INFO 210-12
Reference and Information Services
Fall 2016 Syllabus

Maria Otero-Boisvert, MLS, PhD
E-mail
BbIM: Maria.Otero-Boisvert
Cell: (630) 865-5195
Office Hours: By request via email and BbIM.

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning August 24th, 6 am PDT unless you are taking an intensive or a one unit or two unit class that starts on a different day. In that case the class will open on the first day that the class meets.

You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

A process-oriented examination of how information professionals answer reference questions. The interpersonal skills required for effective question negotiation and the sources with which questions are answered are stressed.

Detailed Description

This course is designed to introduce you to the world of reference and information services. We will explore the history and core values of reference; identify the various methods and models of information service delivery; examine and evaluate key information sources of various types and formats; and discuss current issues and emerging trends in reference and information delivery. Topics will include:

• The history of reference service
• Information seeking behavior
• The reference interview
• Evaluation of reference interactions
• Information sources and their use
• Collection and evaluation of reference sources
• The role of instruction in reference service
• Reference ethics and reference policies
• Trends in reference and information services

Course Requirements

Mode of Instruction

This course will be entirely asynchronous. We will use Canvas for online discussions, for the submission of assignments, and for accessing lectures, readings and course materials. In lieu of office hours, instructor will be available daily by email or BBIm to answer questions from the students. Questions which may be of general interest to the class will be posted to our Canvas site.

Assignments

• Online Discussions (weekly)
  • 15% of total grade
  • Since this class is entirely asynchronous, the online discussions are an integral part of the learning experience. It is the primary way in which we will interact as a class and learn from each other. These discussions will be structured with prompts from the instructor, and participation is mandatory. For each week's class material, one substantive and thoughtful, initial post and one response to another person's posts are required. Students are encouraged to volunteer to lead the discussion during one week and receive a "pass" on a week of their choice. Please see the online discussion expectations sheet in Canvas for detailed information.
    
    Supports CLO 5 and CLO 8
• Description and Evaluation of Reference Resources (Individual)
  • 15% of total grade
  • Reference librarians' duties extend beyond answering questions. They are also responsible for building and maintaining excellent, current collections of resources in many formats to serve their particular community of users. This assignment will introduce you to the practice of evaluating information sources.
    
    Identify two recently published reference resources (1 print and 1 digital).
    • A. Find published reviews for those resources. Evaluate the reviews, were they helpful? Did they contain sufficient information with which to make a purchasing decision? What was the target audience of the review?
    • B. Write your own review of those sources using the Ohio Reference Excellence Web-based Training, Book Examination Checklist (will be available on Canvas). Make a purchasing recommendation.
    Supports CLO 1 and CLO 2
• Reference Interview exercise and reflection (Individual).
  • 20% of total grade
  • Experience reference interaction in a real world setting. Employing ethnographic techniques of participant observation, shadow a reference librarian for one "shift" and observe their interactions with customers. Keep a field journal of the observations and then write an analysis of what you observed. Describe how the service is structured. Is it a physical service point (i.e., a reference desk) or is it a series of individual consultations in the librarian's office? In what format did the interactions take place? What was the customer's experience from the beginning of the process to the end result?
    • A. Identify a library to which you can gain access for the exercise. It can be any type of library. Request permission to shadow a reference or public service librarian for a "shift" at the reference desk. After the observation period, interview the librarian about that day's interactions. If possible, interview a customer about their level of satisfaction about the interview.
    • B. Submit the field notes for the observation period along with your analysis and reflections on the experience.
    Supports CLO 2, CLO 3, and CLO 6
• Reference Exercises and Annotations (Individual and Group).
  • 25% of total grade.
  • The universe of available information is massive and constantly shifting. It is unrealistic to expect to know every resource available. The important thing is to know and understand the different types of resources and how to use them. You will complete exercises designed to give you practical experience examining, evaluating, and using some of the reference sources and search techniques we are studying. This assignment has been designed as a self-paced learning packet which will be completed by students over eight weeks. Students may choose to work in groups or individually. Grading will be individual only.
    • A.  A learning packet will be posted on Canvas. It will include an introduction to the assignment, a list of reference questions, a worksheet template, and a grading rubric. Individual students will choose sixteen questions to which they will locate answers in three different types of sources. Those sources will then be evaluated and compared.
    • B.  The students will also submit an accompanying analysis and reflection of the exercise based on the professional literature and any relevant standards.
    Further details for the assignment will be posted to Canvas.  N.B. You will need to have access to a print reference collection (a large public or an academic library) in order to complete these exercises, Students may also use the online resources offered by the Martin Luther King Library at SJSU.
    
    Supports CLO 1 and CLO 2
• Research Guide (Individual).
  • 25% of total grade.
  • Being an excellent reference librarian requires one to understand (and sometimes anticipate) your customers' needs and help them locate appropriate resources. You also have to know the best way in which to present the information to meet their needs. In order to hone these skills, you will create a research guide designed to assist a user (or community of users) with a particular information need.
    • A. Identify a topic of interest on which you would like to build a research or library guide. Carry out the process of identifying appropriate resources, analyzing them and describing them for the user/s in a cohesive manner. Create a guide in whichever format you feel would be most appropriate for your specific setting (i.e., print, web page, podcast, blog post, video, etc.).
    • B. Submit an accompanying document in which you will discuss the research challenges with this particular topic, explain your selection criteria, and annotate the sources. Include, as well, a discussion of those resources you chose not to include and why they didn't make the cut. Describe the process of creating the guide and your reasons for choosing one format over another.
    Further details will be posted to Canvas along with a grading rubric.
    
    Supports CLO 4 and CLO 7

Course Calendar

Student Responsibilities

• As a student, you are expected to read and carefully consider all readings, particpate fully in all activities and discussions during the class duration, as well as turning in assignments by the designated time.
• Due dates are not negotiable. If the instructor needs to change a due date, you will be notified as soon as possible. Because the due dates are not negotiable, procrastination should be avoided. Plan ahead.
• If you do not understand assignments, readings, etc., it is your responsibility to inform the instructor. If you are having difficulty, please contact me early so that we can resolve problems before your final grade is unchangeable. You must complete all assignments to pass the course.

Late Assignments

The instructor has the right to not accept late assignments or to add significant grade penalties. If you foresee any difficulty in completing your assignment on time, you need to contact the instructor at least 36 hours before the due date to request an extension. Only one exension per student per semester will be considered. If granted an extension, your assignment grade will be reduced by 10%.

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Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

INFO 210 has no prequisite requirements.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Investigate the current issues in managing reference departments and evaluating reference staff and various types of reference services.
2. Identify and assess the characteristics and functions of various types of reference sources.
3. Explore outreach and marketing roles of reference librarians.
4. Describe current issues and trends on reference departments, including the impact of technology on marketing, outreach, management, and evaluation.
5. Evaluate reference outreach, marketing, and advocacy services that address the needs of a diverse and changing society.
6. Use appropriate collection development tools for selecting and evaluating reference sources.
7. Describe the relationship between information needs, collection development policies, and the evaluation of reference collections.
8. Describe current issues and trends in selecting appropriate reference sources.
9. Evaluate reference sources that address the needs of a diverse and changing society.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 210 supports the following core competencies:

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Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

• Cassell, K. A., & Hiremath, U. (2013). Reference and information services: An introduction (3rd ed.). Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555708595

Recommended Textbooks:

• Bopp, R. E., & Smith, L. C. (Eds.). (2011). Reference and Information Services: An Introduction (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited. Available as free eBook through King Library.

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Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

• C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
• B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
  For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  
• A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

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