LIS 6445 Seminar in Public Libraries

Course Description:

LIS 6445 SEMINAR IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES (3)
Critical examination of public and institutional library administration, services, resources, and facilities at the municipal, county, and regional levels.  Role of state and federal governments in library development.
(Prerequisite:  LIS 6409 or consent of instructor)

Course Summary:

The Seminar in Public Libraries explores  history, current practice and leadership in public library service. The focus is on community involvement, understanding of the political environment and knowledge required in an era of transformation.

Required Text:

McCook, Kathleen de la Peña. (2004). Introduction to public librarianship. New York: Neal-Schuman.

Suggested Texts:

Nelson, S. (2008). Strategic Planning for Results. Chicago: American Library Association.

D'Angelo, E. (2006). Barbarians at the Gates of the Public Library: How Postmodern Consumer Capitalism Threatens
Democracy, Civil Education and the Public Good. Library Juice Press, LLC.

Course Topics and Links:

WEEK 1: Why Become a Public Librarian?
Scope-Statistical Data on Public Libraries

Reading(s): The landscape of public libraries at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Introduction to public librarianship, pp.1-11. (Chapter 1)

• Public Librarian Recruitment - PLA's recruitment site for public libraries and librarians to post, search and find library jobs.
• "A Fresh Look at Public Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century." Public Agenda Research Reports.
• Library Statistics Program - NCES-funded nation-wide library statistics program.
• National Center for Education Statistics - A national database with statistics on libraries nation-wide, including public, academic, special and school libraries.
• 2007 Florida Library Directory with Statistics - sponsored by the State Library and Archives of Florida

 

WEEK 2: U.S. Public Library History
Brahmins, Bequests, and Determined Women: The Beginnings to 1918.

Reading(s): Brahmins, bequests, and determined women: The beginnings to 1918. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 13-59, 308-314. (Chapter 2)

Optional readings:

McCrossen, A. (2006). "One cathedral more" or "Mere lounging places for bummers"? The cultural politics of leisure and the public library in Gilded Age America. Libraries & culture, 41(2), 169-88.

Anderson, D. (2003). William Bradford's books: Of Plimmoth Plantation and the printed word. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

• The Library History Buff: A Tribute to the Boston Public Library
• General Federation of Women's Clubs
• A Separate Flame Western Branch: The First African-American Public Library

 

WEEK 3: U.S. Public Library History
Public Library Growth and Values: 1918–2004

Reading(s): Public library growth and values: 1918-2004. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 61-81, 310-315. (Chapter 3)

Other Readings:

D'Angelo, E. (2006). Barbarians at the Gates of the Public Library: How Postmodern Consumer Capitalism Threatens Democracy, Civil Education and the Public Good. Library Juice Press, LLC.

Robbins, L. S. (2005). Changing the geography of reading in a southern border state: The Rosenwald Fund and the WPA in Oklahoma. Libraries and culture, 40(3), 353-367.

Graham, P. T. (2002). A Right to read: Segregation and civil rights in Alabama's public libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama Press.

Jasper, C. & McCook, K. (1998). The Florida library history project. U.S.: Florida. [Available through USF Libraries' ERIC database].

United States Supreme Court. Brown v. Louisiana, 383 U.S. 131 (1966). Washington, D.C.

 

WEEK 4: Community Building: A Librarian at Every Table

Reading(s): McCook, K.(2000). A place at the table. Chicago: American Library Association.

Other Reading(s):

Drueke, J. (2006). Researching local organizations: Simple strategies for building social capital. Reference & user services quarterly, 45(4), 327-333.

Berry III, J. N. (2003). Library support is local. Library journal, 128(15), 8. (Original work published 1976).

McCabe, R. B. (2001). Civic leadership: Renewing the social mission of the public library. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.

McCook, K. (2000). Librarians and comprehensive community initiatives. Reference and user services quarterly, 40, 20-22.

McCook, K. (2000). Service integration and libraries. Reference and user services quarterly, 40, 22-25.

Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon and Schuster.

• A Librarian at Every Table - A resource to demonstrate the value of librarianship in the community building movement
• A Librarian at the Kitchen Table - Kathleen de la Peña McCook's online blog focusing on human rights and librarianship.

 

WEEK 5: Library Governance visits

Reading(s): Divelko, J. & Mason, M. (March/April 2000). Why you should read the papers: Improving reference service in public libraries. Public Libraries, 39(2), 85-97.

Other Reading(s):

Bertot, J. C., et. al. (2006). Public access computing and internet access in public libraries: The role of public libraries in e-government and emergency situations. First Monday (Online), 11(9).

Durrani, S., et. al. (2006). The Professional is political: Redefining the social role of public libraries. Progressive librarian, 27, 3-22.

 

WEEK 6: Statistics, Standards, Planning, and Results

Reading(s): Statistics, standards, planning and results. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 83-106, 315-320, 371-380. (Chapter 4)

Nelson, S. (2001). The NEW planning for results: A streamlined approach. Chicago: American Library Association.

Other Reading(s):

Matthews, J. R. (2004). Measuring for results: The dimension of public library effectiveness. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

McCook, K. (2001). Authentic discourse as a means of connection between public library service responses and community building initiatives. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 41(2), 127-133.

• E.D. TAB: Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2004 - National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
• The Normative Data Project (NDP)
• Standards for Florida Public Libraries 2004: 2006 Revision - Florida Library Association
• Compare Public Libraries - National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
• U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science: Statistics and Surveys
• State Public Library Statistics - Library Research Service

 

WEEK 7: Organization, Law, Funding, and Politics
Administration and Staffing.

Reading(s): Organization, law, funding, and politics. Introduction to public libraries, pp. 107-134, 320-323. (Chapter 5)

Administration and staffing. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 135-161, 323-328. (Chapter 6)

Other Reading(s):

Sager, D. (2001). Evolving virtues: Library administrative skills. Public Libraries, 40(5) 268-272.

• Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA)
• Taxpayer Return on Investment in Florida Public Libraries: Summary Report September 2004
• Union Librarian - Kathleen de la Peña McCook's online blog about librarians and union information.

 

WEEK 8: Adult Services

Reading(s): Adult services. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 183-210, 331-341. (Chapter 8)

Other Reading(s):

Stephens, A. K. (2006). Twenty-first century public library adult services. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 45(3), 223-235.

Moyer, J. E. (2005). Adult fiction reading: A literature review of readers' advisory services, adult fiction librarianship, and fiction readers. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 44(3), 220-226, 229-231.

Saricks, J. G. (2005). Readers' advisory services in the public library. (3rd ed.). Chicago: American Library Association.

 

WEEK 9: Youth Services

Reading(s): Youth services. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 211-240, 342-356. (Chapter 9)

Other Reading(s):

Sullivan, Michael. (2005). Fundamentals of children's services. Chicago: American Library Association.

Fasick, A. M. (1998). Managing children's services in the public library. (2nd ed.). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

 

WEEK 10: Structure and Infrastructure

Reading(s): Structure and Infrastructure. Introduction to public librarianship, pp. 163-182, 328-331. (Chapter 7)

Other Reading(s):

Casey, M. E. & Savastinuk, L. C. (2006). Library 2.0. Library Journal, 131(14), 40-42.

Hoffert, B. (2002). Book report 2002: The Amazon effect [public library acquisitions survey]. Library Journal, 127(3), 38-40.

Salakari, S. (2002). Technical services processes in the digital environment. Colorado libraries, 28(2), 42-43.

Hughes, J. E. (2001). Access, access, access! The new OPAC mantra. American libraries, 32(5), 62-64.

• Public Libraries & the Internet - Information Use Management & Policy Institute, Florida State University.

