Graduate
LIS 744-01
Government Information Resources
Spring 2008
January 14 through April 28, 2008
Diane L. Velasquez
Assistant Professor
Office: Crown 332
Email: dvelasquez@dom.edu
Office Hours: Mondays, 2-4 PM and by appointment; Greyslake – Tuesdays, 4:30 – 5:15 PM
*I will not be in the office on Tuesdays all semester.
Office Phone: 1-708-524-6594
Course Description (from Bulletin): Selection and acquisition of government publications;
their organization and use for reference purposes.
(GSLIS Bulletin, 2006-2008, p 30)
Prerequisite or co-requisite: 701 and 704
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
To explore the vast, rich, and free information available using government
resources and to discuss the policy implications that can occur on laws that
are passed. To consider information policies and resources of the government of
the
Textbooks and
Required
Required Texts:
Used copies of the book of Tapping the Government Grapevine are available from Amazon and http://www.abebooks.com/ for a reasonable cost.
Hernon, P., Dugan, R. E., & Shuler, J. A. (2003).
Kerwin, C. M.
(2003). Rulemaking: How government agencies write law and make policy (3rd
ed.).
Robinson, J.
(1998). Tapping the government grapevine:
The user-friendly guide to
Recommended:
Reitz, J. M.
(2006). ODLIS – Online dictionary for library and information science.
Additional readings will be assigned as appropriate in the course schedule and will be available on Blackboard or through the library.
Computer Accounts
If you do not have a
|
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Points |
|
|
|
|
|
Kerwin Essays |
5% |
5 |
|
Government Reference Worksheets (5@10 points each) |
50% |
50 |
|
Legislative History
Paper on a Public Law |
10% |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pathfinder Project – Total |
25% |
25 |
|
Pathfinder on a Government Policy |
|
10 |
|
Pathfinder Presentation |
|
10 |
|
Group Evaluation |
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Class Participation |
10% |
10 |
|
Total Points |
100% |
100 |
Description of
Assignments
Written assignments are due by 11:59 PM on the date assigned. Assignments may be turned in via Blackboard digital drop box unless previous arrangements have been made with the instructor. Late assignments will be marked down one point per day late.
Method: The class will be taught in a hybrid style. There will be face-to-face sections as well as Blackboard discussion board postings required of each student on a weekly basis. Blackboard will be used as a method to deal with many of the varied administrative details that go along in running a class. All grades, assignments, syllabus, course schedule, discussion boards, etc. will be put up on Blackboard for the student’s convenience. Lecture notes, while they will not be word for word, will also be put up on Blackboard. This does not mean that students can miss class. It is basically for the convenience of the student to check what was covered and/or said. The groups for the group projects will have space on Blackboard if they choose to use it. It is optional. All written assignments will be submitted through Blackboard and I will return them through email using the student’s official Dominican email account..
Class Participation – 10 points:
In class Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes and their grade may be affected if the student misses more than two sessions. However additional illness due to “acts of God” – e.g., prolonged illness, similar illness of spouse or spousal-equivalent, child, etc. – can be addressed through an incomplete grade and make up work.
Lateness: All members of the class are expected to arrive to class on time and stay for the entire session. As graduate students and adults each of us are responsible for our actions. Chronic lateness negatively affects grades. Note: It is important to stress that students’ whose job responsibilities will result in chronic lateness or absence (2 or more times) might find it works better to enroll in a more convenient section or take the class at another time.
All members of the class (including the instructor) are expected to turn off all cell phones, pagers, and any other electronic equipment (e.g., IPODs, MP3s, etc.) during class so that full attention can be given to the work at hand. Anyone (this includes the instructor) whose cell phone or pager goes off during class (does not include breaks) will bring treats in for the class the next week.
