Courses

LIS-S 575 Public Library Services

3 credits

• Prerequisite(s): LIS-S 500, LIS-S 501, LIS-S 507
• Delivery: Online
• Semesters offered: Fall (Check the schedule to confirm.)

Description

Public librarians and libraries often find themselves caught in a severe nostalgia complex from the public. Those not in the industry, having experienced wonderful times in public libraries, imagine a gentle career of books, reading, and pleasant interactions with kind patrons. While sometimes this IS the case, public librarianship is not for the faint of heart or stomach and requires patience, curiosity, knowledge, and a passion to serve and support one’s community as well as understanding and implementing trends in technology. While this course will cover the broad range of cultural, educational, and social library services and programming initiatives available for children, adolescents, and adults in public libraries, it will also provide a realistic look at the role of the public services librarian including (but not limited to): assessing needs based on community trends, evaluation of services and programs, planning and implementing specific services and programs, and examining both the current status and future of public libraries. It will also include information on programming, reference/information services, safety, readers’ advisory, advocacy, customer service, and educational services such as outreach and community services. Discussion of the best use and value of technology will be included in this course as well as understanding the unique methods of providing excellent customer service to our patrons.

Topics

Program Learning Goals Supported

Instructors map their courses to specific LIS Program Goals. Mapped program goals drive the design of each course and what students can expect to generally learn.

• Facilitate Engagement in the Information Ecosystem
• Lead and Manage Libraries, Archives and Other Information Organizations
• Examine Systemic Inequalities to Improve Library and Information Practices through Equitable and Socially Just Interventions

Learning Outcomes

Instructors develop learning outcomes for their courses. Students can expect to be able to achieve the learning outcomes for a given course after successfully completing the course.

1. Design and evaluate library programming and service initiatives that align with the library’s mission
2. Successfully perform a community analysis to determine the best programs and services for the community
3. Develop programming policies, guidelines, and procedures that best align with the community and best practices
4. Develop skills in assessing needs and utilizing goals and objectives to plan services and programs, and in evaluating services and programs
5. Demonstrate understanding of the collaborative nature of library services and programming
6. Analyze the growing nature of library services outside of traditional boundaries
7. Demonstrate the impact of Intellectual Freedom and censorship on libraries

Course Overview

Instruction is in Canvas. Lessons are organized into Modules whose length may vary.

Module 0: Getting around the course 

• Necessary technology  
• Navigating discussions  
• Quick APA 7 power point for reference 

Module 1: Introduction to Public Libraries and Introduction to classmates 

• Role of public libraries 
• Facts about public libraries 

Module 2: Library mission, goals, and objectives 

• Public library mission and vision statements 
• Public library programming 
• Public library programming trends 

Module 3: Understanding the community 

• Community needs assessment 

Module 4: Customer service and library hospitality 

• Creating customer service standards 

Module 5: The library team 

• Observation of adult library program 
• Interviews with library team members 
• Assessment of customer service 

Module 6: Programming in a public library 

• Creation of an adult or all ages program plan 
• Assessment of program 

Module 7: Evaluating library services and programs 

• ALA’s Project Outcome 
• Various tools and data to assess and evaluate library services and programs 

Module 8: Funding, Friends and finding the money 

• Basics of library funding 
• Fees in public libraries 
• Alternate ways to find funding and raise money 

Module 9: Collaboration, partnerships, and outreach 

• Documenting various ways libraries can collaborate with other organizations, partner with other organizations, and use outreach within the community 

Module 10: Security and safety in the public library 

• Keeping libraries safe 
• Informed trauma 

Module 11: Intellectual Freedom, neutrality, and social justice in public libraries 

• History of neutrality and social justice in libraries 
• Comparing neutrality and social justice 

Module 12:  Reader’s Advisory 

• History of RA 
• Best practices of RA 

Module 13: Library spaces and designing the patron experience 

• Interpretative planning 
• Creating an interpretative library design plan 

Module 14: Non-traditional library services 

• Defining non-traditional library services and programs 
• Identifying a non-traditional library program 

Module 15: eResources and all things digital 

• Defining digital and eResources 
• Executive summary to sell a digital or eResource to administration 

Policies and Procedures

Please be aware of the following linked policies and procedures. Note that in individual courses instructors will have stipulations specific to their course.

• Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct
• University Policies