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INLS 501: Information Resources and Services

  • Some articles on this reading list are required and some are supplemental (not required, but read them if you are interested in the topic). They are designed to complement the work we are doing in class and familiarize you with the library literature for reference services and sources.
  • Some links, call numbers, etc. will change over the semester, and some readings may be added. These will be marked updated or new

January Readings | February Readings | March Readings | April Readings 

Read for Next Week

Read by: 05.07.18. Reference Services (Required):

Post to Sakai answering one (or more) of these questions.

April Readings

Readings for April, 2018

Read by these by April 2, 2018.

Public Libraries (Required):

Question: Jennifer Brannen will talk to us about RA. Prepare one question for Jennifer based on the readings for Public Libraries.

Outreach (Required):

Question: Is outreach necessary? Why or why not?

Serving the Homeless (Required):

Question: what surprised you about these readings?

Serving the Military

  • Academic (Teddy, Hannah, Hayley, Jesse, Morgan, Ayla, Daniel)):
  • Mills, Chloe Persian et al. “Student Veterans and the Academic Library.” Reference Services Review, vol. 43, 2015, pp. 262-79. Access from Library & Information Science Source.

Be prepared to explain the services provided to military members & veterans in the academic / public library articles to your classmates.

Read by: 04.09.18. Comparing Sources (Required):

Questions & Activity

After you read the above articles, search the FIVE databases on the Comparing Databases tab

Search each of these databases for:

  • Your Topic (honeybees, horror, peanut butter, eg).
  • Your Topic Guide Topic and your topic guide patron group (diverse YA literature; silent films; midwifery).

Consider:

  • Would you recommend this database for YourTopic?
  • Would you recommend this database for your Guide's patron group?
  • Why or why not?

Readings & Resources for Topic Guides

  • new Dobbs, Aaron W. et al. Read chapter 14 ”Showcase of Exceptional LibGuides" in Using LibGuides to Enhance Library Services: A LITA Guide, ALA TECHSOURCE, An imprint of the American Library Association, 2013, pp. 253-90. Great ideas -- worth flipping through!

Read by: 04.16.18. Assessment (Required):

Required - Academic (Courtney, Jesse, Lauren, Meg, Rachel, Kate):

Required - Archives (Ayla, Daniel, Teddy, Hannah, Hayley, Katie, Morgan):

Questions

  • What were some of the questions posed by the researchers?
    • Asked of patrons.
    • Asked of librarians / services. 
  • What surprised you about the responses?

Read / watch by: 04.16.18. Serving People with Disabilities (Required):

Questions

  • One of Saar's questions in “Reference Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing” is "What do you think library staff should know about communicating with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students?"
  • What do you think patrons in the videos for serving people with disabilities would like librarians to know?

Read by: 04.23.18. Ethics (Required):

Questions:

  • Why are we neutral?
  • Why do we protect patrons' privacy?

Read by: 04.23.18. Government Documents (Required):

Questions:

  • How would you answer patron questions in the Smith article?

January Readings

Readings for January, 2018

Read by: 01.22.18. Finding Books in Libraries (Required):

  • Upson, Matt et al. Read chapter 2 ”How Information Is Organized and Found : The Basics" in Information Now : A Graphic Guide to Student Research, University of Chicago Press, 2015, pp. 25-37. https://ares.lib.unc.edu/ares/ares.dll/plink?14406F82. in Sakai & on reserve at SILS. ZA3075 .U67 2015.
  • ---. Read chapter 3 ”Searching and Library Catalogs : Understanding the Hunt for Information" in Information Now : A Graphic Guide to Student Research, University of Chicago Press, pp. 39-52. https://ares.lib.unc.edu/ares/ares.dll/plink?14407077. in Sakai & on reserve at SILS. ZA3075 .U67 2015.

Questions:

  • What did you already know about finding books in libraries?
  • What was new to you?
  • Have you learned / implemented any changes in your searching since reading these chapters?

Read by: 01.22.18. Reference Services (Required):

How do these readings relate to your ...

  • prior experience with libraries, in work or as a patron?
  • prior (or current)library or other public service work?
  • prior (or current) SILS or other classes? 