Online: Each student will be required to post substantively once a week to both of the two discussion board questions for the class. The postings should not repeat information that has already been posted but should be a different aspect of the topic. There will be two discussion threads posted each week. Discussion board questions will be posted on Tuesday and each student has until the following Monday at 11:59 PM to post a response. Each post is worth half a point for a total of 1 point per week. The rest of the class participation grade is made up of in-class participation. The 10 points that class participation is worth can make a significant difference on your total grade.
Participation in class discussion 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. Please be aware that class participation is one method that can make a difference between an A or a B or a B and a C.
No Disparate Treatment: Everyone in the class plays by the same “rules.” There are no “side deals.”
Kerwin Essays
5 Points
Due: February 4, 2008
Paper: There will be three short essay questions on the Kerwin book that will be worth 10 points. There will be five essay questions and each student will choose three to write from. The essays will be due by February 4, 2008 at 11:59 PM.
Reference
Worksheets
5 @ 10 points
each for a total of 50 points
Due: February 18, 25, March 17, 24, and April 7,
2008
Reference Worksheets: For each worksheet, make sure your name is on the page along with the date. Please save the files using your last name and first initial and what assignment it is (for example: VelasquezDWksht1) and if this naming convention is not followed there will be a deduction on the assignment. The worksheet assignments are to give the student practical experience in finding information on the Internet for government documents. Although there are print and microfiche still available in the libraries, the main focus will be the government on the Internet. The worksheet assignments will take a couple of hours to complete. The first worksheet will take more time than the others because it will be (in most cases) the first foray into government documents and government web sites. It is not unusual for the first worksheet to take a minimum of four to five hours. These assignments should be done individually for the student to get the full exposure for this course. All assignments will be deposited to the digital drop box on Blackboard by 11:59 PM ion the dates noted below.
Legislative Worksheet – due February 18, 2008: The
assignment will entail searching the Internet for basic information to acquaint
the student with how government information is structured on the web for the
Legislative branch of the government. For example, Library of Congress’s
American Memory, Government Printing Office, Congressional information on bills
or laws, and other sites. The outcome for the assignment is to
effectively search for information in the legislative branch of
government. The students will need to provide the search strategy, web
site URL, and provide the answer to the questions. Please be aware
that this can be an extremely time consuming assignment (think four to five hours
or more for the first time at least). After the first assignment, it
does become easier to find government information on the web.
Executive Branch, Part 1 Worksheet – due February 25, 2008: The assignment will entail searching the Internet for government resources to find specific items in the executive branch as it relates to history and social science. For example, White House, National Archives & Records Administration – Presidential Libraries and other sites. The outcome for the assignment is to effectively search for information in the executive branch of government. The students will need to provide the search strategy, web site URL, and provide the answer to the questions.
Statistical Agencies Worksheet – due March 17, 2008: The assignment will entail searching the Internet for government resources to find statistical information. The outcome for the assignment is to effectively search for information on the major statistical web sites (Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc.) for specific questions. The student should provide the search strategy, web site URL, and provide the answer to the question. In order to receive full points for each answer, those three requirements listed above must be there. Just providing an answer and the URL will only gain half credit. The search strategy is just as important as the answer and URL.
Executive Branch Part 2 Worksheet – due March 24, 2008: The assignment will entail searching the Internet for government resources to find specific items from the executive branch relating to the sciences and health. For example, weather information from NOAA primarily hurricanes and tornados, science information on earthquakes, volcanoes, maps, Department of Interior information through United State Geological Survey (USGS), Fish and Wildlife (FWS), National Park System, and other sites. The outcome for the assignment is to effectively search for information that relates to math, science, nature, and other sites of interest. The students will need to provide the search strategy, web site URL, and provide the answer to the questions.
Judicial Worksheet – due April 7, 2008: The assignment will entail searching the Internet for government resources to find specific items for the judicial branch of the government. For example, US Supreme Court cases, Bankruptcy and Circuit Court locations, information on decisions that impact the interpretation of the law, and other sites. The outcome for the assignment is to effectively search for information in the judiciary branch of government. The students will need to provide the search strategy, web site URL, and provide the answer to the questions.
