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Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.
~ Sydney Smith
ILS 501 - Introduction to Information Science & Technology
Since I had not had much experience with online technology, I felt at first as though I had been thrown in the deep end of
Info Tech, but thanks to a focused and well-organized series of units, I was able to learn background and history and an overview
of current technology advances - and get some much-needed experience as well.
ILS 503 - Foundations of Librarianship
This class provided an overview of many facets of librarianship, from the Library Bill of Rights to critical librarian skills,
and thoughts about the past and future of our profession. I got to indulge my fondness for quotations, to research some amazing
figures in the library world, and to learn about online collaboration, finding useful resources that I will continue to use
for years (see Resources for links).
ILS 504 - Reference & Information Resources & Services
What a great introduction to Reference Services! I learned how to better use Buley services, and how to more effectively search
many print and electronic reference sources. The reference research was both fun and valuable, yielding some of the resources
that I still use.
ILS 506 - Information Analysis & Organization
I killed many trees in the course of studying the nearly inscrutable rules of bibliographic work, but I also truly enjoyed
the demanding art of cataloging and classification. Though I don't have the passion of a Sanford Berman, I found Dr. Kim's
class engaging, and I take great pleasure in providing that most important of services: access to materials.
ILS 521 Children's Services in the Public Library
Conducting a community analysis was one of the most important assignments for this class. It gave me an understanding of the
town's needs and resources, from which programming could be developed that would best serve the community's children. The
most rewarding exercise was developing programs that would meet those identified needs.
ILS 514 Materials & Services for Adults
The term 'Adult Services' covers a lot of ground, and this course certainly did; from demographic research for community assessments
to writing annotated bibliographies; from conducting Readers' Advisory interviews to serving special populations, I toiled
from dawn to dusk - and relished every assignment. My favorite (it makes a wonderful resource) was the pathfinder.
ILS 535 Resource Sharing & Library Networks
A useful course in an age of challenging budgets and burdgeoning information technologies, this class provided an overview
of the issues and benefits of sharing resources. I have found the research on bibliographic utilities especially valuable
in my everyday work.
ILS 561 Public Libraries
The Public Libraries course provided both a general overview of the myriad facets of operations in the public library,
and in-depth explorations of issues such as funding, politics, developing and marketing services, core competencies, and serving
changing populations.
ILS 680 Evaluation & Research
An intense class, Research & Evaluation is not for the faint of heart. It demands rigorous attention to detail, strict
adherence to investigative procedures and the laws that govern those procedures. Conducting a research study from start to
finish was an invaluable experience; it left me with a few battle scars, and a genuine appreciation for the research process.
ILS 519 Acquisitions & Development
Working through this class while acclimating myself in a new library position has been a stroke of good fortune. Class discussions
and assignments, such as book jobbers and serials vendors, collection development policies, selection, deselection, and disposal
of weeded materials - in addition to legal and ethical issues - have been immediately applicable to the needs of the library.
ILS 517 History of Children's Literature
From very early literature and tales in the oral tradition, through centuries of change to today's modern fables, this class
has provided opportunities for in-depth study of the development of this genre, and for comparisons of the styles, content,
and illustrations of children's literature.
ILS 565 Library Management
Library Management has been another wonderfully practical class. In addition to some lively discussions and readings on organizational
structure, staffing and personnel issues, I interviewed an experienced library manager concerning everyday operations and
issues, and I researched various management theories and styles, choosing one book for review. I then wrote a speech based
on that review that could be used as a presentation to a library board or to other local organizations.
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