LIS454 introduces the core concepts, principles, search techniques and strategies needed for information professional to manage electronic resources and provide quality bibliographic search services in a variety of environments. We will learn database industry landscape, database structure and search techniques, a variety of domain-based database content and search strategies, specialty search and federated searching. We will cover the budget planning, pricing models, licensing negotiation, and link and authentication technology that are fundamental to managing electronic resources. We will also address the evolving roles of electronic resource librarian and discuss the current trends and future development of electronic resource management.

Multiple database systems will be used, including Dialog, Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, JSTOR, EBSCO, and others. We will also use the electronic databases that Simmons Library subscribes to.

This is a practical and hands-on course designed to prepare students for working proficiently with electronic resources, which are infused into the daily workings of the library and information center. Specifically, this course helps students to become an electronic resource librarian or a professional librarian whose part of responsibility involves handling electronic resources. 

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I. Course Description, Objectives and Learning Outcomes:

• Course Description via GSLIS Catalog:

  Provides a survey of the use and management of commercial electronic resources. The course will focus on search strategies and logics as applied on online databases in bibliographic, full-text, numeric and directory formats. Focuses on management consideration such as client relationships, collection development, equipment purchasing, and the management of public access services. Trends in electronic publishing both in multimedia CD-ROM and the World Wide Web are explored. Instructional methods include lecture, online demonstration, hands-on training, and guest speakers.

• Course Objectives:

  1. To prepare students with the core knowledge and essential skills for managing electronic resources;

  2. To cultivate informed opinions and develop the awareness of issues and trends in the database marketplace and the strategies of providing electronic resources services in challenging economic climates;

  3. To establish the quality of a professional information searcher with a general proficiency in pre-search interviewing, search strategy organization and planning, search result evaluation for the solution of real information problems for clients;

  4. To learn database characteristics and arrangement of Dialog, factiva, LexisNexis Academic and other databases through physical inspection and retrieval exercises. To understand the general principles of literature search in a variety of online databases and search systems

  5. To learn about budget planning, licensing/negotiation, and technology underpinning of electronic resource management;

  6. To achieve the ability to transfer the knowledge and skills learned for one system to an unfamiliar database. To develop the proficiency in using documentation and search aids to learn about the scope, coverage, unique features, and search language of the unfamiliar database and perform quality searches in such a system;

   

• Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Graduates demonstrate critical thinking in their practice of library, archival and information science

  2. Graduates communicate clearly and effectively in a range of formats to a variety of audiences

  3. Graduates demonstrate leadership capability in practice and service and in diverse communities

II. Course Design:

The class time is typically divided into two parts with the first half for lecture, demo, and class discussion, and the second part featuring guest presenters who are either from a vendor company (dialog, factiva, LexisNexis, EBSCO, JSTOR, Ex Libris, etc.) or a database expert and practicing electronic resource librarian. Practitioner guest speakers/presenters are from institutions such as Boston University, Harvard University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The course focuses on embarking two kinds of practical knowledge/experience: what is needed to become a successful electronic resource librarian; and what is needed to understand the structure and searching mechanisms of individual databases and vendor systems.

III. Login IDs and Passwords to Dialog and factiva, etc.:

For Dialog and LexisNexis, each of you will have an ID to sign on. For factiva, the class will share a special ID/password that allow 30 simultaneous users to login.

•  To login to dialog, go to http://dialogclassic.com/

•  To login to factiva, go to http://www.factiva.com/redirects/login/global/

•  To login to LexisNexis Academic, go to: http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/

Note: These IDs and passwords are for classroom instruction purpose only and will expire once the semester ends. Please DO NOT use it for any tasks other than class projects and assignments.

You will be able to use the terminals in GSLIS Lab or any computer that has the Internet connection for your assignments and projects.

Rong Tang 2011.
Site created by Rong Tang August 2011.