S521 - Humanities Information

This class explores information sources in the humanities and related issues of humanities information production, user and producer groups, etc. The class is made up of class presentations, reviews of materials, lectures, and guest speakers.

Text: Blazek, Ron, and Aversa, Elizabeth (2000). The Humanities: A Selective Guide to Information Sources. Purchase is optional. On reserve in Kent-Cooper Room, Wells Library.

--10% of grade is based on class participationyou are required to read and discuss the materials, and lack of doing so will result in having 10% deducted from your final grade

	Class	Topic
1	August 30	Overview of class responsibilities of the student, overview of class syllabus. Introductions.
2	September 6	Intellectual families or Tribes Read: -Cronin, B., The Hand of Science, Academic Writing and its Rewards, Chapters 1,2,6,9 (on paper reserve) Cronin, B. and La Barre, K. Mickey Mouse and Milton: book publishing in the humanities. (on e-reserve) -Cronin, B, Shaw, D., & La Barre, K. (2003). A cast of thousands: Co-authorship and sub-authorship collaboration in the twentieth century as manifested in the scholarly literature of psychology and philosophy. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 54 (9), 855-871 (on e-reserves). -Guetzkow, J., Lamont, M., and Mallard, G. What is Originality in the Humanities and the Social Sciences? American Sociological Review, 2004, vol. 64 (April). 190-192 (on ereserves)
3	September 13	General Sources in the Humanities What are the Humanities?? READ: Chapter 1 and 2 in Blazek and Aversa Stone, Sue. Humanities Scholars: Information Needs and Uses Journal of Documentation (Progress in Documentation), December, 1982. (on ereserves) Review assignments and deadlines Sign up (1) Electronic resource (2) Journal Article
4	September 20	Philosophy Resources and Search Strategies Philosophy resource list due Journal article presentation
5	September 27	Religion, Mythology, and Folklore Resources and Search Strategies Religion, Mythology, and Folklore resource list due Journal article presentation
6	October 4	Fine and Visual Arts Resources and Search Strategies Fine and Visual Arts resource list due Journal article presentation
7	October 11	TBA
8	October 18	John Walsh, Assist. Professor, SLIS, Digital Libraries and the Digital Humanities
9	October 25	Performing Arts Resources and Strategies Performing Arts resource list due Journal article presentation
10	November 1	Language and Literature Resources and Search Strategies Literature resource list due Journal article presentation Angela Courtney, Humanities Librarian
11	November 8	Sylvia Jayne Turchyn, Section Head, Western European Cataloging; specialist in Artists books.
12	November 15	Eileen Fry, Fine Arts Image Librarian
	November 22	Thanksgiving Break
13	November 29	Suzanne Mudge: Archives of Traditional Music (meet at Archives of Traditional Music)
14	December 6	Pathfinder presentations

You will turn in to me five resource lists of 10 items each for philosophy, religion, literature, fine arts, and performing arts. We will discuss the resources in class on the day the list is due, so be ready to explain why you included your chosen resources in the top 10.

For your five favorite items, include a brief annotation that covers the type of information you would find in the resource, what types of questions or problems it could help resolve, what type of audience it would be appropriate for, whether or not you think a patron would need directions to use it, currency, accuracy, authority, etc.

When you are deciding what to include, be aware that there is no right or wrong item to select. Ideally, your own interests will guide your choices. Feel free to include items that might not be the most often used resources. I will take responsibility for making sure we cover the "standards," so you can freely explore the wide variety of resources available. This assignment serves to introduce the class to a broad spectrum of reference tools.

In groups of four, you will lead class discussion on a journal article that is related to libraries and the weeks subject. You will be responsible for choosing an article, and let me know what it is. It should be a scholarly article published in the 1990s or 21^st Centuryfrom library literature.

You will need to give the class copies of the article(s) two weeks before you are to lead the discussion.

On days when you are not presenting, you will have read the materials and will have to participate in the discussion. Treat the group presenting with the same respect and interest you hope to receive. Remember, the presenters always look better and possess greater confidence when they are speaking to an attentive and eager class. Help each other out.

The group will receive one grade, so you will need to work together. Do not let one group member do all the work, and make sure that everyone participates. Ideally everyone will take part in the presentation, so it will be important for the group to time and rehearse the presentation. It is possible to participate and not speaksomeone has to be at the computerbut this is a decision that must be made within the group.

A pathfinder is a tool created by librarians to help their patrons, and colleagues, find information on a specific humanities topics (Dadaism, certain traditions of philosophy, etc).

You will create a pathfinder on a topic that you choose. Think carefully about this choice. Talk to me about your topic if you are having trouble making a decision. Everyone must have a topic approved by me.

The pathfinder will be a minimum of ten pages in length. You need to create an introduction with a statement as to the scope of the pathfinder, how you chose and evaluated your sources, etc. It must be posted to the web and you will present it in class at the end of the semester. Examples of class pathfinders made by SLIS and other students for a different class can be found at: http://www.slis.indiana.edu/faculty/meho/L524/pathfinders.html

You must also send me your pathfinder URL by the time of the class presentation. Send it to me using the subject line: 521pathfinder

Grades will be assigned on an A, B, C scale. The following definitions of letter grades have been defined by student and faculty members of the Committee on Improvement of Instruction and have been approved by the faculty (November 11, 1996) as an aid in evaluation of academic performance and to assist students by giving them an understanding of the grading standards of the School of Library and Information Science:

Grade	GPA	MEANING
A	4.0	Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations
A-	3.7	Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner
B+	3.3	Very good work. Student performance demonstrates above-average comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks as defined in the course syllabus
B	3.0	Good work. Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates understanding of the course materials and is at an acceptable level
B-	2.7	Marginal work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete understanding of course materials.
C+ C	2.3 2.0	Unsatisfactory work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete and inadequate understanding of course materials
C- D+ D D-	1.7 1.3 1.0 .07	Unacceptable work. Coursework performed at this level will not count toward the MLS or MIS degree. For the course to count towards the degree, the student must repeat the course with a passing grade.
F	0.0	Failing. Student may continue in program only with permission of the Dean.

There is extensive documentation and discussion of the issue of academic dishonesty in the Indiana University "Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct." Of particular relevance is the section on plagiarism:

A student must not submit work that reproduces ideas, words, or statements of another person without appropriate acknowledgment. A student must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge indebtedness whenever he or she does any of the following:

4. Borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative material, unless the information is common knowledge.

Indiana University and SLIS policies on academic dishonesty will be followed. Students found to be engaged in plagiarism, cheating, and other types of dishonesty will be reported to the Dean's Office for appropriate action. As a rule of thumb, when in doubt, cite the source!

*This syllabus uses some of the assignments from Angela Courtneys summer 2007 SLIS Humanities Information class. Appreciation and acknowledgments go out to Ms. Courtney for her work and permission to use these.

**The grading and dishonesty statement follows Lokman Mehos SLIS reference class. Appreciation and acknowledgments go out to Professor Meho for this.

This syllabus may be modified throughout the semester. Notice will be given in class of any modifications. Students are responsible for knowing about and following such changes.