Read by: 01.29.18. Evaluating Sources (Required):

  • Each student will read a "Database Review." column in an issue of Library Journal, 2016-17. Issues will be handed out in class.
  • Bell, Suzanne S. Read chapter 12 (4th ed); [11 in 3d ed] ”Evaluating Databases" in Librarian's Guide to Online Searching, Libraries Unlimited, 2015, pp. 253-68(4th ed); [35-50 in 3d ed]. on reserve at SILS. ZA4460 .B45 2015.

Questions:

  • Reread the Library Journal review after you read the Bell chapter. Did the LJ review follow Bell's recommendations? In what ways? In what ways did the actual database review differ from Bell?
  • Be prepared to talk about one or another of the databases reviewed in your edition of Library Journal.

February Readings

Readings for February, 2018

Read by: 02.05.18. Providing Reference (Required):

Questions:

  • Two of these articles are about academic libraries. How do the results apply to other types? Public libraries? Special libraries? Archives?
  • YOU are the cohort who could be trained as LibStARS. What do you think of the program?
    Name one benefit and one drawback from the article or your experience.
  • Why bother with a reference interview?

(Useful but not required):

Read by: 02.05.18. How to Search (Required):

  • Bell, Suzanne S.. Read chapter 2 ”Database Structure for Everyone" in Librarian's Guide to Online Searching, Libraries Unlimited, 2015, pp. 9-26. on reserve at SILS. ZA4460 .B45 2015.
  • ---. Read chapter 3 ”The Searcher's Toolkit: Part 1" in Librarian's Guide to Online Searching, Libraries Unlimited, 2015, pp. 27-48. on reserve at SILS. ZA4460 .B45 2015.
  • Loftis, Elsa. "Information Literacy: Search Strategies (entire section).” 2015. Access from https://www.lynda.com/Higher-Education-tutorials/Identifying-your-information-needs/368046/420117-4.html?org=unc.edu.
  • Upson, Matt et al. Read chapter 4 ”Journals & Databases" in Information Now : A Graphic Guide to Student Research, University of Chicago Press, 2015, pp. 55-68. on reserve at SILS. ZA3075 .U67 2015.

Questions:

  • Why do you think it's important to know about records, fields, and indexes?
  • Was there something that so excited you that you wanted to try it immediately? What?
  • Draw a Venn diagram for a recent search for this or another class. Be prepared to talk about it in class.

Read by: 02.12.18. Newspapers (Required):

Questions

  • Consider the Dilevko article. What are some examples of the news you should keep up with? Consider your ... current library, goal library, other needs?
  • Make a Venn diagram of Sabelhaus/Cawley’s search string. What did the search operators mean?
  • What do Sabelhaus/Cawley mean by “overlap” in LexisNexis and Factiva?

Read by: 02.12.18. Searching Newspapers (Required):

Read by: 02.19.18. Chat Reference (Required):

Questions:

  • What types of "relationship building" does Radford discuss?
  • Which of these relationship building traits appeals to you? Why?
  • Which relationship building trait surprised you? Why?
  • What types of reference encounters do Fuller & Dryden describe? 

Read at least one of the following, based on your interest. 

Academic (Teddy, Hannah, Hayley, Jesse):

Archives (Morgan, Ayla, Daniel, Lauren, Courtney):

Public (Kate, Kathryn, Meg, Rachel):

Questions:

  • Who are the users in the article you read?
  • What are the question types for that library?
  • Can you determine if any relationship factors (see Radford, above) were used in the chat reference encounters?

Read by: 02.19.18. Advanced Searching (Required):

Questions:

  • Was there something that so excited you that you wanted to try it immediately? What?
  • Consider a recent search for this or another class. Recall the search terms.
    • Redo the search in a database we've discussed in class.
    • Look at the controlled vocabulary terms for some relevant articles. What's the difference?

Read by: 02.26.18. Instruction:

Required, all

Questions:

  • In the "Framework," read especially the section Searching as Strategic Exploration. Consider:
    • Which of the knowledge practices are you experiencing in this class? How?
    • Which of the dispositions are you experiencing in this class? How?
  • Malkmus talks about knowing your faculty. How does that apply in an academic library setting? What about a public library or an archive?

