Kent State
University School
of Library & Information Science,
LIS 61095 -
History of Libraries in the Western World
Summer 2011 |
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Descriptions of Course & Assignments |
Syllabus |
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Discussion Papers and
Sessions
- Three 1 page
analytical reviews of articles or books from required or optional
readings, with discussion of the reading lead by students. - 10 points
each (loaded to VISTA by 8am on the day of the presentation)
These reviews
should:
- Present the main
idea of the article or book chapter.
- Provide a 2-3
sentence summary of what the author was trying to get across to the
reader.
- Discuss how the
library reflects its time and place, and its importance in the history
and development of libraries.
Discussion leader
guidelines for your three readings:
- You are
responsible for leading the discussion about your reading. Think of two
or three questions that will sustain conversation, provoke arguments,
raise issues that are important for our understanding of the history and
development of libraries.
- Ask questions
about the issues raised in the article or book chapter.
- How does the
reading fit the topic for the session?
- You may bring in
videos, DVDs and YouTube clips to enhance the discussion. The clips
should be no longer than 5 minutes.
Participant
guidelines for each session:
- You are all
responsible for reading the articles, book chapters, and summaries –
the required readings for all students, and the summaries for each day’s
discussion if the title is optional.
- Be prepared to
discuss the issues and problems raised by each reading.
- Engage each other
in discussion and argument.
- Be courteous and
respect your classmates’ opinions.
The classroom
microphones will be on for the entire class period to facilitate easy
discussion. Please wait a few seconds before jumping in to make certain
the last speaker finished his or her thought.
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Semester Paper
- 5-7 page
paper
about a library of your choice plus an annotated bibliography. The paper
topic to be presented to the class and the professor by 3rd
session - 30 points - due last day of class -
Paper Topic Proposal due session 3
You may write
about any library or type of libraries at any time in history. There
should be at least 3 to 4 books or substantive articles on the subject.
Discuss your topic with me first. You may change your topic if you find
there is not enough information, but do not wait until the last minute
to make the change.
There are many
examples of library histories in the readings this semester. If
you want a creative project see: Lear, Bernadette A. "Wishing They Were
There: Old Postcards and Library History" Libraries & the Cultural
Record 43 No. 1 (2008): 77-101 (available through KentLink and EJC)
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Historical thought questions
During your readings and the
discussions in class, think about these questions. On the last day of
class, you will hand in written essays covering two of the topics below.
The essay should contain footnotes and bibliographic references. This is
in lieu of a final exam.
Write about two of these topics - Minimum Length
–per question - 3 pages (1500-2000 words). Draw your examples and
justifications from the readings, class discussion, and presentations.
Footnotes and bibliographical references must be in the correct forma.
You may use either APA or Chicago Manual of Style (Turabian).
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Discuss the social, economic, and
political conditions that contributed to the rise of libraries in Europe
and North America. What factors contribute to their use today? |
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How do today’s libraries parallel those
of ancient and medieval times? What did we take from these earlier
cultures and what did we omit? |
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“The role of libraries has changed in
today’s has society (since the 1990s).” Defend or refute this statement
using examples from the class and your readings to demonstrate how and why
you agree or disagree.
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Compare and
contrast the concept, role, and place of libraries in Europe and North
America (and Australia & New Zealand) and in Asia.
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How did the wide
dissemination of printed books encourage the development of libraries and
literacy? How do the missions and contents of libraries change from the
period before printing to the 1500s? Do you see a similar change occurring
today with digital libraries and collections?
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Deposit and Copyright built up libraries quickly. Do you see this as a
benefit or a hindrance to the growth of cohesive collections? |
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Why do you think the study of the
history of libraries is important? What do we as librarians and archivist
learn from such a study? How have other academic disciplines contributed
to the field? |
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Syllabus |
Description |
Links to websites &
bibliography |
