1
Katz, Vol. 2
Jennerich & Jennerich 
Ross & Dewdney		 Chapter 10: Dictionaries
Chapter 6: The Reference Interview
The Actor's Tools
Negative Closure
Class 5-October 16 Katz, Vol. 1 Chapter 7: Encyclopedias: General and Subject/Chapter 9: Biographical Sources
Class 6-October 23 Katz, Vol. 1
Stalker, John C.		 Chapter 8: p. 295-299 Why You Should Read the Papers
"Reference": Putting Users First" In, People Come First.  Association of College and Research Libraries
Class 7-October 30 Lipow
Kautzman
Diaz, Karen R.
Tomaiuolo		 Reference Services in a Digital Age/Are Our Academic Libraries Ready for the Interent Generation?
Digital Impact
Off the Shelf and onto the Web: the online evolution
Ask and You May Receive: commercial reference services on the web
Class 8-November 6 Katz, Vol. 1
Winter		 Chapter 5: Indexing and Abstracting Services: General and Collections
From Woodpulp to the Web: the online evolution
Class 9-November 13 Katz, Vol 1
Smith and Phillips		 Chapter 5: Indexing and Abstracting Services: Subject and Newspaper
Are Our Academic Libraries Ready for the Internet Generation?
Class 10-November 20 Katz, Vol. 2
Katz, Vol. 1
Coffman		 Chapter 10: Reference Service Policies and Evaluation 
Chapter 12: Government Documents
The Librarian and Mr. Jeeves
Class 11-November 27 Katz, Vol .1 Chapter 2: The Electronic Library
Who Do We Think We Are?
Class 12-December 4 Tyckoson
Reger
Bates		 What is Right With Reference
Redefining Reference Services
The Newly Minted MLS

 

ASSIGNMENT 1 (TWO PARTS)
Part I due September 18
Part II  due September 25

Part I  (due September 18)

Using the Library's ADVANCE online catalog (available via the web, http://www.albany.edu/library/libraries.html), use the Advance Web option and search for the following items.  Indicate what search indexes you used (author, title, etc.).  Give complete citations for the record.  Did you have difficulty with the search?  What were the pitfalls, if any?
 

  1. I am looking for a book titled Communities and Crime.  Does U Albany own it?           I think it's part of a series.         Does U Albany own the other books in the series?           If yes, does each volume have the same call number?

    2.  

     

  2. What about the book:  For Whom the Bell Tolls:  Ernest Hemingway's Undiscovered Country.  Does U Albany own it?                          What is the ISBN number?

    3.  
  3. I know there's this periodical, Library Trends.  Can you give me the call number and tell me what years we own at Albany? (first try this by doing a search only in Periodicals, then try it searching University Libraries - All Collections.                   How do your results differ?                         Which way do you think a typical patron with no instruction in using an online catalog would search?

    4.  
  4. Search Dewey Library holdings for the title, Books in Print.  How many matches do you get?                                     Why do some titles comes up where it does not seem that the title is Books in Print?

    5.  
  5. I need some books about the societal impact of the information age.       Using the LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings) books, and the ADVANCE Web online catalog search of Dewey holdings.  Find a few relevant titles and list them.      What subject headings were assigned to these books?                      Which headings yielded the most relevant titles?


    6. Part II (due September 25)

    Look at one of the following resources, both in print and online if available both ways, and provide a 1-2 page typed evaluation of the resource, including:

    Be prepared to discuss in class.  Papers will be collected at the end of class.

    SOURCES
    Books in Print (print and available online: http://www.albany.edu/library/databases/b.html)
    Dewey REF Z 1215 P97 (also ULIB REF)

    Encyclopedia of Associations (on the web, it is call Associations Unlimited - http://www.albany.edu/library/databases)
    Dewey REF HS 17 G334 (also ULIB REF)
    And companion volumes: Encyclopedia of Associations.  International Associations.
    Dewey REF AS 8 E53 (also ULIB REF)
    Encyclopedia of Associations.  Regional, state, and local organizations.
    Dewey REF HS 17 G335x

    Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory (print and available online:  http://www.albany.edu/library/databases.u.html)
    Dewey REF Z 6941 U5 2000 (also ULIB REF)

    Gale Directory of Broadcast and Other Media (print only)
    Dewey REF Z 6951 A97 2000 (also ULIB REF)

    WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog) online only: http://www.albany.edu/library/databases.w.html