LIBT 104 - Organizing Information
Welcome Letter
Dear Student,
Welcome to distance education at Cuesta College. I'm Carina Love and I will be the instructor for Organizing Information for Spring 2010. This letter is to inform you of some important details prior to the commencement of the class. Please read this letter carefully and print it out for later reference. It includes lots of helpful resources to help you succeed in the class.
INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE EDUCATION
Distance education provides a convenient alternative to traditional classroom education. However it places a greater responsibility with the student to be self-motivated. To learn more about distance education, see the Cuesta Distance Education website, http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/ to see if distance is for you.
If this is the first online course that you have taken, and you feel that you may not have the necessary computer skills to succeed, you might consider taking DIST 101, better known as ONLINE 1. ONLINE 1 is a half unit short course that will introduce you to some of the basic technologies that are used in online courses. During the Spring 2010 semester, ONLINE 1 will be offered, check the schedule for the dates of this short course.
BASIC CLASS INFORMATION
Textbook. The required textbook is:
Beginning Cataloging
Jean Weihs and Sheila S. Intner
1-59158-687-9
978-1-59158-687-6
168 pages
Libraries Unlimited
You may purchase this text from the Cuesta College Bookstore http://bookstore.cuesta.edu/, or from another bookseller on the Internet.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Understand and use cataloging terminology
Understand the process of creating cardsets for a manual card catalog
Learn the basic rules of bibliographic description
Differentiate between the cataloging requirements of books and various nonbook
materials
Select the main entry/added entries for cataloged materials in their appropriate
form
Apply basic rules for assigning subject headings
Classify using Dewey Decimal schedules, including number building
Classify using Library of Congress Classification schedules
Understand basic serials cataloging
Perform basic searches for bibliographic records
Use name and subject authority files
Translate manual cataloging to machine-readable (MARC) cataloging
Import cataloging records into a local online catalog
Perform ongoing maintenance of the local catalog
Syllabus. The requirements for the class are outlined in the Syllabus. Once you are in the class, make sure to print it out and refer to it for important dates and requirements.
Contact With Instructor. Cuesta or I may send email to your myCuesta Gmail account in case of technical problems with Blackboard. Access your account at http://my.cuesta.edu, student tab, gMail module. The email can be forwarded to a personal account under settings/forwarding.
If you have any questions prior to the first day of class, please feel free to e-mail me at clove@cuesta.edu.
Students with Verified Disabilities
If you are a student with a verified disability, please notify me of your needs
for accommodation as soon as possible. Authorized accommodations and alternative
media will be provided as appropriate.
Basic computer experience. This course assumes a basic comfort level with computers and the Internet, and regular access to the Internet.
Course Website. This course will be taught on the Blackboard Web platform (http://blackboard.cuesta.edu). The course website will be accessible on the first day of the semester, login is your myCuesta id (firstname_lastname) and the first time password is STUDENT. You will use the website to read lectures, link to outside readings, take quizzes, submit assignments, participate in online discussions, and to send email to the instructor and to other students. You can use Blackboard anywhere you have an Internet connection and a current browser. Make sure that your system meets the basic requirements of Blackboard here: http://blackboard.cuesta.edu, click on "check browser."
Technical Support: Questions about Blackboard can be sent to Lee McCrea at lmcrea@cuesta.edu during business hours.
In Library Requirement. One assignment will require you to visit a library to uses a copy of the Library of Congress Classification Schedules. These books are available at the San Luis Obispo or North County Cuesta libraries, or at many academic libraries. You must call to make arrangements to use the books -- they are often kept in the back work area for use by the library technical services staff. Special arrangements for an online option might be available if arranged with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in. This is a free plug-in that enables you to read some the course readings. If you do not already have this plug-in, you can download it at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Word Processing program. A current version of Microsoft Word or other word processing software is required for composing your assignments and saving them as Rich Text Format (RTF). You will then need to upload the assignments to Blackboard's assignment area. (WordPerfect, Claris Works or other non-standard programs are not recommended.)
Sincerely,
Carina Love