GRADUATE
LIS 703-04
Organization of
Knowledge
SYLLABUS
Spring 2008
January 12 –
Saturday
Michaël A.
Geeraedts, Instructor
Room 330 Main-Library
E-mail: mgeeraedts@dom.edu
Office hours: By
appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Bulletin Description of
the Course: An overview of principles, methods and
systems in the organization of all types of library materials and
information. An introduction to the
basic level use and interpretation of principles for AACR2R, subject headings,
Dewey Decimal Classification, OCLC (
Prerequisite or
co-requisite: LIS 701
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Taylor,
Arlene G. The Organization of Information. 2nd ed.
Taylor,
Arlene G. Introduction to Cataloging and
Classification. 10th ed.
Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd revised edition,
2002 with the 2005 updates.
REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS & SOURCES:
(assigned
at class meetings and in Required Reading sections following)
Catalogers Desktop & Classification Web [access information will be provided]
Joint Steering Committee for the Revision of AACR2.
FAQ’s.
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/jsc/index.html
Dewey Decimal
Classification. [DDC22] Paper (4 v.) or http://www.oclc.org/dewey/versions/ddc22print/
and WebDewey http://connexion.oclc.org
Sears List of Subject Headings.
18th ed.
Cutter Sanborn Three-Figure Author
Table.
Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov
Library of Congress Authorities. http://www.authorities.loc.gov
Library of Congress. LC Classification Outline &
Classification Tables. http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html
Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Paper: Room 203. Available through Classification Web.
Library of Congress. MARC21
format.
http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/ecbdhome.html
Library of Congress. Understanding MARC Bibliographic.
OCLC. http://www.oclc.org/
OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards.
http://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/default.shtm
OCLC
Dewey Cutter Program with OCLC Four-Figure Cutter Tables
http://www.oclc.org/dewey/support/program/
“
Search Engine [Wikipedia article] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine
Tillett,
Barbara. What is FRBR?
[access information, authorization #’s and passwords will be
provided via Blackboard.]
>ALSO: See BIBLIOGRAPHY posted after
CLASS SCHEDULE<
BLACKBOARD ACCOUNTS:
An online
Blackboard (http://Blackboard.dom.edu)
has been set up to facilitate the sharing of information, either administrative
or questions about the class content.
Blackboard is accessible only to students currently enrolled in the
course. Instructions on setting up your Blackboard account will be provided
during the first class session.
Discussion Groups will be constructed so we can share questions and
ideas. Please feel free to post Blackboard messages to communicate and share
ideas with each other. Also, contact me
directly if you feel your questions or comments are not appropriate for
Blackboard.
You will be responsible for checking
Blackboard routinely for announcements, clarification of assignments and
general discussion.
Policies regarding completion of
assignments:
It is the
student’s responsibility to complete
assignments and turn them in on time.
Late assignments are strongly discouraged and the grade will lowered one
full grade for each session an assignment is late. If the student has a crisis, s/he must bring
this to my attention immediately if s/he expects any adjustment to the
assignment schedule. I will then decide
on a case-by-case basis if late penalties will be reduced or waived.
Class room policies regarding
attendance and late arrival:
Students
are expected to arrive to class on time and stay for the entire session. You are graduate students and adults and are
responsible for your actions.
Students
who must miss a class due to religious observance, illness or other emergency
should notify me by e-mail before class time.
Students are responsible for obtaining class materials distributed
during their absence, for ensuring their familiarity with the material covered
in class, and for completing any assignments on schedule.
You are
expected to turn off all cell phones and pagers during class.
Statements about consequences for
failure to meet the requirements of the course or classroom policies:
Students
are expected to attend class, read the assigned texts, participate in class
discussions, complete in-class and homework
assignments in the time frames stated and to be present on exam days to turn in
their exams. If problems arise in
meeting these expectations, I am willing to work with you to resolve them but it is
your responsibility to tell me if you are running into difficulties. If problems continue on an ongoing basis and
it becomes apparent to me that you are unable to meet the criteria for
completing this course, the dean or acting dean will be notified and you will
receive an “I”, “WX”, “WF” or “NC” for the course as is appropriate.
