MJLanghorne@mchsi.com
Seminar: Thursday, 6:00-7:15 p.m.; ICN -- N105 LC
Course Description:
Supervised field experience in a library, information
center or school library media center.
Seminar meetings for focused discussion.
Course Objectives:
¯
Apply previously
learned theory to in an actual library/information center setting.
¯
Observe, plan and
participate in professional activities in a library.
¯
Establish a
mentor-protŽgŽ relationship with a practicing librarian.
¯
Gain an understanding
of the roles and services of a representative library/information center.
¯
Extend understanding of
the administrative and operational tasks involved in managing a
library/information center.
Requirements:
Work a minimum of 80 hours at your practicum site
(Note: School people will work 40 hours in each of two sites. Those taking 21:282 for two credit
hours will work a total of 60 hours).
Attend and participate in seminar meetings
Maintain a journal of the field experiences
Make an oral presentation that relates your field
experience to the professional literature
Complete formal evaluation of your practicum
experiences
Evaluation:
Practicum supervisor evaluations: 60%
Journal of Practicum Experience & Final Report 20%
Issue Presentation 15%
Class participation 5%
Journal Requirement:
Maintain a journal in which you
record your practicum experiences and reflections using the following
suggestions for content.
General
information Prior
to your first visit, record your personal objectives and expectations of the
practicum. Describe the setting in which you will be working in some detail.
Entries for each visit with
the following information:
Date,
hours worked, total hours to date
Description
of activities:
Reflection:
(observations, questions, opinions, etc.)
Examples
of questions to consider:
1.
What
are the patterns of communication among staff, both formal and informal?
2.
Attend
a staff meeting if possible. Are
meetings held regularly? Is their purpose to inform or make decisions or both?
3.
How is
change initiated? How is staff
prepared for changes?
4.
What
is the management style of the director, department head or principal?
(Note: School people should schedule an interview with one principal and record the results in the journal).
5.
What
are the libraryÕs formal and informal policies (e.g., collection development,
copyright adherence, acceptable use of technology)?
6.
How
are statistics gathered and used?
Is there a formal reporting mechanism?
7.
Are
there any plans for new facilities or changes in space utilization?
8.
Have
you noted any ethical dilemmas? If
so, how were they resolved?
Also, at the beginning of the
semester, identify a professional journal or listserve and track it during the
course of the semester, making relevant comments in your journal relating
articles and postings to experiences in the practicum when possible.
Each journal should end with a comprehensive summary statement of reflection on the practicum experience. Students placed at more than one site should reflect upon both. The emphasis here should be not on what you did, but on what you learned. What insights did you gain? Examine your expectations from your first journal entry; were these met? Have your career goals changed as a result of this experience? Were the questions you posed in your journal entries answered? Would you recommend this placement for other students?
In your final entry, include a plan for your professional development for the next three to five years.
Issue Presentation:
Select an issue of relevance to observed practice in your field experience and make an oral presentation relating the professional literature to the practice observed. Examples include Internet use policies, intellectual freedom, latch-key children, school-public library cooperation, services to people with disabilities, working with unions, information literacy initiatives). Please plan a 30-minute presentation. Prepare a one-page handout that includes references and summarizes the most important points in your presentation. Power Points or transparencies may be used enhance oral presentations. Submit a bibliography of sources used to the instructor (MLA format preferred).
Sign-up for the presentation will be February 3
Calendar
|
Date |
Focus |
|
NO CLASS |
|
|
January 26 |
Course expectations; Getting the most out of your
practicum experience |
|
February 2 |
Discussion of practicum experiences to date Issues presentations sign-up |
|
February 9 |
The job search; effective rŽsumŽs, letters and interview
strategies. Susan Marks HR
Coordinator, UI Libraries |
|
February 16 |
The job search; effective resumes, letters and interview
strategies. |
|
February 23 |
Issues Presentations Practicum discussion: Information Literacy |
|
March 2 |
Issues Presentations Practicum discussion: Collection Development, Budgeting |
|
March 9 |
Issues Presentations Practicum Discussion
Customer Service |
|
March 16 |
Spring Break-No Class |
|
March 23 |
Practicum discussion: Statistics and reporting |
|
March 30 |
Professional Support Systems: Linda Waddle, former ALA staffer |
|
April 6 |
Practicum discussion: Strategic planning; Facilities |
|
April 13 |
|
|
April 20 |
Issues Presentations |
|
April 27 |
Practicum discussion: Final thoughts |
|
May 4 |
First year perspectives, or ÒWhat I wish they had told us
in library school.Ó Evaluation |