Library and Information Studies @ FIX University "a place for independent study"

LIS 503 - Information Services

Course Outline  --   Assignments & Evaluation   --   Tentative Timetable   --   Readings & Resources

Course Outline

Fall 

Calendar Description:

An introduction to reference and information services and resources.  Includes history and varieties of reference services, user populations, instruction, ethics, access issues, the reference interview, search strategies, evaluation of services, and the organization, selection, evaluation, and use of major information resources.   

Objectives:

To develop a basic understanding of the rationale for various types of reference/information services and resources in libraries.

1. To introduce students to the basic theories of information behaviour.
2. To help students develop the ability to interview clients in order to analyze the clients' information needs.
3. To introduce students to the variety of information sources available that can be used to meet clients' information needs.
4. To introduce students to the basic techniques of online searching.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyze and identify the information needs of clients.
2. Identify appropriate sources of information to meet their clients' needs.
3. Make effective use of a variety of information sources.

Methods:

This course will be delivered via assigned readings, instructor-led discussions, in-class exercises, and students’ preparation for the seminars and assignments.

Course Relationships:

Pre- or co-requisite: LIS 501.

Course Requirements:

• Your name should not appear on the assignment.  Please identify your work with your student ID number only. This will help me to mark objectively.
• All pages must be numbered.
• All material taken from published work must be attributed.  You should acknowledge the use of another writer’s ideas or arguments, even if you have not used the same words in expressing them.  All direct quotations must be attributed to the source with author’s surname and page numbers incorporated into the text.  Quotations taken from electronic articles should be identified by page number (if available), section title (if available), or paragraph number (if available).
• Items in a bibliography or reference list may be cited according to any standard format.
• Spelling, grammar, facility of expression, and proper citing of references are incorporated into the evaluation of every written assignment.
• If you have a cell phone, please turn it off in class. You may use the main SLIS office number for emergency purposes during in-class time.