LIS 645 Public Libraries
Tuesdays 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. NKU
Instructor: Kim Fender
Syllabus
Course Description: An analysis of public library objectives and of the services provided and techniques employed to achieve them. Some attention is given to special problems of public library management and to trends in public library development. Prereq: LIS 600
Text: Introduction to Public Librarianship, by Kathleen de la Pena McCook. A variety of readings are also assigned. Readings are to be completed prior to the assigned class.
Preparation for class: Class participation is required for this seminar class. Information will be introduced via lecture and assigned readings with class participation including hands-on activities and discussion of topics. All students are required to participate. Attendance is necessary for student success in this class.
Student papers: Two short papers will be required for this class. Papers will be graded on the completeness of the information provided, and organization and presentation of information. As this is a graduate level course, strong writing skills and grammatical accuracy are expected.
Exams: A final exam consisting of three essay questions covering the entire course will be given on May 3.
Assignments: Information introduced in readings and lectures will be reinforced through a variety of assignments. These assignments will include worksheets, small projects and class activities.
Class Attendance: Class participation is an integral part of this course. Absences beyond two will be considered in determining course grade.
Grading:
Component Total Points
Final Exam 150 points
Papers 50 points each
Assignments 10 points each
Class participation/attendance 60 points
Grade Scale
94-100% A
87-93% B
80-86% C
73-79% D
66-72% F
Office hours by appointment. I can be reached at home at 859-441-7299 or at work 513-369-6972.
Class Schedule
January 18: Syllabus, discussion of class method, grading, phone tree and student input
Assignment due 1/18
January 25: History/Development
Chapters 1-3 in text
Miriam Braverman, “From Adam Smith to Ronald Reagan: Public Libraries as Public Good”, Library Journal, February 15, 1982, pp. 397-401
“12 Ways Libraries are Good for the Country”, American Libraries, December 1995, volume 26 no. 11, p. 1113
Assignment: due 1/25
February 1: Mission/ Vision/Values/Governance
Chapter 5 from text
Ohio Library Council, “Who’s Duty Is It?” from Virginia M. Young, The Trustee of the Small Public Library, 1992 (On Reserve)
Margaret Hawkins, Anne Morris and John Sumsion, “The Economic Value of Public Libraries”, APLIS, September 2001, vol.14 issue 3, p.90+
Washington State Library, Trustee Manual, Recommended Policies
http://wlo.statelib.wa.gov/services/trustee_manual/pdf/15-recommendedpolicies.pdf
St. Lifer, Evan, “What Public Libraries Must do to Survive”, Library Journal, v.126 no. 6, April 1, 2001, pp.60-2.
Assignment due 2/2
February 8: Funding/Fundraising and Finance
Hale, Ellen, “Debt Collectors Go After Overdue Books”, USA Today, June 28, 2004
Dempsey, Beth, “Cashing in on Service”, Library Journal,
November 1, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 18, p38+
Institute of Museum and Library Services, web page www.imls.gov/about/index.htm
Ohio Library Council, Government Relations Committee, Ballot Handbook, Ohio Library Council, 1998 (On Reserve)
John N. Berry III, “Don’t Let Government off the Hook: Libraries are Still, and Should Be, Dependent on Taxes”, Library Journal, May 1, 2002 v127 i8 p8(1)
Oder, Norman, “Can PL Support Be More Like NPR's?”, Library
Journal, July 15, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 12, p22+
Andrew Richard Albanese, “Foundations for the future: once the primary domain of Friends groups, fundraising has become an increasingly refined professional activity”, Library Journal, May 1, 2002 v127 i8 p40(4)
Assignment due 2/15
February 15: Technical Services
Dilys E. Morris, Collin B. Hobert, Lori Osmus and Gregory Wool, “Cataloging Staff Costs Revisited”, Library Resources & Technical Services, April 2000 p.70+
Holt, Glen, “Catalog Outsourcing: No Clear Choice”, Library Journal, September 15, 1995, p.34
ALCTS Technical Services Cost Committee, “Guide to Cost Analysis of Acquisitions and Cataloging in Libraries”, ALCTS Newsletter, Volume 2 Number 5 1991, p. 49+ (On Reserve)
Miller, Kathryn Metzinger, “Behind Every Great Virtual Library Stand Many Great Licenses”, NetConnect, Winter 2003, p.20+
Gorman, Michael, “Corruption of Cataloging”, Library Journal, September 15, 1995, p.32+
Two Assignments due 2/22
February 22: The Internet
First Paper Assigned-Due March 15
Eberhart, George M., “Phoenix Council Demands Filters on All Library Computers”, American Libraries; October 2004, Vol. 35 Issue 9, p14+
Illinois Library Association, The Internet and Our Children, Illinois Library Association, February 2000
http://www.ila.org/pdf/internet.pdf#search='internet%20our%20children'
Cy Dillon, “Internet Censorship in Loudoun County”, Virginia Libraries, Jan/Feb/Mar 1998, p.7 & 8
“Contrasting Internet Access Suits”, Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, January 1999
Hilden, Julie, “A Recent Supreme Court Decision Allowing the
Government to Force Public Libraries to Filter Users' Internet Access Is Less