Academic Libraries. Teddy, Hannah, Hayley, Jesse,Morgan, Ayla, Daniel:

Public Libraries. Kate, Kathryn, Meg, Rachel, Lauren, Courtney:

Questions:

  • Cook asks: "How can I teach this material to students so that it best facilitates their retention of the information being presented?" What are some of her recommendations? Which of these had you seen before? Which were new to you? 
  • Witteveen discusses various kinds of literacy that can be addressed in a public library. What are they? Which of these had you seen before? Which were new to you? 

Read by: 02.26.18. Database Review (required):

  • Bell, Suzanne S. Read chapter 12 ”Teaching Other People About Databases" in Librarian's Guide to Online Searching, Libraries Unlimited, 2015, pp. 251-67. on reserve at SILS. ZA4460 .B45 2015.
  • Vrontikis, Petrula. "Running a Design Business: Presentation Skills." 2013 Access from Lynda.com at https://www.lynda.com/Design-Business-tutorials/Running-Design-Business-Presentation-Skills/124071-2.html?org=unc.edu. Watch especially segments entitled: “Understanding timing;” “Presentation styles and storytelling;” “Tips for design and delivery of presentations;” and “Coping with nervousness.”

Questions:

  • What are some of Bell's teaching principles? How might they apply to your short database evaluation presentation?
  • Do you prefer to learn from a video like Lynda or from reading a chapter like Bell? Is this true in every situation or just some? Consider some examples.

March Readings

Readings for March, 2018

Read by: 03.05.18. Serving People of Color (All (Required)):

Ayla & Morgan:

Courtney & Katie Herring:

Daniel & Meg:

Lauren, Hayley, & Kate Hermann:

Rachel & Jesse:

Teddy & Hannah:

Questions for all. In the Aaronberg article AND in your assigned article:

  1. Name three characteristics of the patron group described in the article.
  2. Name one way the article or service relates to ACRL Diversity Standards.
  3. Name one issue that your library could / did incorporate the ACRL Diversity Standards into its work.

Read by: 03.05.18. Print Sources (Required). All in Reference and Information Services : An Introduction, on reserve Z711 .C355 2013.

  • Read chapter 6 ”Answering Questions That Require Handy Facts: Ready Reference," pp. 101-14.
  • Read chapter 7 ”Answering Questions About Words: Dictionaries," pp. 121-33. 
  • Read chapter 17 ”Selecting & Evaluating Reference Materials," pp. 361-64.

Read by: 03.19.18. Consultations (Required):

Questions: 

  • How did the authors "incentivize" meeting with a librarian?
  • Did the students think the appointments were useful?
  • What do you think of this approach?

Read by: 03.19.18. Creating Guides (see above):

  •  

Questions: 

  • What is the purpose of a guide? (see Duncan)
  • How can LibGuides or topic guides be used beyond an academic setting - ie, archives, public libraries, etc.?
  • Have you experienced LibGuides beyond this class?
  • Start to think about a guide you could create - for any topic, any situation, any type of library.

Read by: 03.26.18. Challenging Situations (Required):

NOTE: these articles describe challenging situations, some of which might be difficult to read.

Public Libraries. Kate, Kathryn, Meg, Rachel, Lauren, Courtney:

Academic Libraries. Teddy, Hannah, Hayley, Jesse, Morgan, Ayla, Daniel:

Questions

Scott Bonner, library director of the Ferguson, MO Public Library “opened its branches to the district’s teachers, allowing them to set up activities and instruction for students in the library” shortly after the shooting death of Michael Brown, saying that’s what libraries do. It’s become a hashtag, #WhatLibrariesDo. (cite: Peet, Lisa. Ferguson Library Provides Calm Refuge for a Torn Community, Library Journal November 25, 2014)

  • How does this ethos apply to the articles you read?
  • What kind of patron problems do they talk about?
  • What are some of the solutions?
  • What are some of the challenges?
  • Consider these questions for all articles. In addition, be prepared to explain the problems & solutions in the academic / public library articles to your classmates.

Read by: 03.26.18. LibGuides Training (Required)

  • Last Updated: Mar 28, 2021 4:45 PM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/inls501-brown