Course LIS 675, Professional Field Experience, enables a student to earn three hours of credit while gaining experience in a library or other information-related organization. The course description reads:

	Professional field experience in a library or other information-related organization. Student 
	assumes entry level professional duties and responsibilities in an operational setting under the 
	close supervision of an information professional [the placement supervisor]. Available only to 
	those students lacking similar experience. Requires 140 hours of experiential learning and the 
	completion of a term paper under the direction of the course coordinator. Prereq: Completion of 
	18 hours of graduate work in library and information science and consent of the course 
	coordinator. May not be repeated.

The packet of materials for LIS 675 contains the learning contract and the evaluation of intern. The student is not permitted to register for LIS 675 until I have approved the learning contract. The placement supervisor completes the evaluation at the end of the semester or term and submits it to me.

Here are common questions about the course and answers to them:

What is required of the student in LIS 675? 140 hours of work + a term paper.

Who completes the learning contract? The learning contract has four parts. Parts I - III should be completed jointly by the student and the placement supervisor, to describe the nature of the placement and the student's responsibilities and learning objectives in the placement, and the criteria for evaluating the student's performance in the placement. It is especially important that the student define carefully her/his learning objectives (part II). The student and I complete part IV, having to do with the term paper.

Is LIS 675 taken pass/fail? No, the student receives a letter grade.

How is the grade arrived at? I assign the grade, based on the placement supervisor's evaluation of the student's work in the placement and my evaluation of the term paper. The placement supervisor's evaluation counts for 70% of course grade; my evaluation of the term paper for the remaining 30%.

What kind of work is appropriate for the placement? In considering course LIS 675, bear in mind the objective of the course is educational, to enable the student to enhance her/his educational experience while enrolled in the School, by providing the student an opportunity to gain professional experience as part of the educational program. The work of the placement must represent work expected of an entry-level professional; it must be performed under the close supervision of a qualified information professional (the placement supervisor); and it must represent an area of work with which the student is unfamiliar. If the student is already working in a library or other information-related organization, the professional field experience may be done in that agency if the work for LIS 675 consists of a special project beyond normal work duties, or of work which falls outside the domain of the student's regular duties. As an example, a student who works in technical services in a public library may do professional field experience in public services in the same library.

What is required in the term paper? The term paper's topic must relate in a general way to the work done in the placement. The term paper is not to be a diary or log or description of work done in the placement, but is to focus on the intellectual aspect of the work. Here are examples of appropriate term paper topics: For a placement in public library reference, a term paper about the issues associated with a public library's providing its patrons with access to the internet. For a placement in academic library cataloging, a term paper on the evolution of cataloging-related services by OCLC. For a placement in academic library collection development, a term paper on the issues associated with the shift from the just-in-case service model to the just-in-time model. For a placement in a law library, a term paper about legal research in the digital environment. For a placement in a school media center, a term paper about collection development in such a facility.

How long must the term paper be? At least 10 pages, typed double-spaced, and with a bibliography of at least 10 items. In meeting the requirement that the paper be at least 10 pages, any title page, the bibliography, attachments, etc, are not counted.

May I be paid by the library or agency for the work I do in the placement? Yes. Although the School does not require that the student be paid for work done in LIS 675, nevertheless the School certainly does not object to such payment.

When may course LIS 675 be taken? We offer the course fall, spring, and summer 4- and 8-week terms. However, a student is not permitted to do LIS 675 prior to the semester or term at the end of which s/he will have completed 18 hours in our program. Moreover, any non-library and information science courses that the student transferred into her/his Master's program are not included in meeting the 18-hour requirement.

How should a student who is interested in LIS 675 proceed? The student should decide on the kind of experience s/he would like, e.g., reference work in a public library. If the student has someone in mind to serve as placement supervisor, s/he should discuss LIS 675 with the person and ask the person to review these 675 materials. At some point the student will want to discuss this with her/his advisor, and will need to make an appointment to see me. If the student does not have someone in mind to serve as placement supervisor, I can make suggestions and help arrange the professional field experience placement.

Student: LIS 675 requires completion of 140 hours of field work during the semester in which the student is registered for the class. Before enrolling in LIS 675, make certain you can satisfy the time obligation. The placement supervisor is not in a position to grant an extension of time, and it is highly unlikely I would agree to an "I" grade and extension of time in LIS 675. Thus, the consequences of not completing the 140 hours and the term paper by the end of the semester or term are serious, very likely an "E" grade.