Taping [auditory/visual] of the
class
There will
be no taping [auditory/visual] of the class, except to conform with
Academic Integrity Policy:
“Students
of the university must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest
standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic
integrity will not be tolerated…” (2007-2008 Student Handbook and Planner,
p.20). Please see the 2007-2008
Student Handbook and Planner for the full statement on academic integrity.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Three of
the “Objectives of the MLIS degree program” are especially relevant to this
course. They are:
1. “Articulating and applying a philosophy of
service that incorporates an awareness of the legacy of libraries and information
centers within our cultures”,
3. “Identifying and analyzing information needs
and opportunities of individuals and organizations, both within the traditional
information service areas as well as the broader information sector” and
5. “Designing, implementing and evaluating
systems, technologies, services and products that connect users with
information”.
In order to
accomplish these objectives, this course will provide students with the ability
to:
(1) Provide both an historical and
current perspective of the organization of knowledge;
(2) Provide an overview of the
principles, methods and systems for describing materials (e.g., AACR2R,
Dublin Core, FRBR, etc.) so that today’s users can find the materials they are
looking for regardless of format;
(3) Provide an overview of
organizational concepts that affect how information can be retrieved/accessed
in order to meet user needs in diverse environments (authority work,
classification schemes);
(4) Provide an overview of various
encoding standards and practices (e.g., MARC21, SGML and its offshoots
(e.g., Dublin Core, HTML, XML) and how
they are used in today’s online environments through online library systems and
the Web;
(5) Describe the above objectives within
a library setting in order to understand how they are relevant to real-life
library operations and administration;
(6) Encourage analytical thinking about
the overlapping organization of knowledge within and outside a library context
by synthesizing, generalizing, and extrapolating concepts facing today’s
library professionals.
ASSIGNMENTS AND COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
There are
two types of assignments: one that is turned
in for feedback; the other that is turned in for grading. Each will be identified accordingly in the
Syllabus.
All turned
in assignments (graded and ungraded) must contain a cover sheet with the name
and number of the course, the name and number of the assignment, the date and,
of course, the individual’s name doing the assignment. An example is posted on Blackboard. All assignments must be double-spaced, the
exceptions being AACR2R examples and work forms specially designed for specific
assignments. Please include page numbers.
Additionally, please use nothing smaller than a #10 font size. Further instructions will be given in class.
Because
this is a graduate class and because communication in a variety of formats is
essential to a librarian’s work, you are expected to know how to write. In “knowing how to write”, I include your
ability to construct sentences, paragraphs and essays using correct sentence
structure, grammar and spelling. This
involves taking the time to use spell-checker, re-reading what you wrote, and
editing it. It also includes properly
citing works in bibliographies and notes.
I will deduct points if your work does not meet these criteria.
Any essays
(be it for assignments or for exams) will be evaluated on the following
criteria:
Persuasive presentation of position
(where appropriate)
Supporting reasons are
sufficient and appropriate
Position is effectively
supported
Evidence of reading and
reflection
Clarity of exposition
Logical train of thought
Adequate
connections between ideas, examples, etc.
Quality of writing
Proper grammar, spelling
and sentence structure
Bibliography, as needed
IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION:
Course approach:
Teaching
strategies may include assigned readings, lectures, demonstrations, class
participation, in-class assignments, projects and presentations. Theoretical concepts, practical applications
and technical definitions will typically be presented through class lecture and
assigned readings. Students will then
demonstrate their understanding by applying the concepts to simulated
situations and by presenting these projects orally in class and in
writing.
Participating
in class discussion, both in class and over Blackboard,
will be one of the factors in the final grade.
It is therefore expected that students will not only read the
assignments but think about them and thoughtfully evaluate them. Questions will be posed to you during the class
that will provoke thought, analysis and evaluation.
ASSESSMENT:
There will
be two exams and a major evaluation during the semester: a mid-term exam, an evaluation of your
cataloging and classification knowledge, and a final exam. All three will be take-home. There will be four other assignments that
will be graded in addition to ungraded assignments. The following describes the composition of
your final grade.
