2007 Final Exams Questions

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April 11, 2008

1. Assessment is increasingly important in claiming resources and in justifying expenditures. From the perspective of a type of library organization of your choice identify the criteria that you would use to assess the impact of the library’s programs and services. Discuss how this information would be used for continual quality improvement and to argue successfully for resources.

2. The Web that emerged in the early 1990s is now retrospectively referred to as “Web 1.0,” while “Web 2.0” is the label used to describe the new technologies and uses of the current Web. As a result of these Web-based developments, there is also a corresponding view of libraries moving toward a new paradigm referred to as “Library 2.0.”  Describe and contrast the defining characteristics and supporting technologies of both “Web 1.0” and “Web 2.0.” Then, from a library setting of your choice and with examples, describe the move towards the “library 2.0” model by discussing the impact of both “Web 1.0” and “Web 2.0” on library services, collections, and user expectations.

3. Compare traditional metadata applications (library catalogs, bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts) with web-based search services (such as Google, Yahoo, etc.) Discuss the similarities and differences in purpose, approach and content for these different types of resources that enable the retrieval of specific information.

4. Provision of reference services has traditionally been a core function of libraries, yet many libraries report declining reference interactions at reference service points and are thus re-examining this service. In this essay, review the central aims and activities of reference services, describe the possible reasons for their decline and discuss the changes libraries are making to ensure reference services remain relevant and viable in this new environment.

5. ALA ’s Freedom to Read Foundation has just published a list of the most banned books of 2007 which is a reminder that libraries often face attempts to censor theirs materials. From the perspective of a type of library organization of your choice, how would you respond to an attempt by someone in your community to remove a book or other material from circulation? What professional and community resources would you use to respond?

July 11, 2008

1. Copyright law is of great importance to libraries. Write an essay in which you address: the basis for copyright law in the U.S.; what copyright is; what copyright seeks to accomplish, i. e., the purpose of copyright; what parts or provisions of U.S. copyright law are especially relevant to libraries; and the challenges that copyright law presents to libraries.

2. Controlled vocabulary is an important tool in information retrieval, particularly in online catalogs and databases. Define “controlled vocabulary” and give examples. Describe the following aspects of a controlled vocabulary: its component parts and properties and the functions of each. Discuss also the impact of using controlled vocabulary in retrieval.

3. In many parts of the U.S., the population is becoming more diverse. For example, the Hispanic and Asian American population have increased 200% or more during the last decade. With such rapid increase in diversity, libraries have experienced a change in their community of users. As the manager of a library, discuss 1) two major strategies you would employ for working with users of different racial, cultural and language backgrounds, and 2) what factors you would consider in developing those strategies, including any potential barriers that you or your library’s users might face.

4. What does an information professional need to know? From the perspective of a type of information agency and job function (e.g., academic reference, public library children’s services, a corporate information architect), describe specific, essential elements of an information professional’s knowledge base (rather than skills) at the start of the 21st century.

5. Team management is a means of participative decision-making in organizations that allows more effective and timely response, among other things. First describe the major elements of team management. Then, discuss the barriers to effective team building and deterrents to effective team performance.

November 21, 2008

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