Courses at the iSchool
Management, Reference, Collection Development, Independent Studies
I have taught several other courses (e.g., research methods, information retrieval, information literacy) but my present stable of courses includes the required course on general management each term, introduction to IS in the fall, and collection development in the spring. Independent studies in any of my research areas or aspects of academic librarianship are also a regular aspect of my teaching. If you'd like to know more about anything, just let me know.
Management, aka, Managing Information Services and Organizations, INF 387C
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. [John Quincy Adams] Or, to put it another way, The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. [Warren Bennis] Building from an understanding of personal values, questions, and expectations, the management course provides a strong theoretical foundation while equipping students with the fundamentals needed to manage themselves, projects, or even administrative units within an information-centered organization. The syllabus changes every semester but the most recent edition is available here.
Reference, aka, Introduction to Information Resources and Services, INF 382D
If we value independence, if we are disturbed by the growing conformity of knowledge, of values, of attitudes, which our present system induces, then we may wish to set up conditions of learning which make for uniqueness, for self-direction, and for self-initiated learning. [Carl Rogers] Reference librarians are the lifelong teachers of an informed citizenry. They are the guides, laying down pathways in the ever-morphing information ecologies. Using every tool in every format, excellent reference librarians meet their users' needs with tact, support, and a keen focus on context. The syllabus changes every year but the most recent edition is available here.
Collection development, aka, Collection Management, INF 384D
The true university of these days is a collection of books. [Albert Camus] Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. [Barbara Tuchman] Reading matter in every form, from graphic novels to e-books to paperbacks, populates the modern library. How do we build a collection that meets community needs and individual needs? How do we balance the reading interests of the majority with those of the minority? Whose voices populate our shelves and cyber-spaces? How much of what we collect reflects our values and how much challenges our assumptions? How do we build for an educational setting or a multi-purpose setting? The syllabus changes every year but the most recent edition is available here.
Introduction to Information Studies, INF 180J
Learning the language, exploring the concepts, and awakening to the possibilites of Information Studies make this required, one-hour course a door to the field, rather than a foundation for study. The most recent syllabus reflects an on-going course development process.
Independent Studies, Capstones, Doctoral Research Internships, Doctoral Teaching Internships
Each of these courses is custom-designed to meet the needs of individuals. Students in these courses have completed and published research. Others have examined a subject in depth through community engagement, readings, and papers. If you're interested in working one-on-one on a substantial issue or topic for which no organized course is available, let me know. I'd be happy to talk over the possibilities with you.