The worksheets will be worth 10 points each and each answer must have the following to receive full credit:
1. Search strategy for each answer
2. The web site URL
3. The answer to the question
Legislative
History Paper
Public Law
Selections due: February 25, 2008
Paper due: April 14, 2008
10 Points
Legislative History Paper: With the advent of the Internet and the numerous resources available through THOMAS and commercially on Lexis/Nexis or Westlaw, this research paper is not that difficult. Therefore, students will explore legislative histories of laws passed in the 1990s or earlier. This way you will be challenged to use resources that are less familiar and less friendly. While you may choose your own law by submitting a public number, the instructor cautions you to avoid popular ones which seem to require a law degree to figure out why Congress did what it did. There should be no duplications among students regarding the public laws that are selected. All public law selections are due by February 25, 2008 via email to the instructor. In the event of a tie on public laws selected, the time and date stamp of the earliest submission will be used to break the tie. The purpose of this paper is to force everyone to look at the variety of legislative/executive materials available, comparing commercial and public domain resources, and understanding documentation of the legal process. There is a page limit of 10 pages, double spaced, not including the bibliography. The assignment will be due April 14, 2008 at 11:59 PM to the digital drop box. The paper should be saved as a MS Word document (.doc) or a rich text format (.rtf) if you have word processing software like Word Perfect or MS Works. I have personally done a number of legislative histories for papers and such and would be happy to answer any questions that come up through the "Faculty Office" discussion board.
Think of yourself as someone investigating the law that you
have been assigned and need to find out the salient points that would interest
the public. You are building a paper trail of anything and everything you can
find on the law – not analyzing the law at this point. Can you find the following?
1. A copy of the bill(s) including who sponsored it, when it was introduced, what Congress and session it was introduced, etc. Including
a. Committee activities (hearings, reports, prints, documents)
b. Records of the full House/Senate debate if any and votes
c. Presidential interest or lack thereof in the legislation
d. How the law is reflected in the code, regulations, courts, news
2. What reference tools were the most useful (Thomas, etc.)? What was the most frustrating? What is the most challenging about documenting this information (bibliographically)? Were the commercial tools (Lexis-Nexis Congressional, for instance) easier to use than the government produced through GPO Access or LC Thomas tools?
3. Could you follow this exercise to assist users in working their way through the documentation?
4. What could you study more if you found yourself working with legislative histories a lot?
The above is not an all inclusive list of things that can be discussed. There are many times hearings, testimony, or discussions on the House or Senate floor that can have large implications for how the law is eventually passed.
Government
Information Pathfinder Project
Topic due: March
10, 2008 at 11:59 PM via email
Due: April 28,
2008 at 11:59 PM
Presentation: April 28, 2008
25 Points: Pathfinder: 10 Points
Presentation: 10 Points
Group Evaluations: 5 Points
This is to be a group project of two to three students depending on the class size. The intent is to have the group use a number of resources/databases and what has been learned throughout the semester to prepare a bibliographic guide about a policy topic. The policy can be from any agency, however, it needs to be focused in a way that a normal citizen who does not have the expertise can find the information and understand it. Check the Catalog of Government Publications. This is not to be webliography. Time may be an issue but let me reassure you that it always so in research librarianship. If you can do this in a timely and efficient manner, you will have the confidence to instruct/work with users so they can do so. The majority (90%) of the materials included on the bibliography must be government publications. The preferred format for this assignment is by creating web page using web page development software like Macromedia Dreamweaver or MS Front Page. If you choose to hand code using HTML or XML, please remember to allow enough time to get the project completed. All groups must have unique topics. Please turn in topic requests no later than March 10, 2008 at 11:59 PM via email to the instructor. Topic requests can be turned in prior to March 10, 2008. Remember first come, first serve on topics. In the event of a tie, the time stamp when it was received will be the determining factor. There should be no more than 50 resources in each pathfinder.