Significant Than It Might At First Appear”, Findlaw, July 1, 2003
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/hilden/20030701.html
March 1: Planning
Chapter 4 in text
Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, “Library 2011”, http://www.library2011.org/
David L. Marcus, “File This Under Shock, Future”, U.S. News and World Report, July 12, 1999 p.48-49
Susan Goldberg Kent, “American Public Libraries: A Long Transformative Moment”, Daedalus, Fall 1996, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Sallie Tisdale, “Silence Please”, Harper’s Magazine, March 1997, p.65+
Richard M. Dougherty, “Planning for new library futures: supercharging the strategic planning process and applying it to the special needs of libraries”, Library Journal, May 15, 2002 v127 i9 p38(4)
Linda Mielke, “Short-range planning for turbulent times; in an era of rapid change, more responsive techniques must replace traditional methods”, American Libraries, Oct 1995 v26 n9 p905(2)
March 8: Services and Clientele pt. 1
Chapter 8 in text
First Paper Due
Second Paper Assigned – Due 3/29
Sullivan, Kathleen, “Beyond Cookie-Cutter Selection”, Library Journal, June 15, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 11, p44+
Saricks, Joyce, “Not Just Fiction”, Booklist,
September 1, 2004, Vol. 101 Issue 1, p56
Steve Coffman, “What if You Ran Your Library Like a Bookstore?”, American Libraries, March 1998, pp. 40-46
Gary E. Strong, “Library Service for the New Millennium”, a paper presented at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, September 1999 (On Reserve)
“Censorship Watch”, American Libraries, August 2002, vol.33 issue 7, p. 25
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, Materials Selection Policy http://www.plcmc.org/aboutUs/policiesMaterialSelection.htm
Karen Hyman, “Customer Service and the Rule of 1969”, American Libraries, October 1999, pp. 55-58
Assignments due 3/22
March 15: Spring Break - No Class
March 22: Services and Clientele pt. 2
Chapter 9 in text
Halsall, Jane, “Anime Revolution”, School Library Journal, August 2004, Vol. 50 Issue 8, p6+
Fialkoff, Francine, “Is Reading Out?”, Library Journal, August 15, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 13, p8+
Abe Anhang and Steve Coffman, “The Great Reference Debate”, American Libraries, March 2002, p.50+
Nicholson Baker, “Letter from San Francisco: the Author vs. the Library”, New Yorker, October 14, 1996, p. 50+
State Library of Ohio, Sample Policies Page
http://winslo.state.oh.us/publib/policies.html
Hoffert, Barbara, “Book Report 1999: What the LJ 100 (PLs) are Buying”, Library Journal, 2/15/99,vol.124 issue 3, p.118+
Libraries and the Patriot Legislation
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/civilliberties/theusapatriotact/usapatriotact.htm
Assignments due 3/29
March 29: Library Buildings
Second Paper Due
Anne Jordan: “Library Renaissance”, Governing, January 1996, pp. 20-25
Elizabeth Heilman Brooke, “Places to Snuggle Up With a Good Book”, New York Times, Thursday, December 5, 1996, p.B1
David Jones: “People Places: Public Library Buildings for the New Millennium”, Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services, Sept 2001 v14 i3 p81
Assignment due 4/5
April 5: Personnel
Chapter 6 in text
McConnell, Carole, “Staff and Leadership Shortages? Grow
your Own”, American Libraries October 2004, Vol. 35 Issue 9, p34+
Philip J. Jones, “Individual Accountability and Individual Authority: the Missing Links”, Library Administration & Management, Volume 14, Number 3, Summer 2000, pp. 135-145
Assignment due 4/12
April 12: Public Relations
Patrick Jones, “Packing the Power: the Houston Public Library’s Library Card Campaign”, Public Libraries, May/June 2000, pp.156-60
Kevin Driedger, “Book Press: Public Libraries and Public Relations”, Library Mosaics, July/August 1999, p.19
Patricia Glass Schuman, “Say the Right Thing”, School Library Journal, September 1998, vol.44 issue 9
Ohio Library Council, “Marketing the Library”
Assignment due 4/19
April 19: Technology
Chapter 10 in text
Moffitt, Jed, “Choosing the Robot”, Library Journal, Fall 2004 Net Connect, Vol. 129, p27+
Balas, Janet L., “New Search Technologies--Will One of These
Be the Next Big Thing?”, Computers in Libraries, Nov/Dec2004, Vol. 24
Issue 10, p. 32+
Balas, Janet L., “Reaching Out to the Remote User”, Computers in Libraries, October 2004, Vol. 24 Issue 9, p36+
Gates Learning Foundation
http://www.glf.org/libraries/default.htm
Rogers, Michael, “Buffalo and Erie County PL Tests Finger
Identification”, Library Journal, June 15, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 11, p27
Greater Cincinnati Memory Project
Assignment due 4/26
April 26: Current Issues facing Public Libraries
Oder, Norman, “More Book Challenges in TX”, Library Journal, September 1, 2004, Vol. 129 Issue 14, p20+
Steve Coffman, “Building Earth’s Largest Library: Driving into the Future”, Searcher, March 1999, pp. 34-37
John Makulowich, “A Peek at the Library of the Future”, USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/ccarch/ccmak009.htm
Bill Joy, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us”, Wired, April 2000, pp.238-246
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html
May 3: Final Exam