UCLA DIS 245: INFORMATION ACCESS

S.S. Green, pioneer of "personal relations between librarians and readers" (1876)

Photo courtesy WFPL

Official Catalog Course Description | Course Vision | Course Objectives | Course Grading and Criteria| Required Course Textbooks |1000 Useful Citations | WWW Resources | Course Schedule| Course's Ten Reference Titles| Evaluative Criteria for Standard Reference Formats | Set of Reference Questions | Additional Evaluative Criteria (for Directories, Handbooks, and Yearbooks)

Official Catalog Course Description:

Requisites: courses 200, 201. Provides fundamental knowledge and skills enabling information professionals to link users with information. Overview of structure of literature in different fields; information-seeking behavior of user groups; communication with users; development of search strategies using print and electronic sources.

Course Vision:

My aspiration is that this course be in line with our DIS programmatic goal, to be "current, innovative, intellectually challenging, and future-oriented."

Course Objectives:

The overarching goal of this course is to enable graduate students: A) to make the connection between user needs, information resources, and the relevant information technology and B) to think critically and thoughtfully about this field.

The course's three-fold objectives are:

1) to familiarize students with the requisite knowledge base involved in determining the user's real question, the information problem (i.e., reference encounter/interview a.k.a. question negotiation);

2) to introduce students to the fundamental resources (i.e., print, online, CD-ROM or WWW pages) involved in answering users' questions; (note that students interested in Dialog searching should take DIS 425 "Computer-based Information Resources")

3) to enable students to understand the underlying information technology which makes much of our work possible.

Perforce, this course will discuss the intersection of information resources, user needs, and those processes supported by information technology (see course outline below).

Relationship to Other Courses:

Online searching of proprietary databases, such as Thomson's Dialog, is an important component of successful searching. I strongly recommend that you consider taking IS 425 "Computer-based Information Resources" before you graduate.

Course Grading and Criteria:

In addition to class attendance for lectures or team meetings, you must:

1. Write a research paper on some aspect of general reference work (topic subject to approval of the instructor) OR Construct a OCLC Connexion library pathfinder in a team of no more than three people or you may work by yourself.
2. Answer the practice reference questions based on the ten essential reference formats.
3. Critique of a virtual reference interview. Consider the use of open versus closed-ended questions.
4. Complete one general reference book review or write a critique of digital reference formats.

See class schedule below for due dates.

The following components will account for your final grade:

Practice Reference Questions from Seven Formats, 25%

Critique of virtual reference interview, 10%

Reference Book Review or Critique of Digital Formats, 15%

Research Paper (or OCLC Connexion Library Pathfinder option--see below), 50%

Research Paper Assignment--This assignment will allow the student to select a significant problem, define it, and justify spending the time solving it. Please note that your topic must relate to some aspect of reference work; see due date for handing in the proposed topic for instructor's approval. Your write-up must address the significance of the topic.

Consider your audience to be the readers of either:

Reference Services Review (see notes for contributors)

Reference and User Services Quarterly (see guidelines for authors)

Potential topics might include: Role of Conglomerates in Reference Publishing; Characteristics of Successful Reference Librarians (MBTI); History of Indexing Systems (Poole, Wilson, and ISI); The Evaluation of Virtual Reference Services in Reference Work; Search Engines on the WWW: Comparison and Contrast; Web Resources Compared to Traditional Reference Resources; Why Reference Librarians are Better than Search Engines on a Free Web; Decline in ARL Questions; Measurement & Evaluation of Reference Service--evaluate ready-reference webpages or e-mail reference webpages; and Privacy and Confidentiality of the Reference Interview. Papers should be 35 pages or less.

In an effort to make my grading criteria as clear as possible, you should know:

OCLC Connexion Library Pathfinder Assignment (option)--Rather than a research paper, this assignment will allow the student or group of students to explore general information resources which are available on the Internet. The basic structure of the pathfinder is provided as "library pathfinder template, No. 623." Grading will be based on strong content as well as good form. Be sure to replace title with your own informative title, additional content, email address, etc. To logon, use the class authorization and password. Then, click "Pathfinders," then, "Search Pathfinders," and type "623" and press enter. When it appears, click on the title, "Library Pathfinder Template." For changing the template note, the drop box labeled"actions..." You should clone and then edit it (remember its new number for future work).

Research Paper, Critique of Virtual Reference Interview, Book Review, and Other Written Assignments

As for word-processing your research and other assigned papers: do NOT use right justified margins. If you refer to any articles or books, use Turabian's style manual which is based on The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993).

In any assignment, plagiarism (i.e., without regard to intent, taking someone else's written expression, even as few as three words, without proper credit such as quotation marks) is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Locate the source of your quotes in parentheses at the end of sentence (e.g., WWA, p. xxi). Plagiarism will be awarded a grade of "DR" on the assignment and reported to the Office of the Dean of Students for final disposition.

No "incompletes" will be given automatically; you must make your request two weeks before the end of class in order to be considered. I strongly discourage you from asking for one without an exceptionally good reason--personal illness, death in the immediate family, or end of the world.

