North Carolina Central University
School of Library and Information Sciences

Organization of Information
LSIS 4400-101
Fall 2002

Instructor:  Mr. Marcus S. McKoy
Syllabus' url:  http://www.ibiblio.org/msmckoy/fall2002
E-mail: Marcus_McKoy@unc.edu
Phone: 919-966-3561, ext 262

Course Description

The goal of this course is to enable students with the ablility to understand the theories, principles, standards, and tools behind the organization of information, with special emphasis on understanding the function of catalogs, indexes, bibliographic utilities, and other such organizing entities. Emphasis will also focus on the competencies needed to do basic cataloging, to classify materials, and to assign subject headings.

Course Objectives

Students will understand:
    • the role of organization in human endeavors;
    • basic principles of organization that have developed over the last several centuries;
    • organizational concepts that affect how information must be retrieved;
    • various approaches to organizing in all types of environments;
    • administrative issues affecting organization of information;
    • the role of technical standards in organizing information packages.

Students will be able to:

    • effectively use and interpret existing systems for organization of information;
    • use a number of standard organizing tools;
    • define and use correctly, terminology commonly used with respect to the organization of information;
    • develop an appreciation for the importance of organization standards and procedures;
    • establish a greater understanding of how organizational procedures are applied to successfully promote the unique missions of libraries and other environments.

Required Texts

    Chan, Lois M. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction. (1994). New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

    Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed., 1998 Revision. (1998). Chicago: American Library Association.

    Additionally: Each student will be asked to purchase one (1) book (provided by the Instructor) at the first class meeting (8/31/2002) that will be used as a source to complete homework assignments. (See Homework Assignments.) Students will be required to provide $3.00 to the Instructor as payment for the single monograph at the start of the semester.


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August 31 -- 1st Class Meeting

    • Organization in Human Endeavors
    • Retrieval Tools
    • Historical Developments of Recorded Information

Lecture Notes:



Recommended Reading::

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September 14 -- 2nd Class Meeting

Descriptive Cataloging | Access Points | Subject Analysis

    • Structure of AACR2r
    • Areas of Description :
Area #1: Title and Statement of Responsibility
Area #2: Edition Statement
Area #3: Publication, Distribution, etc. Statement
Area #4: Physical Description Statement
Area #5: Series Statement
Area #6: Notes Statement
Area #7: Standard Number(s) and Terms of Availability

    • Levels of Description:
Level #1: Information Related to Area #1
Level #2: Information Related to Areas #2 - #6
Level #3: Information Related to Area #7

    • Punctuation
    • Capitalization
    • Abbreviations

Access Points

    • Main Entry (General Rule)
    • Single Person or Corporate Body is Responsible
    • Unknown or Uncertain Authorship or by Unnamed Groups
    • Works of Shared Responsibility
    • Collections of Work Produced under Editorial Direction
    • Added Entries
    • Tracings
    • Assigning Library of Congress Subject Headings
    • Assigning Free-Floating Subject Headings

Reading Assignment::

  • Chapter 3, "Description," Chan, Lois. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.
  • Chapter 4. "Choice of Access Points," Chan, Lois. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.
  • Chapter 5. "Name Authority Control and Forms of Headings and Uniform Titles." Chan, Lois. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.
  • Chapter 7. "Subject Cataloging, " Chan, Lois. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.
  • Mann, Thomas. (2000). "Teaching Library of Congress Subject Headings". Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 29 (1/2), 117-26. (On SLIS Reserves)

Lecture Notes:

Homework Assignment #1: Descriptive Cataloging Assignment (30 points)

Prepare a bibliographic [descriptive] record of the book purchased at the beginning of the term. The record must include all of the applicable "areas of description" (see above) and three subject terms. (Due: September 28, 2002)

Examples


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September 28 -- 3rd Class Meeting

Forms of Headings | MARC Records | OCLC Searching

Quiz #1: Descriptive Cataloging

Elements of a MARC Format

• Record Structure
• Content Designation
• Data Content
OCLC Searching
    • Title
    • Author/Title
    • Personal Name
    • Corporate Name
    • Unique Identifiers
    • Qualifying a Search

Reading Assignment:

  • Ch. 15. "USMARC Formats" from Chan, Lois M. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.
  • Turvey, Michelle R. (2000). "Being MARC Savvy ..." Knowledge Quest. 28 (4), 24-26. (On SLIS Reserves)
  • Matthews, Joe. (2000). "The Value of Information in Library Catalogs." Information Outlook. July 2000, 18-24.
  • MARC Coding [Website: http://www.oclc.org/oclc/man/7366cis/toc.htm]
  • MARC & OCLC [Website: http://www-class.unl.edu/curr921b/6sld001.htm]

Lecture Notes:

Homework Assignment #2: OCLC Searching (30 points). Students will receive an assignment, where they will be asked to locate successfully fifteen (15) seperate MARC records (titles). (Due: October 12, 2002)

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October 12 -- 4th Class Meeting

Library of Congress Classification

    • Introduction
    • Subject Analysis
    • Classification Tools and Aids
    • Basic Features
    • Schedule Format
    • Assigning Cutter Numbers

Quiz #2: MARC Records

Reading Assignment:

  • Chapters 13, "Library of Congress Classification." Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction.