Class participation
(includes Blackboard) 10%
Midterm exam 15%
Ungraded assignments
(total %) 15%
Graded assignments (total
%) 20%
Cataloging/Classification
evaluation 25%
Final exam 15%
Grades and Grade Point Equivalents:
The
following grades and their grade point equivalents for the Dominican University
Graduate Schools are:
|
Alpha grade |
Numerical equivalent |
Point span |
|
A |
4.0 |
100-95 |
|
A- |
3.67 |
94-90 |
|
B+ |
3.33 |
89-85 |
|
B |
3.0 |
84-80 |
|
B- |
2.67 |
79-75 |
|
C+ |
2.33 |
74-70 |
|
C |
2.0 |
69-65 |
|
C- |
1.67 |
64 and
below |
|
F |
0.0 |
Below 59 |
Interpretations
of Grades
The faculty of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science
use the following guidelines in their grading:
Numeric
Grade Equivalent Definition
A 4.0 Outstanding achievement. Student performance
demonstrates full
command of the course materials
and evinces a high
level of originality and/or creativity
that
far surpasses course expectations; nearly flawless work.
A- 3.67 Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough
knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing
all requirements in a superior manner.
B+ 3.33 Good solid work.
Student performance demonstrates strong comprehension of the course
materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks as defined in the course
syllabus.
B 3.0 Satisfactory acceptable work. Student performance meets designated course expectations,
demonstrates understanding
of the course materials and performs at an acceptable level.
B- 2.67 Marginal work.
Student performance demonstrates incomplete, substandard understanding
of course materials,
or absence of required work; indicates danger of falling below acceptable
grading standard.
C+
2.33 Unsatisfactory
work. Student performance demonstrates
unsatisfactory understanding of course materials
and inability to meet course requirements.
C 2.0 Unacceptable work.
Student performance demonstrates incomplete and inadequate understanding
of
Course
materials.
C- 1.67 Poor work.
F 0.0 Failing grade.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
|
DATE |
TOPICS |
ASSIGNED |
ASSIGNMENT |
|
Jan. 12 |
Class Introduction Class Expectations Syllabus Review Blackboard |
|
Assignment 1: Library organization due JAN. 19 [graded]: Visit a library of your choice. [NOT the Rebecca Crown Library] [See Assignment 1 instructions on
Blackboard] Write a 3-4 page essay |
|
Jan. 19 |
Class discussion: -- Library visits -- Retrieval Tools -- Knowledge management [Introduction] |
Taylor/Org: Chapters 1, 2, 3 |
Assignment 1 due at the start of
class Discussion of observations Assignment 2: Retrieval Tools due JAN. 26 [graded]:
[See Assignment 2 instructions on
Blackboard] Write a 3-4 page essay |
|
Jan. 26 |
How is knowledge organized: -- Library catalogs
- Card catalogs - OPAC’s - ILS’s Introduction to MARC21 |
Taylor/Org: Chapters 4, 5 Taylor/Cat: Chapters 3,
20 |
Assignment 2 due at the start of
class Assignment 3: Interpreting the MARC21 Format: Assignment due FEB. 09 [graded]: Search OCLC WorldCat for three assigned titles. De-code all of the fixed/variable fields, indictors, delimiters and
subfields for two out of the three
records. [See Assignment 3 instructions on Blackboard] |
|
DATE |
TOPICS |
ASSIGNED |
ASSIGNMENT |
|
Feb. 02 |
Discussion of MARC21 Bibliographic
Format |
Understanding MARC Bibliographic see URL: www.loc.gov/marc/umb/ [Also listed in reading list above] |
>Cataloging/Classification evaluation
[initial discussion] (This assignment is due on APR. 05) |
|
Feb. 09 |
Discussion of MARC Bibliographic
Format, cont. Other Metadata schemas Introduction to Cataloging Codes |
Taylor/Cat: Chapters 1-2, 4 |