  "The Institute has a committment to translating research and development findings into practical solutions. This section is designed to highlight some solutions developed by the Institute. These solutions include information repositories and training tools." - Information Use Management & Policy Institute, FSU

 

WEEK 11: Connections: Associations, State Library Agencies, Standards, Rankings and Quality of Life

Reading(s): Connections: Associations, state library agencies, standards, rankings and quality of life. Introduction to public librarianship, 214-264, 356-359. (Chapter 10)

Other Reading(s):

Albanese, A., et. al. (April 1, 2003). Florida librarians protest Bush plan. Library journal, 128, 17.

Colvin, G., et. al. (2003). Reprieve for the state library of Florida. American Libraries, 34, 30-32.

Moorman, J. A. (1997). Standards for public libraries: A study in quantitative measures of library performance as found in state public library documents. Public libraries, 36, 32-39.

• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): About Us
• Gateway to Information through Florida Libraries: An Outcomes Plan, 2003-2007
• Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)
• Hennen's American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR)

 

WEEK 12: Global Perspectives on Public Libraries

Reading(s): Global perspectives on public libraries. Introduction to public librarianship, 265-292, 359-362. (Chapter 11)

• Public Library Manifesto - IFLA/UNESCO
• International Leads - Official publication of ALA's International Relations Roundtable

 

WEEK 13: Community Participation

Other Reading(s):

Osborne, R., Ed. (2004). From outreach to equity: Innovative models of library policy and practice. [Office for Literacy and Outreach Services]. Chicago: American Library Association

• Library Outreach Resources for Underserved Populations
• Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force (HHPTF) - a group within the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT), was formed in 1996 to help promote and implement Policy 61 (Library Services for Poor People) and to raise awareness of issues related to poverty.
  

 

WEEK 14: Twenty-First Century Trends in Public Librarianship

Reading(s): Twenty-first century trends in public librarianship. Introduction to public librarianship, 293-306, 363-370. (Chapter 12)

Other Reading(s):

Phenix, K. J., & McCook, K. (2005). Human rights and librarians. Reference & user services quarterly, 45(1), 23-26.

• The Future of Libraries: Beginning the Great Transformation - by Thomas Frey, Executive Director of the DaVinci Institute
• Librarians and Human Rights - Kathleen de la Peña McCook's course web page with many relevant website links
• WebJunction - started in 2002, as a result of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WebJunction is a portal for librarians to share and use online resources.

  Mission of the Organization:
  WebJunction is a cooperative of library staff sharing and using online resources that enable us to identify and embrace appropriate technologies and apply them to our daily work.
  
  To sustain this effort, we partner with library and cultural heritage organizations and those that support them in meeting their objectives through effective use of collaborative, web-based technologies.

• Joint-Use Libraries

  • Charlton, L.(July 24, 2008). Construction Begins for New Joint-Use Library. The Ledger, R3. Click here to read the article.
  • Kearney, C. (April 2008). Collaborative Communities: New Service Delivery Models for Lifelong-Learning. Library & Information Update, 7(4), 45.
  • Fontenot, M. J. (2007). A Case for an Integrated Model of Community College and Public Use Libraries. Public Libraries, 46(4), 46-49.
  • Albright, M. (July/Aug 2007). Library Services to the GLBT Community in South Florida. Public Libraries, 46(40, 20-22.
  • Marie, K. L. (Winter 2007). One Plus One Equals Three: Joint-Use Libraries in Urban Areas - The Ultimate Form of Library Cooperation. Library Administration & Management, 21(1), 23-28.
  • Sullivan, K, Taylor, W., & Barrick, M.G. (Spring 2006). Building the Beginnings of a Beautiful Partnership. Library Trends, 54(4), 569-580.
  • Local Joint-Use Libraries
    • West St. Petersburg Community Library at St. Petersburg College - St. Pete/ Gibbs
    • Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College - Seminole
    • Broward College - North, South, Downtown and Pine

 

Instructor:

Kathleen de la Peña McCook, Distinguished University Professor
School of Library and Information Science
University of South Florida
Telephone:  (813) 974-9182
Fax:  (813) 974-6840
E-mail: kmccook@tampabay.rr.com

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