Background: In preparing a pathfinder on Database
Legislation, what are the necessary documents and policy statements that would
need to be included? For example, knowledge of the European Union (EU) policy
would be necessary along with the current
The dates of the assignments will be noted in the Course Calendar. These dates will be strictly adhered to. Late work will be accepted but will lose 5% of the grade for each day it is late.
Group Presentation:
The group will make a presentation to the class on their policy pathfinder. It should entail what policy is being covered, why it was chosen, what the main sources (not all) are for the pathfinder, what were the criteria for something being in the pathfinder, and any other information they feel is important for the class to know. Each group will have 15 minutes (timed) with no more than 5 minutes for questions and answers for a total of 20 minutes. If the group goes over their 20 minutes there will be a deduction.
Group Evaluation:
Grades and Grade
Point Equivalents:
The following grades and their grade point equivalents for the Dominican University Graduate Schools are:
|
Alpha Grade |
Numerical Equivalent |
|
A |
4.0 |
|
A- |
3.67 |
|
B+ |
3.33 |
|
B |
3.0 |
|
B- |
2.67 |
|
C+ |
2.33 |
|
C |
2.0 |
|
C- |
1.67 |
Academic Honesty and Integrity:
Student plagiarism is the
deliberate presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s
own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas,
images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate
credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners or creators of that work. This
includes material found on the Internet and in electronic databases.
Cheating entails the use of
unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks.
Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note
examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation
of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.
Academic dishonesty may also
include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or
to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic
work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the
smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic
dishonesty.
Learning in the Web-based course environment
How to get most from your e-learning experience in this course?
1. Read the objectives for each
learning unit.
2. Read (and/or print out) the descriptive
content of each unit provided in Course Material section of the course Web
site.
3. Participate weekly in the class discussions as
described in the "Discussion Board" section below.
4. Complete the assignments and group projects
within in the time provided.
Organization of the course Web site on Blackboard:
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Information of general importance to the students (news, reminders, changes, etc.). All announcements will be also sent to students e-mail addresses as listed in Blackboard. Posted: Regularly each Tuesday and as needed.
SYLLABUS: "One in all" document with instructor's contact information, course description and objectives, required readings, assignment descriptions, grading procedures, course schedule, course logistics for e-learning and other course policies. Posted: Once at the beginning of the semester.
FACULTY INFORMATION: Contact information, photo and short biographical profile of your instructor. Posted: Once at the beginning of the semester.
COURSE MATERIAL: Descriptions of individual instructional units with instructional goals, required readings, description of unit content, study questions and other materials relevant to successful mastering of the course. Posted: See the schedule.
ASSIGNMENTS: Links to worksheet assignments, Kerwin essay, legislative history paper, and the final pathfinder group project that count toward the final course grade. Posted: See the schedule.
COMMUNICATION: Area where students can
communicate with other students in the course and the instructors. Features
include: Send E-mail: For sending email to all fellow students, individual
students, groups, and instructor. Important note: all course related e-mails
that are not private in nature should be posted to the appropriate discussion
list and NOT sent to the instructor personally.
Roster: List of students enrolled in the course and their e-mails.
DISCUSSION BOARD: Place to participate in electronic discussions by posting questions and comments.
Faculty Office: This discussion board is reserved for general discussion about course logistics (e.g., deadlines, technical problems).
Share
Resources: This
is one board that we will use all semester. As you find interesting
books, articles, web sites, conferences, or any other bits of information
relevant to government documents please post them here so that we can all
benefit.
Community Café: Any discussion that
doesn't belong on any of the other boards goes here. I don't plan on
keeping up with this board. It is for you.
Weekly Discussions This discussion board is reserved for substantive discussion of the content covered in individual instructional units of the course. The discussion lists will be moderated and regularly monitored by the instructor. The instructor reserves a right to remove any postings that contain content deemed to be unsuitable for academic communication in a course setting.
STUDENT TOOLS: Various electronic tools that help students make the best use of the Blackboard course Website.
Digital Drop Box:
A place to electronically submit assignments.
