Dominican University

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

LIS 704.04: Reference and Online Services

Fall Semester 2009

September 4-December 18, 2009

Fridays, 6-9pm

Lenora Berendt

Adjunct Professor

Office: Crown 300

Email: lberendt@dom.edu

Office hours: by appointment

Office phone: 708-524-6844

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An introduction to effective reference service in an electronic age. The course deals with the selection, evaluation, and use of general reference sources in both hard-copy and digital formats; nature, development, functions, and management of reference and online services; reference interview; concepts, principles and problems of online bibliographic organization and control. (GSLIS Bulletin, 2006-2008, p 27). Prerequisite or co-requisite: LIS 701.

REQUIRED TEXTS*

1. Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. Reference and information services in the 21^st century: An introduction. Facet Publishing, 2^nd edition, 2009.

2. Ross, Catherine Sheldick. Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2^nd edition, 2009.

RECOMMENDED TEXT

Reitz, J. M. (2006). ODLIS – Online dictionary for library and information science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved August 17, 2009, from http://lu.com/odlis/

ADDITIONAL COURSE MATERIALS

Readings from the following texts are on Reserve in the Rebecca Crown Library (library use only). They can be located by request at the Circulation Desk on the first floor.

1. LaRue, James. The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges.

2. Weingand, Darlene. Customer Service Excellence: A Concise Guide for Librarians.

3. Willis, Mark R. Dealing with Difficult People in the Library.

*Additional readings will be assigned as appropriate and will be available on Blackboard or through the Rebecca Crown Library.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD

This course will be taught is taught using the Socratic Method in an active learning environment, and with the understanding that the instructor and students will behave kindly and respectfully toward one another. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

BLACKBOARD ACCOUNTS

A Blackboard instance (http://blackboard9.dom.edu) has been set up for our class to facilitate the sharing of information and for questions about the course content. This is a private Blackboard site accessible only to students currently enrolled in this section of the course. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or comments. You are responsible for checking Blackboard routinely for announcements or clarification of assignments.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To develop an understanding of the philosophy and dynamics of reference services;
To learn about the reference process in various environments;
To develop the expertise and judgment necessary to select materials to meet the diverse information needs of users;
To know the function and arrangement of several types of reference works regardless of format, through physical inspection, reading and use;
To achieve the ability to analyze information queries and to establish logical manual and computerized search strategies for the successful fulfillment of users’ needs;
To achieve the basic skills required for online searching and online databases and the Internet;
To develop basic library instruction skills;
To become aware of and develop informed opinions on issues and trends which have an impact on libraries and information provision.

ASSESSMENT

Grading Criteria	%	Points
Class Participation	15%	15
Reference Observation	15%	15
Collection Development Assignment	15%	15
Search Assignments (5 @ 7 points each)	35%	35

Final Project	20%	20
Total Points	100%	100

ASSIGNMENTS

Blackboard will be used as a communication tool to share information regarding announcements, assignments, grades, etc. All assignments must be submitted electronically via Dominican University email.

Information regarding assignments will be accessible via the course Blackboard site. All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period and a digital copy of each must be submitted as an e-mail attachment. All work must be clearly and carefully written in accordance with the guidelines set for each assignment, and must be typed and error free.
All assignments are expected to be written at the graduate level.
Points will be deducted for grammatical errors and typos. Please proofread all written work prior to submission. Spell and grammar check should not be used as a substitution for proofreading.

All assignments are due by 6:00pm via email on the date assigned. Late assignments will not be accepted. Emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

GRADING SCALE

100-95	A
94-90	A-
89-87	B+
86-83	B
82-80	B-
79-77	C+
76-73	C
72-70	C-
69 and below	F

EXPECTATIONS

All students will treat the instructor and fellow classmates with kindness and respect at all times. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
Enrollment in Blackboard is required for this course. All course information and other materials will be posted to the LIS 704 course site. Please check Blackboard daily.
E-mail communication is a requirement for this course. Please use your Dominican e-mail account for all class communication and assignment submission and check your account daily.
Prompt attendance and class participation are required. As a professional courtesy, you must notify the instructor prior to class via e-mail or by phone in the event of illness or emergency. Students are expected to arrive to class on time and remain for the entire session. The final grade will be affected if the student misses more than one session and/or is chronically late to class.

5. Students are expected to turn off all cell phones, pagers, and any other electronic equipment during class, so that full attention can be given to the work at hand. If special circumstances exist, notify the instructor before class and set the phone to vibrate.

During formal class sessions, there will be ample opportunity for students to ask and answer questions and to participate in discussions. All members of the class are strongly encouraged to participate.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Regular participation in class discussion is critical and will be one of the factors in determining the final grade for this course. Students are expected to have read and prepared for weekly class discussions. Questions will be posed during class that will provoke thought, analysis, and evaluation. Class participation and attendance represents 15% of the final grade for this course.

ATTENDANCE & TARDINESS

Students are expected to attend all classes. The final grade will be affected if the student misses more than one session. Students are expected to arrive to class on time and remain for the entire session. Chronic lateness will have a negative impact on the final grade for the course.

GRADES & 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 & 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.

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.

COURSE TIMELINE*

Week 1, Sept. 4, 2009

Welcome and Introductions; Course Overview;

Information Services; User Communities

Week 2, Sept. 11, 2009

Information Formats; Locating and Evaluating Information;

Basic Search Techniques; Encyclopedic Resources

Week 3, Sept. 18, 2009

Word Resources: Dictionaries; Thesauri; Concordances;

Quotation Books; Writing, Style, and Citation Manuals

Week 4, Sept. 25, 2009

Ready Reference Resources; Reference Interview

Week 5, Oct. 2, 2009

People and Places: Biographical and Geographical Resources

Week 6, Oct. 9, 2009

Reference Observation Assignment

Week 7, Oct. 16, 2009

Current Events and Issues: Indexes and Full-Text Databases

Week 8, Oct. 23, 20009

Government Information; Demographics and Statistics

Week 9, Oct. 30, 2009

Business, Health and Law Resources

Week 10, Nov. 6, 2009

Reference Collection Development and Maintenance

Week 11, Nov. 13, 2009

Readers’ Advisory Services

Week 12, Nov. 20, 2009

User Education in Libraries/Information Centers

Week 13, Nov. 27, 2009

NO CLASS -- Thanksgiving holiday

Week 14, Dec. 4, 2009

Working with Diverse User Populations

Week 15, Dec. 11, 2009

Course evaluations; Children and Youth Services

Week 16, Dec. 18, 2009

Final Project due

*Syllabus is subject to modification as necessary.