Library/Information Center
Collections (LIBT 105)
Welcome
Page
Hello Students:
Welcome to Cuesta College's Library/Information Technology Program. Our program is designed to prepare individuals for employment as a paraprofessional in a public, school, academic, special library or information center.
This is the Welcome Page for the distance education course Library/Information Technology 105 (Library/Information Center Collections), Spring 2010. LIBT 105 provides an overview of how to select, purchase, and organize print, electronic, and other materials to stock library/information center collections.
Pre-requisite
To enroll in this course, you must have already completed the prerequisite courses Library/Information Technology 101 (Introduction to Library Services) and Online 101 (DIST 101) or must be enrolled in them simultaneously this semester.
Civility in the Online Environment
Offering our courses online is a new experience for all of us. While online courses can be a convenient, exciting learning experience, distance education is not for everyone. Please note that just as with a traditional in-person classroom, all online students are bound by the Cuesta College Student Code of Conduct in terms of exhibiting civil behavior in the online classroom and in all course e-mail to the instructor, to fellow students, and to guest speakers. One additional norm is that a student, in an online class, should not expect to monopolize the time of the instructor or of their fellow classmates any more than they would in an actual classroom. Students should feel free to contact the instructor or fellow students to seek answers to legitimate, class-related questions. However, care should be given to insure that the recipients of the question do not have reason to feel "pecked to death" by e-mail. Students not compliant with this conduct code will be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action which may include expulsion from the course.
Disabled Students
Any student with a verifiable disability will need to let the instructor know as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodation can be made. Authorized accommodations and alternative media will be provided as appropriate.
The following is important information that may answer some of your questions about how the class will operate. Please read it carefully now as you are registering and again before the class begins. We hope you will enjoy the opportunity to participate in a new learning environment.
Sincerely,
Denise
Fourie
Instructor, Library/Information Technology
Cuesta College
P. O. Box 8106
Highway One
San
Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106
dfourie@cuesta.edu
Library/Information Technology Dept. Phone: (805) 546-3190
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When does the class begin and end?
Do I need to do anything before we meet?
When will the complete class web site and
syllabus be available on the web?
What is the schedule for readings and
homework?
What about e-mail
communication with the Instructor?
What about communicating with the Instructor and
the library office during the holiday break (Dec. 19-Jan.
18)?
How do I withdraw from
class?
What tools do I need?
What software do I need?
Is there a required textbook to
buy?
Can you give me any tips on
Distance Education?
When does the course begin
and end?
The class officially begins on Tues., Jan. 19,
2010. However, online classes assume that you will already have
all of the tools that you need successfully in place before that
official start date (e.g., sending a confirming email to your
instructor as soon as you register, successful login to course
web site, etc.) Students who are not prepared for distance
education when the course begins quickly fall behind and have to
be dropped from the course. Please note: The last day of the
class is Mon., May 17, 2010.
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Do I need to do anything before the
official semester start date of Jan. 19?
Yes, you will
need to:
When will the
complete class web site and syllabus be available on the web?
About one week before the class start date we
will send you the log-on and password needed to access the site.
We will be using the Blackboard course software ONLY for some
tests later on in this course. So you will NOT be
logging on to the class through the Blackboard platform.
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What is the
schedule for readings and homework?
The course syllabus
will give the schedule for all assignments. Please note that all
due dates are FIRM, with assignments due by midnight of the
specified day.
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What about e-mail communication
with the Instructor?
Generally, while class is in
session the instructor will try to respond to your e-mail within
48 hours (assuming there are no technical malfunctions).
Instructor’s e-mail address: dfourie@cuesta.edu
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What about communicating with the
Instructor and the library office during the holiday break (Dec.
19, 2009-Jan. 18, 2010)?
If you have questions about
this course or the overall program during the holiday break,
please read the following:
Please note that due to recent state budget cutbacks, the
library office staff and all college staff have had their work
hours reduced. We will do our best to respond to your questions.
Please allow a longer response time than usual.
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How do I
withdraw from class?
It is the responsibility of the student to complete a drop
slip before the drop date in order to withdraw from the class.
Please see the official campus policy on
withdrawing from a class.
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What tools do I need?
You will need a
modern computer with reliable Internet access and a current
e-mail account that is accessible to you at least three times a
week. It is up to each student to make their own arrangements to
have these tools available before beginning the class. The
Cuesta SLO campus library and High Tech lab have over 60
Internet computers that are available on a walk-in basis for
students; Cuesta North County campus library has over 20.
You should be very comfortable using the web and e-mail.
These will be the main methods of delivering information and
communicating during the class. These tools replace the
in-person lectures and class meetings of a traditional course.
E-mail will be required for submitting many assignments and for
participating in a class discussion group.
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What software do I
need?
Browser:
Either Netscape, version 7.0 or later or Internet Explorer,
version 6.0 or later; Firefox is also fine. The later the
version of your browser, the better. (AOL's browser is not
recommended.) You will need to enable pop-ups on your browser in
order to access the library's web site and databases.
Word Processing: A recent version (2 years old or
newer) of Microsoft Word, the standard word processing software,
is needed for composing your assignments (do not use Notepad or
Wordpad which are accesssories only). (Non-standard software
such as WordPerfect and Claris Works, etc., is not acceptable.)
You will need to save the files in Rich Text Format (RTF) in
order to attach them to e-mail and send to the instructor.
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Is there a required textbook to
buy?
Yes. There are two required textbooks: 1.
Libraries in the Information Age, 2nd edition, 2009, by
Denise K. Fourie and David R. Dowell. (Portions of this text
will be used in other courses in our program.) 2. Developing
Library and Information Center Collections, the 5th edition,
2005, by G. Edward Evans and Margaret Zarnosky Saponaro. You
may purchase both the textbooks through our campus bookstore in
early January: http://bookstore.cuesta.org/
or through online booksellers.
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Can you give me any tips on distance
education?
For an overview of distance education and the
skills needed for student success in this new environment, see
this link at Cuesta’s site: http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/
Especially
helpful is the section called "Distance
Education is for Whom?"
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URL address for this page is: http://library.cuesta.edu/online/libt105.htm