Check Grade: A place where students' grades will be posted.
Manual: Online manual about using Blackboard courseware.
To submit documents in the digital drop box, below are some instructions to guide the student through them. For word processed documents, you need to save the file as a Word document or Rich Text File only so that it can be viewed by your instructor.
1. Save your document in a location on your computer that you can easily find.
2. Login to BLACKBOARD as usual and access the course.
3. Inside the course, select STUDENT TOOLS on the left hand menu.
4. Inside the STUDENT TOOLS area, select the DIGITAL DROPBOX button.
5. You will see the DIGITAL DROPBOX with two buttons.
6. ALWAYS CLICK the SEND FILE button.
7. Click BROWSE to attach the file you want to submit.
8. Use COMMENTS to send a message (optional).
9.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click SUBMIT on the right side of the
screen.
Course Schedule & Readings
Week 1 – 1/14/08
|
Lecture |
Introduction to LIS 774; Review Syllabus |
|
In-class work |
Introductions |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
|
Week 2 – 1/21/08
|
Lecture |
Policymaking |
|
Assignment |
Seating chart |
|
|
Kerwin, Preface, Ch. 1-3 |
Week 3 – 1/28/08
|
Lecture |
Policymaking; General Government Information |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
Hernon, et al., Ch. 1-3 Robinson, Ch. 1-4 |
Week 4 – 2/4/08
|
Lecture |
Congress & Legislative Agencies |
|
Assignment |
Kerwin essay due by 11:59 PM |
|
|
Hernon, et
al., |
Week 5 – 2/11/08
|
Lecture |
Executive Branch, Part 1 |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
Hernon, et al., |
Week 6 – 2/18/08
|
Lecture |
Census Bureau |
|
Assignment |
Legislative Worksheet due by 11:59 PM |
|
|
Hernon, et al., |
Week 7 – 2/25/08
|
Lecture |
Other Statistical Agencies; How to do an Effective Presentation |
|
Assignment |
Executive Branch Pt. 1 Worksheet due by 2/26/08 at 11:59 PM; Public Law Choice for Legislative History due by 2/26/08 at 11:59 PM via email to dvelasquez@dom.edu |
|
|
|
March 3-7, 2008 Mid-Semester Break
Week 8 – 3/10/08
|
Lecture |
Executive Branch, Part 2: Science, Health & Technology |
|
Assignment |
Statistical Agency Worksheet due by 11:59 PM; Pathfinder Topic due via email to dvelasquez@dom.edu by 11:59 PM |
|
|
Hernon, et al., |
Week 9 – 03/17/08
|
Lecture |
Quasi-Government Agencies |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
|
Week 10 – 03/24/08
|
Lecture |
Judiciary Branch |
|
Assignment |
Executive Branch, Part 2 Worksheet due by 11:59 PM |
|
|
Hernon, et
al., |
Week 11 – 3/31/08
|
Lecture |
CIPA, Patriot Act, FOIA |
|
Assignment |
Judiciary Worksheet due by 11:59 PM |
|
|
Ashcroft Memorandum [FOIA] Essex, D. (2004,
November/December). Opposing the USA Patriot Act: The best
alternative for American librarians. Public Libraries, 43(6), 331-340. Executive Order 13233 regarding restricting Presidential
and Vice-Presidential materials and when they would be released to the
public. This particular EO caused litigation to be filed to overturn
it. Public Law
109-177 Section 106 |
Week 12 – 04/07/08
|
Lecture |
E-Government |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
E-Government Act of 2002. |
Week 13 – 04/14/08
|
Lecture |
Wrap Up; Effective Presentations; Government Docs Jeopardy |
|
Assignment |
Legislative History Paper due by 11:59 PM |
|
|
|
Week 14 – 04/21/08
|
Lecture |
No class – work on pathfinders and presentations |
|
Assignment |
|
|
|
|
Week 15 – 04/28/08
|
Lecture |
Evaluations; Group Presentations |
|
Assignment |