Acquisition of Library Materials
Library & Information Technology 108
Course Outline, Spring 2010
Instructor: Debbie Hunt

February 6

--Introductions/getting acquainted
--Announcements/potluck lunches
--Review course syllabus and outline
--Acquisitions overview (collection development policies, cooperative collection development, which types of libraries acquire which kinds of materials, publishers and jobbers, types of materials purchased, and collection evaluation).
--Bibliographic verification (general principles, request forms, and search procedures)
--Serials sources
--Guest Speaker, Andy Kivel, on final project
--Review class websites

Homework Assignment -- Readings (be prepared to discuss at next class.):

  1. "Acquisitions --- Overview" (from Introduction to Technical Services by G. Edward Edwards et al)
  2. The Freedom to Read http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/freeread.html
  3. The Library Bill of Rights http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm
  4. "Places I Never Meant to Be: A Personal View" by Judy Blume http://judyblume.com/censorship/places.php (Be sure to read all 5 pages.)
  5. "Child Protection of Censorship?" http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/v-print/story/1011029.html
  6. "The USA Patriot Act" http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/federallegislation/theusapatriotact/index.cfm

Homework Assignment -- Written/Oral:

  1. Written Assignment 1: (handout given in class) due at next class.
  2. Form your own opinion about the Patriot Act. Should the FBI or other government agencies be able to obtain library and bookstore records? Be prepared to discuss and defend your position at the next class session.

February 20
--Questions and discussion of readings and homework
--Censorship, intellectual freedom, the Patriot Act, the Library Bill of Rights, Internet filters and ethics
--Group presentations on intellectual freedom (if time allows)
--Bindery Operations
--Gifts and Exchange
--Archives (Guest speaker Mary-Ellen Jones, retired Bancroft Library Archivist and consultant)
--Preservation
--Weeding

Homework Assignment -- Readings (be prepared to discuss at next class.):

  1. "The Case of the Vanishing Records" (by David Lowe, American Heritage, vol. 20, no. 5, Aug. 1969), http://www.americanheritage.com/email/articles/magazine/ah/1969/5/1969_5_34.shtml
  2. "Has the Library Lost Its Soul?" http://www.alumni.berkeley.edu/Alumni/Cal_Monthly/February_1998/Has_the_library_lost_its_soul.asp from California Monthly

Homework Assignment -- Written/Oral:

  1. Written assignment 2: based on the Lowe article (reading #1 above), write a 1-2 page paper to answer this question: "In the electronic age of computers, the Internet, and digitizing, should we still be concerned with preservation? Why or why not?" Defend your position. Paper due at next class.
  2. Be prepared to discuss "Has the Library Lost Its Soul?"
  3. Finish Term Project and be prepared to make your oral presentation and turn in your written project paper at our next class.

March 6

--Questions and discussion of readings and homework
--Book repair: Guest speaker Diane Nolting, Periodicals Manager, St. Mary's College, Moraga
--Term Project oral reports by students
--Turn in Term Project paper

Please be prepared for each class by completing all assignments. You will benefit most from this class if you are prepared and you participate in class discussions.

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Last update: February 3, 2010

©Debbie Hunt, L108 Instructor