Lecture Notes:

Homework Assignment #3: Assign Library of Congress Classifications (20 points) for five (5) titles. (Due: October 26, 2002)


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October 26, 2002 -- 5th Class Meeting

Quiz #3: OCLC Searching

Dewey Decimal Classification

    • Introduction
    • Basic Concepts
    • Schedule Format
    • Classification Tools and Aids
    • Number Building

Reading Assignment:

  • Chapters 12, "Dewey Decimal Classification." Chan, Lois. Cataloging and Classification: An Introduction
  • Matthews, Joe. (2000). "The Value of Information in Library Catalogs." Information Outlook. July 2000, 18-24. (On SLIS Reserve) Or, at: www.eosintl.com/htdocs/articles/jm_valueofinfo.htm.
  • Stites, S. C. (2000). "Melvil Dewey: What's His Point?" The School Librarians Workshop. April 2000, 6-7. (On SLIS Reserve)

Lecture Notes:

Homework Assignment #4:

Homework Assignment: Assign Dewey Decimal Classifications (20 points) for five (5) titles. (Due: November 9, 2002)

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November 9, 2002 -- 6th Class Meeting

Authority Control: What the Heck Is It?
    • A Definition of Authority Control
    • Why Does a Library Catalog Need Authority Control
    • Benefits of Authority Control
    • Types of Authority Control

Reading Assignment:

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November 23, 2002 -- 7th Class Meeting

  • Writing (Essay) is due
  • Final Examination

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Class Organization

Class lectures will be supplemented with visuals, printed handout materials, and class discussions. There will be class assignments designed to reinforce concepts covered in the reading assignments and class lectures. Students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform cataloging procedures in a series of four (4) practical assignments. These assignments will involve the techniques that are needed for: 1) descriptive cataloging and determining access points; 2) searching for OCLC records; 3) assigning Dewey Decimal Classification call numbers; and 4) assigning Library of Congress Classification call numbers.

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Quizzes

There will be three (3) scheduled quizzes. Each quiz is designed to measure students' comprehension of the following lectures: 1) Descriptive Cataloging/Access Points, 2) MARC Records, 3) OCLC Searching Techniques. Quizzes will be administered at the beginning of scheduled class meeting.

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Quiz Schedule

September 28 - Descriptive Cataloging & Access Points
October 12 - MARC Records
October 26 - OCLC Searching

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Homework Assignments

There will be four (4) scheduled homework assignments. Each exercise will provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply acquired techniques. Each assignment will be due at the start of the following class meeting.

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Homework Assignment Due Dates

September 28 - Homework Assignment #1: Descriptive Cataloging Assignment (30 points)
October 12 - Homework Assignment #2: OCLC Searching (30 points)
October 26 - Homework Assignment #3: Library of Congress Classification Exercise (20 points)
November 9 - Homework Assignment #4: Dewey Decimal Classification Exercise (20 points)

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Requirements

Students are expected to attend class, read the assigned text and other readings, participate in class discussions, and to be present on exam days to completed scheduled quizzes and the Final in class. Students are responsible for using the resources available in the SLIS Library and learning to use OCLC.

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Assignments

Due dates for assignments are included in this syllabus. You are encouraged to ask for assistance with them when needed. Also, you may work with classmates when needed.

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Late Policy

All assignments must be turned in on time. Late assignments will not be accepted except in cases of extreme emergency. Written examinations must be taken on the dates scheduled. Incompletes will be given only under the most extreme conditions.

It should be amplified that attending class is very important. Students should not miss class, because of trivial, prearranged engagements.

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Evaluation

Homework Assignments -- 25%
Quizzes -- 25%
Essay -- 25%
Final -- 25%

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Final Grading Scale

100 - 91   A
90-81   B
80-71   C
70-lower  F

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Essay (Writing Assignment)

Each student is required to submit an intelligently written 5-8 page (doubled spaced) composition reviewing a theme or issue related to an essay topic below. (See "Essay Topics.") Students are required to refer to Kate Turabian's, A Manual For Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (1996) 6th ed. Students can find copies of Turabian's writing manual at: Prof. 808.02 T929m 1996 (SLIS Reserves) or Ref. LB2369 .T8 1996 (Shepard Library, Reference Dept.). Essays are to be submitted on the final class meeting, November 23, 2002.

