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Course description

This course enables students in wide range of contexts to identify client needs, develop resource collections for a client base, provide reference/information services, and empower clients through information literacy and user education programmes.

Learning objectives

By the end of the INFO 523 course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the nature of reference enquiries and services, and interact effectively with a range of users to clarify their information needs.
2. Identify and demonstrate an ability to use the predominant types of reference sources in print and digital format, including ready reference tools, bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts.
3. Use effective search strategies for searching print and digital resources, including the Internet.
4. Apply appropriate criteria for evaluating print and digital sources of reference information.
5. Understand the importance of information literacy and the role of information services in developing information literacy skills and user education.
6. Offer reader's advisory services.
7. Market information services to target user groups.
8. Offer appropriate information service to Maori, and on Maori topics.
9. Provide information service to special communities, such as Pasifika and Asian.

Schedule (tbc)

INFO 523 will be held in the first trimester (March-June) of the 2012 academic year. There will be no classes during the mid-term break (9-22 April).

• Internal students
  The weekly seminars will be held on Monday (from 9.30-11.20 a.m.) in the Old Government Building, GB117
• Distance students
  The weekly Internet conference sessions will be held on Monday from 6.45-8.15 p.m.

Week	Topic	Cassell & Hiremath Chapters
1	Introduction to reference and information work, information-seeking behaviour, and the reference interview	1, 2
2	Search strategy and tactics	3
3	Searching the Internet	13
4	Answering questions about publications: bibliographies and catalogues	4, 17
5	Answering questions about anything and everything: encyclopedias, ready reference sources, and dictionaries	5, 6, 7
6	Answering questions from periodicals: indexes and abstracts	8
7	Answering questions about countries and people	10, 11
8	Maori information sources and services	-
9	Information literacy and user education	16
10	Readers advisory work	14, 15
11	Information services to special communities (e.g. Pasifika, Asian)	-
12	Management and evaluation of reference work; future of reference	18, 19, 20, 21

Assessment (taken from 2011)

This course will be internally assessed. For all further details, including requirements and submission details, you should refer to the 'Assessment' section on Blackboard.

Assignment	Date due	Value	Length
1. Weekly submission on Blackboard of exercises/answers for each module	midnight, Friday of module week	20%	Exercises, multiple choice and brief answer questions
2. Pathfinder	tbc	40%	equivalent of 1000-2000 words approx
3.  Information resource evaluation	tbc	40%	1000-2000 words approx.

Prescribed text and recommended reading

Cassell, K. A. & Hiremath, U. (2009). Reference and information services in the 21st century: An introduction (2nd ed.). New York: Neal-Schuman

The text is available from Vic Books, PO Box 12-337 (or c/- Students' Union Building), Wellington, ph. (04) 463 5515 or freephone 0800 370 370, fax (04) 471 2124, email vuwtexts@vicbooks.co.nz. It is also possible to order texts through the Vic Books' online book ordering service. You can use any of these methods to place an order.

Recommended texts

• Bopp, R. E. & Smith, L. C. (Eds.). (2011). Reference and information services: An introduction (4th ed.). Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited
• Janes, J. (2003). Introduction to reference work in the digital age. New York: Neal-Schuman
• Katz, W. A. (2002). Introduction to reference work, Vols I & II. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Online resources available.
• Wood, G. A. (1999). Studying New Zealand (2nd ed.). Dunedin, OUP

Recommended reading: periodicals

You should browse (in print or online) Reference and User Services Quarterly, Reference Services Review, Online and Econtent. You should also carry out searches on specific topics on Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA), Library Literature and Information Science.