Course Description
This course addresses the theories, principles, and practices of bibliographic description. It covers the application of national standards to the creation of bibliographic records and to the construction of catalogs in libraries and other information environments. It teaches the fundamental concepts of descriptive cataloging including: the elements of bibliographic description, the choice of descriptive detail, the description of print and non-print resources, the choice of primary and secondary access points, the creation of personal, corporate, and geographic name headings as well as uniform and series titles, the principles and practices of authority work, and the application of the MARC21 and other encoding standards. The course also includes examinations of current trends and future directions of descriptive cataloging. May include readings, discussions, presentations, exams, and written exercises.
Student Learning Outcomes [by number]: 1, 4, 6, 10
1. Demonstrate the ability to apply standards relevant to specific information service activities.
4. Analyze, synthesize, and communicate information and knowledge in a variety of formats.
6. Assess, create, and evaluate systems for managing content.
10. Analyze information problems and develop solutions drawing from a wide range of information technology tools and practices.
Course Objectives
- To become conversant with the principles, objectives, and standards for descriptive cataloging, access points, MARC coding, and authority control.
- To understand the broader context in which these principles function.
- To master basic skills in descriptive cataloging, including the ability to create original, machine-coded bibliographic and authority records for a variety of information resources in a professional context.
- To be able to cite authorities, synthesize opinions, and defend work in written and oral form.
Textbooks
Required:
- Arlene G. Taylor. Introduction to Cataloging and Classification. 10th ed. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
Recommended:
- Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second ed., 2002 revision (including 2005 update). Chicago: American Library Association, 2002.
This item is available electronically through the school's subscription to Cataloger's Desktop. You will be reading it one way or the other. Whether you purchase it or not is up to you.
- Bobby Ferguson. MARC/AACR2/Authority Control Tagging. 2nd ed. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
This item does not contain assigned readings. It is an exercise book, which some have found helpful for extra practice. Whether you purchase it or not is up to you.
Module 3: Choice of Access Points
Module 4: Authority Control and Access Point Creation
Module 5: Descriptive Metadata and the Future
Course Information
Structure
The course may consist of any of the following: lecture, discussion, in-class and take-home exercises, readings, paired and/or individual assignments, papers, quizzes, projects, and group presentations.
Expectations and Requirements
Students are expected and required to:- attend each class session.
- be prepared for class.
- read the assigned textbooks and other required readings for each session.
- complete in-class exercises and homework assignments on time.
- attend lab sessions, if scheduled.
- fully participate in group projects and be present for group presentations.
- turn in assignments representative of graduate-level work.
- check your e-mail daily.
- learn to use the Simmons Libraries Online Catalog and OCLC Connexion.
- learn to use other cataloging tools, as well as Simmons eLearning and Microsoft Office software.
Assignments
Due dates for assignments are included in this syllabus. You are encouraged to ask for assistance with assignments when needed. Throughout the term you will be working in pairs. All paired assignments are to be done only with your partner. Only one version of the paper should be submitted from each pair. You may discuss your work on these assignments with each other, but ultimately the work you turn in should be the result of you and your partner having done the work, not having copied "answers" from other students.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is expected; cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Cases of plagiarism/academic dishonesty will result in zero (0) points for that assignment for all parties involved. There will be no exceptions. For more information, review the honor code at: http://my.simmons.edu/gslis/resources/student-info/honor-code.shtml
Grading Scale
For some assignments, letter grades may be used and for other you will receive grades based on percentages. The following table provides the breakdown of letter grades and percentages.
A - = 90 - 93 % |
A = 94 - 100% |
|
B - = 80 - 83 % |
B = 84 - 86 % |
B + = 87 - 89 % |
C - = 70 - 73 % |
C = 74 - 76 % |
C + = 77 - 79 % |
D - = 60 - 63 % |
D = 64 - 66 % |
D + = 67 - 69 % |
|
F= < 60% |
|
Late Policy
All assignments are to be completed and turned in on time. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you do not complete/turn in an assignment on the due date, you should expect to receive a 0 (zero) for that assignment. If you are unable to come to class when an assignment is due, you should email or fax the assignment to the instructor BEFORE class begins or send it in with a classmate.
Incompletes
Students who become ill, have a medical emergency, a death in the immediate family, extreme hardship, or unusual circumstances may request an incomplete from the instructor. Students must be performing at a passing level to be considered. Forms must be filled out in consultation with the instructor, and the Assistant Dean for Student Administrative Services must review it. If approval is granted, the incomplete must be finished by the end of the following semester.
Missing Class
Students who must miss a class due to religious observance, illness, or other emergency should notify the instructor by e-mail before class time. Students are responsible for obtaining the class materials distributed during his/her absence.It should be noted that attending class is very important and is mandatory. You are expected to come to class each week. You may not miss more than one class without it affecting your grade. Roll will be taken each week.
A Note on Special Needs
Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with documented physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning, and psychiatric disabilities. If you have a disability and anticipate that you will need a reasonable accommodation in this class, it is important that you contact your instructor and the Coordinator of Disability Services at 617-521-2474 early in the semester. They will determine the accommodations needed and create a letter to go out to their faculty.
Disclaimer: This syllabus is not a contract. The instructor reserves the right to alter the course requirements, schedule, and/or assignments based on new materials, class discussions, or other legitimate pedagogical objectives. Students will be given notice of relevant changes in class or via e-mail.