Based on my previous experience grading papers, beginning graduate students have difficulty with some of the following:

1. Number every page; do not right justify paper; 2. Proofread for typographical errors; i.e., recieved; 3. Spell out contractions; a formal paper requirement; 4. Cite source of evidence; personal opinion is fine, but how do you know what you know or state; 5. Underline titles cited in body and notes, if any; 6. Use proper diction. For example, user or inquirer rather than patron; received rather than got; difficulty rather than problem.; 7. Observe the following:

• A. feel, think, or believe; distinctions are important
• B. it's, it is versus its, possessive
• C. "this" should be followed by a noun in most sentences

8. Avoid needless intensifiers such as the word very. For example, very important; either it is important or it is not.; 9. Avoid first person in most cases. Give appearance of objectivity; and 10. Watch for split infinitives. For example, "to merely serve," or "to automatically become...."

Grades will be reported to the UCLA Registrar using My UCLA.

Required Course Textbooks

James H. Sweetland, Fundamental Reference Sources, 3rd ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 2000.

Recommended Course Textbooks:

Catherine Ross, Kirsti Nilsen, and Patricia Dewdney. Conducting the Reference Interview: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2002.

Matthew Saxton and John Richardson, Understanding Reference Transactions: Transforming an Art into a Science. New York: Academic Press, 2002.

Marie Radford, The Reference Encounter : Interpersonal Communication in the Academic Library. ACRL Publications in Librarianship, No. 52. Chicago: American Library Association, 1999.

John Richardson, Knowledge-based Systems for General Reference Work: Applications, Problems, and Progress. San Diego: Academic Press, 1995.

WWW Resources

One of interesting technological developments in reference service is the role of the Internet. To keep current, you might want to follow one or more the following sites:

a. Dig_Ref, a digital reference discussion group

b. LIBREF-L, A Discussion of Library Reference Issues (searchable e-mail archives)

c. Livereference , a group dedicated to live reference discussion

d. PACS-L: The Public-Access Computer Systems Forum (PACS-L) is an Internet list that deals with end-user computer systems in libraries

e. Web4Lib Electronic Discussion: An electronic discussion for library-based World-Wide Web managers

To facilitate class communication, I have set up a course listserv: Here's what you do to get on it:

"requests@lists.gseis.ucla.edu". In the body of the message, type "subscribe is-245 your name" where your name is, literally, your name (NOT an email address). For example, "subscribe is-245 Lee Bruin"

In addition, this fall there are several conferences related to reference service which you might like to know more about:

LITA National Conference 2002, Houston ("Improving Accuracy" introduction ppt slide presentation)

Virtual Reference Desk 2002, Chicago ("Are They Willing to Wait..." and "Symphony of Synchronicity" ppt slide presentations)

ASIS&T 2002, Philadelphia ("Training and Coordination for Chat Reference" ppt slide presentation)

Course Schedule

Course's Ten Reference Titles:

You should acquaint yourself with the following common reference formats and their role in answering reference questions.

1. Almanac/Yearbook (World Almanac)

2. Atlas (Times Atlas of the World)

3. Bibliography/Catalog (NUC)

4. Biographical Source (Who's Who in America)

5. Dictionary (Webster's Third New International)

6. Encyclopedia (Encyclopedia Britannica)

7. Government Publications (U.S. Government Manual)

8. Handbook (Physician's Desk Reference)

9. Index (Readers' Guide or PAIS International)

10. Statistical Sources (Statistical Abstract)

NOTE: You might want to read about how inadequate the Guide to Reference Books entries are for these titles. For background, read John V. Richardson, Knowledge Based Systems for General Reference Work: Applications, Problems, and Progress, Chapter 5.

EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR STANDARD REFERENCE FORMATS

The following are professionally accepted criteria according to ALA's Reference Books Bulletin, Editorial Board Manual (1985). Numerous questions are listed under each of the following points, so you may want to consult the Manual itself.

1. Atlases

I. Atlas as a Whole

II. Range and Quality of Individual Maps

III. Index/Gazetteer

IV. Supplementary Material

V. Format

2. Bibliographic Reference Sources

I. Purpose

II. Scope

III. Methodology

IV. Organization

V. Annotations

VI. Bibliographic Format

VII. Timeliness

VIII. Accuracy

IX. Format

X. Cumulations

XI. Distribution

3. General English-language Dictionaries

I. Authority

II. Vocabulary

III. Scope, Purpose, and Objectives

IV. Word Treatment

V. Supplementary Material

VI. Format

4. General English-language Encyclopedias

0. Five-Year Reevaluations

I. History of Publication

II. Authority

III. Scope and Treatment

IV. Range and Quality of Contents

V. Physical Format

VI. Comparison with Previous Editions and Similar Works

5. Statistical Compendia

I. Structure

II. Authority

III. Time Period

IV. Coverage

V. Format

Additional Evaluative Criteria: which have not been accepted by ALA...

DIRECTORIES

According to the ALA Glossary of Library Terms a directory is "a list of persons or organizations, systematically arranged, usually in alphabetical or classed order, giving addresses, affiliations, etc., for individuals, and addresses, officers, functions, and similar data for organizations."

I. Scope

II. Methodology

III. Content

IV. Arrangement

V. Timeliness

VI. Format

HANDBOOKS

A handbook is a ready-reference source of established knowledge for a given subject.

I. Scope

II. Authority

III. Arrangement

IV. Timeliness

V. Format

YEARBOOKS

I. Scope

II. Authority

III. Arrangement

IV. Timeliness

V. Format

Last update: 10 November 2002; return to Dr. John V. Richardson's homepage