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Essay Topics

1. Educating Catalogers: Considerations for Successful Teaching and Training

Clayden, J. (1995). Theory versus practice in cataloging education. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 36 (3), 230-38.

Garret, L. (1997). Dewey, Dale, and Bruner: Educational philosophy, experiential learning, and library school cataloging instruction. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 38 (2), 129-36.

MacLeod, J.; Callahan, D. (1995) Educators and practitioners reply: an assessment of cataloging education. Library Resources & Technical Services, 39 (2), 153-65.

Romero, L. (1995). The cataloging laboratory: the active learning theory applied to the education of catalogers. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 21 (1), 3-17.

Shearer, J.R.;Thomas, A.R. (1997). Cataloging and classification: trends, transformation, teaching, and training.Reference & User Services Quarterly, 37 (2), 236-37.

Vellucci, S.L. (1997). Cataloging across the curriculum: a syndetic structure for teaching cataloging. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 24 (1/2), 35-59.

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2. Metadata and Library Cataloging Techniques: A Merging of the Old With The New

Beagle, D. (1999) Visualization of metadata. Information Technology and Libraries, 18 (4), 192-99.

Brissom, R. (1999). The world discovers cataloging: a conceptual introduction to digital libraries, metadata and the implications for library administration. Journal of Internet Cataloging, 1 (4), 3-30.

Burnett, K.; Ng, K.B.; Park, S. A comparison of the two traditions of metadata development. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 50 (13), 1209-17.

Gradmann, S. (1999). Cataloguing vs. metadata: old wine in new Bottles? International Cataloging and Bibliographic Control, 28 (4), Oct./Dec., 88-90.

McCue, J.A. (1997). Why should a cataloging department hire a metadata specialist? And, Are there any out there? Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists, 42 (3/4), 226-29.

Smits, J. (1999). Metadata: an introduction. Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 27 (3/4), 303-19.


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3. Subject Analysis: New Dilemmas, New Considerations

Chan, L. M.; Vizine-Goetz, D. (1997). Errors and obsolete elements in assigned Library of Congress Subject Headings: implications for subject cataloging and subject authority control. Library Resources & Technical Services, 41 (4), 295-322.

Dodd, D. G. (1996). Grass-roots cataloging and classification: food for thought from World Wide Web subject-oriented hierarchical lists. Library Resources & Technical Services, 40 (3), 275-86.

Greenberg, J. (1996). Subject control of ephemera: MARC format options. Popular Culture in Libraries, 4 (1), 71-91.

Hjorland, B.; Albrechtsen, H. (1995). Towards a new horizon in information science: domain-analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 46 (6), 400-25.

McIlwaine, I. C.; Williams, N. J. (1999) International trends in subject analysis research. Knowledge Organization, 26 (1), 23-29.

Romero, L. (1995). An evaluation of classification and subject cataloging in entry-level cataloging copy: implications for access and instruction. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 36 (3), 217-29.

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4. Outsourcing Cataloging Demands: Viable Alternative or Bad Idea?

Anyomi, M. E. (1999). Outsourcing cataloging functions in South Carolina public libraries. Bottom Line, 12 (1), 29-33.

El-Sherbini, M. (1995). Contract cataloging: a pilot project for outsourcing Slavic books, Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 20 (3), 57-73.

Hill, J. S. (1998). Boo! outsourcing from the cataloging perspective. Bottom Line, 11 (3), 116-21.

Jiang, D. (1998). A feasibility study of the outsourcing of cataloging in the academic libraries. Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences, 35 (4), 283-93.

Kascus, M. A; Hale, D. (1996). Outsourcing cataloging, authority work, and physical processing: a checklist of considerations. Technical Services Quarterly, 13 (3/4), 160-63.

Libby, K. A.; Caudle, D.M. (1997) A survey of the outsourcing of cataloging in academic libraries. College & Research Libraries, 58 (6), 550-60.

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5. Electronic Books and the Challenge That Follows

Connaway, L. S. (2000). E-books: New Opportunities and Challenges. Technicalities, 20 (5), 8-10.

Cannon, E.;Watson, B. (2001). Taking E-books for a Test Drive. Computers in Libraries, 21 (3), 24-7.

Helfer, D. S. (2000). E-books in Libraries: Some Early Experiences and Reactions. Searcher, 8 (9), 63-5.

Perrault, A. H. (2000). The Printed Book: Still In Need of CCD. Collection Management, 24 (1/2), 119-36.

Peters, T. A. (2001). Gutterdammerung (Twilight of the Gutter margins): E-books and Libraries. Library Hi Tech, 19 (1), 50-62.

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This syllabus was last updated on Friday, November 8, 2002.